NASA invites volunteers to live “a year on Mars”. The purpose of the mission is to simulate Martian life in terrestrial conditions. We will tell you more about the project and who can get there.
How did it all start?
The US Aeronautics and Space Administration NASA has published a report on recruiting volunteers for a year-long mission to simulate a Mars mission. The annual mission to simulate life on the distant Red Planet is set to begin in the fall of 2022.
How will the mission proceed?
NASA plans to study how “highly motivated people” react to the harsh conditions of a long-term ground simulator in near real-life conditions.
According to the plan, the aerospace agency plans to conduct three one-year missions to simulate the surface of Mars at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Texas. During them, scientists will conduct research to develop methods and technologies to prevent and solve potential problems in future human space flights to the Moon and Mars. Each mission will include four crew members who will live and work in the 160 m² Mars Dune Alpha module. At the same time, the structure itself will be printed on a 3D printer.
The habitat is planned to mimic the challenges of a Mars mission, including resource constraints, equipment abandonment, communication delays, and other environmental stressors. Crew tasks can include simulating spacewalks, scientific research, using virtual reality and controlling robots, and messaging.
NASA is now waiting for volunteer applications.
Requirements for participants in the “Martian mission”
NASA is looking for healthy, motivated, non-smoking US citizens or permanent residents between the ages of 30 and 55 and a good command of English for effective communication between the crew and the mission control center. Crew selection will be carried out in accordance with NASA’s standard criteria for astronaut candidates. The candidate is also required to have at least two years of relevant professional STEM experience or at least 1000 hours of command jet flight.
A master’s degree in STEM such as engineering, mathematics, biology, physics, or computer science is required from an accredited institution with at least two years of professional STEM experience or at least a thousand hours of flying an airplane. Applicants who have completed two years of doctoral program in STEM, or have earned a medical degree, or test pilot program will also be considered. In addition, with four years of professional experience, candidates who have completed military officer training or have earned a Bachelor of Science in STEM degree may be considered.
What awaits the finalists?
Finalists will undergo a medical examination, psychological testing and psychiatric examination. The goal is to determine their suitability for long-term isolation requiring serious physical and psychological effort. All exams and related costs will be arranged and paid for by NASA.
• Who will not qualify?
The agency notes that candidates with any food allergies or gastrointestinal diseases will not be selected. In addition, applicants are required to provide the requested biological samples on the required days, as well as follow a diet similar to the space diet envisaged during the mission. Also, candidates should not have any problems with motion sickness when using virtual reality equipment.
Also, people who take certain medications will not be able to participate in the mission. Banned drugs include blood pressure medications, thrombolytics, anticonvulsants, daily allergy medications, daily insulin for diabetics, sleeping pills, ADHD / ADD medications, antidepressants, and anxiety medications. Also, during the mission, it is forbidden to take food supplements, so if a person needs them, it makes no sense to apply. At the same time, NASA notes that vitamin D is provided by the agency during the mission – the project participants will not have access to sunlight. All other vitamins are available in spaceflight nutrition and no supplements are allowed.
Also, candidates are required to vaccinate against COVID-19 and provide proof of complete vaccination. In addition, participants in the program must undergo a PCR test. In the course of the mission, scientists will have to adhere to the protocols for reducing the risk of disease in force on the NASA campus when they visit.
• How long will the selection take?
NASA notes that candidates participating in this protocol are not guaranteed selection for analog missions. The selection process can take up to 13 months. However, active participation will take a maximum of 16 days at all times. This includes the time it takes to complete the application, travel time, campus pre-screening time, and time at the National School of Outdoor Leadership. Not all candidates will go through every selection stage. Crew selection applications will be evaluated on a first-come, first-served basis until all vacancies have been filled. The agency notes that compensation is possible for the participants, however, all additional information will be provided during the selection process for candidates for the crew.
• What are the risks during selection?
“Risks of participation in the protocol could include loss of confidentiality or confidentiality of the facility, minor discomfort and low radiation exposure from X-rays during medical examinations, and physical injury or an extremely unlikely chance of death,” NASA said. However, the agency notes that all personal data will be maximally protected, and medical examinations will take place only in licensed clinics. In addition, NASA promises to “use safety mechanisms” and provide “injury prevention training.”
How and when to apply?
Applications for participation as a crew are accepted from 8:00 CET on August 6, 2021 (09:00 Moscow time) to 17:00 CET (18:00 Moscow time) September 17, 2021 on a one-year analog mission that will begin in the fall of 2022. NASA emphasizes that “qualified test candidates must apply now to be able to contribute to NASA’s work in preparation for a trip to Mars.”
