NASA is looking for volunteers for a program testing life on the Moon and Mars

The U.S. space agency plans to recruit four participants for the Moon and Mars Exploration Program (MMEA) — a year-long simulation project designed to replicate the conditions of flight and life on the Moon and Mars, writes CNN.

Although it is not a real flight, volunteers will be in space-like conditions, living in confined spaces and performing tasks like astronauts: growing crops, monitoring their health, and simulating spacewalks.

The 12-month program will begin no earlier than August 2027 and will be based at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. A NASA representative told CNN that the research program will help reduce the risks astronauts may face during space flights and Mars landings.

Candidates must be U.S. citizens or green card holders between 30 and 55 years old (although individuals outside this age range may also be considered). They must also be no taller than 1.88 meters and be fluent in English.

Potential participants must be prepared to dedicate 14 months to the program at the Space Center, which includes 12 months inside two confined spaces, as well as two additional months for mission preparation and post-mission training.

They must pass physical and psychological tests.

Candidates must have qualifications "similar to astronauts," for example, a bachelor's degree in engineering, biological sciences, physical sciences, or mathematics. Military experience will also be considered.

Two Habitation Modules

A NASA representative told CNN that the project will be divided into three segments using two different habitation modules.

“The first will take place inside a 60-square-meter spacecraft mockup, where volunteers will live as if they are flying from Earth to the Moon or Mars,” NASA spokesperson Kelsey Spivey told CNN.

Four crew members will have their own small cabins, including space for living, working, and sleeping, as well as a small lavatory.

The second phase transitions volunteers from flight to living on the surface of another planet.

Crew members will move into an 84-square-meter single-story complex, where they will grow crops, care for their health and well-being, and practice spacewalks.

The third phase will be the return to Earth in the same spacecraft.

Although NASA has conducted 28 flight simulations and two surface habitation simulations, this will be the first project to combine both elements.

“A New Appreciation for Things”

Among the participants of a previous similar mission was Nathan Jones, a doctor from Illinois, who stumbled upon an article about volunteer recruitment during his night shifts in 2021.

Павялічыць

Two years later, he served as the crew medical officer inside Mars Alpha Dune — a NASA Mars environment simulator.

He told CNN that the experience reinforced his ambition to become an astronaut.

However, the year-long study involved emotional challenges for 43-year-old Jones, the main one being longing for his wife and children.

“It was hard to miss big events like birthdays, holidays, graduations, funerals, and weddings,” he said.

Jones noted that after the mission, he began to appreciate simple things in life anew: “NASA food was good, but the menu was definitely limited, and there was nothing fresh except for a few vegetables we grew. There was no sunlight or wind in the mission. So, I gained a new appreciation for such things when the mission concluded.”

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