Last summer, NASA announced it was seeking applications from professionals with certain qualifications and interested in spending more than a month in a simulated Martian habitat. Fast-forward to today, October 1, and the space agency is back with the names of the four people who will live and work for 45 days in HERA, the Human Exploration Research Analog developed for the project.
Although it is the dream of space agencies and private companies around the world, humanity is not quite ready for a human journey to Mars. A number of technological innovations are still needed to enable these kinds of long-term missions, as well as more research into everything from how to provide astronauts with fresh food, to how well the human psyche will cope with the life spent in an Outpost. from Mars.
Among other things, NASA wants to know how teams interact and perform their tasks while living in a relatively cramped Martian habitat, including the behaviors they can exhibit. That’s where HERA comes in: The latest simulated life experience on Mars lasts 45 days and involves relatively young, healthy non-smokers who can pass both psychological and physical tests.
This particular HERA mission involves simulating a long journey to the Martian moon Phobos, including increasingly delayed communications with the outside world — up to a five-minute delay back and forth between the team and the researchers. This will, among other things, force the crew to operate with a high degree of autonomy in their own operations, while helping to refine the type of communications that would take place during an actual mission.
The primary crew for the upcoming HERA mission consists of Lauren Cornell, Monique Garcia, Christopher Roberts and Madelyne Willis. NASA has also selected reserve crewmembers Justin Lawrence and Pu Wang. In the future, additional Mars habitat simulation missions will take place until September 2022, giving others the opportunity to participate.