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NASA’s Mars astronauts emerged from their space capsule after completing a year-long mission without ever leaving Earth.
The four volunteers spent more than 12 months in the first simulated Mars environment at the Johnson Space Center in Houston and left the artificial alien environment around 5 p.m. Saturday.
Kelly Haston, Anca Selariu, Ross Brockwell and Nathan Jones entered the 3D-printed habitat on June 25, 2023 as the first crew members of the Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog (CHAPEA) project.
Mission Commander Haston began with a simple “hello.”
“It’s great to be able to say hello to everyone,” he added.
Jones, the doctor and medical officer on the mission, said the 378 days in prison “went by very quickly.”
Four people live and work in a 158 square meter space, simulating a mission to the Red Planet, the fourth-farthest planet from the Sun and a frequent topic of debate among scientists and science fiction fans about possible voyages that will take humanity beyond the limits of our Moon.
The mission’s first crew is focused on creating possible conditions for future operations on Mars by simulating spacewalks, as well as planting and harvesting plants to replenish their supplies and maintain the habitat and its equipment.
NASA said they are also working to address the challenges that real Martian astronauts would have to deal with, such as limited resources, isolation, and communications delays of up to 22 minutes with their home planet on the other side of the habitat wall.
Two more missions are planned, and the team will continue to conduct simulated spacewalks and collect data on factors related to physical and behavioral health and performance, NASA said.
Steve Corner, deputy director of the Johnson Space Center, said much of the experimentation with the first astronauts will focus on nutrition and how it affects their performance. He said the work is “critical science as we prepare to send humans to the Red Planet.”
“They have been separated from their families, are on a carefully prepared meal plan and are under extensive observation,” Koerner said.
“Mars is our destination,” he added, saying the project was an important step in the United States’ efforts to lead global exploration.
The four volunteers who emerged after astronaut and deputy director of flight operations Kjell Lindgren knocked on the habitat’s door spoke of their gratitude to their fellow crew members and those waiting patiently outside, as well as the lessons they learned about the problems facing a possible manned mission to Mars and life on Earth.
Brockwell, the team’s flight engineer, said the mission showed him how important sustainable living is for the benefit of everyone on Earth.
“I’m so grateful for this incredible opportunity to live a year into an exciting future in the spirit of planetary adventure, and I’m grateful for the chance to practice the idea that we must use resources at a rate no faster than we use them. To replenish, we must not generate waste faster than we can process it back into resources,” Brockwell said.
“If we don’t follow these principles, we won’t be able to live, dream, create or explore for long, but if we do, we can achieve and maintain incredible and inspiring things, like exploring other worlds,” he said.
Science officer Anca Selariu said he is often asked why people are so fascinated by Mars.
“Why go to Mars? Because it’s possible,” he said. “Because space unites us and brings out the best in us. Because it’s a decisive step for ‘Earthlings’ to light the way for the next century.”
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