Here’s How NASA Is Training For The First Mission To Mars

Prior to the Apollo 11 mission, NASA trained astronauts at specific sites here on Earth to prepare them as much as possible for the experience of setting foot on the moon. The same is true ahead of the first Mars mission.

What participants can expect

There are a lot more restrictions and complications involved in traveling to Mars than a standard flight to the International Space Station or even the moon. For that reason, those chosen to take part in the trial set to begin in June will be required to live under some pretty unforgiving conditions.

The setting will be part of the Johnson Space Center in Houston — but it’s being reimagined to mimic what a NASA crew might expect to find on the red planet.

Here’s what we know so far:

• There will be red sand underfoot and a backdrop that mirrors Mars’ rocky mountains.
• Four subjects will be chosen to spend a full year locked away in the large warehouse.
• They’ll share a small residence created with a 3D printer, which could be used on Mars.
• Part of their daily lives will be growing food, exercising, and conducting experiments.

It’s all part of the plan

Dr. Grace Douglas is a leading force in this process and explained why it’s so important for test subjects to find a way to live in such unforgiving surroundings while still on Earth.

Not only will astronauts who travel to Mars “have a lot more resource restrictions” than those participating in shorter missions, Douglas said, but they will “be a lot further from Earth or any help from Earth.”

In addition to determining how they’ll be able to live and work together, the testing is designed to determine what effect isolation will have on the test subjects’ physical and mental health.

Chris Agee April 13th, 2023

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