NASA is looking for volunteers to live in a Mars simulation for a year

If extreme challenges are your cup of tea, He has the perfect opportunity for you. The space agency put out a call on Friday for volunteers to participate in its second year-long Mars simulation mission, the Crew Health and Performance Exploration Simulation (CHAPEA 2). For the duration of the mission, which will begin in the spring of 2025, the four selected crew members will be housed in a 1,700-square-foot 3D-printed habitat in Houston. NASA is accepting applications at From now until April 2. It's a paid gig, but NASA has not publicly announced how much participants will be compensated.

The Mars Dune Alpha habitat at NASA's Johnson Space Center is designed to simulate what life might be like for future explorers on the Red Planet, where the environment is harsh and resources are limited. There is currently a crew living and working there as part of CHAPEA's first mission, which is now more than halfway through its 378-day mission. During their stay, volunteers will maintain habitats and plant crops, among other tasks. The habitat also has a 1,200-square-foot sandbox attached to it to simulate spacewalks.

To be considered, applicants must be US citizens between the ages of 30 and 55, speak proficient English, hold a master's degree in a STEM field, at least two years of professional experience, and at least 1,000 hours of driving. Airplane or two years of experience. Work toward a STEM doctoral program. Certain types of professional experience may allow applicants without a master's degree to also qualify. CHAPEA 2 is the second of three missions NASA has planned for the program, the first of which began on June 25, 2023.