NASA begins search for volunteers for Mars living experiment

The US Space Agency — NASA has announced it is selecting four volunteers for a unique scientific project simulating life on the Moon and Mars. This one-year program will allow participants to live under conditions similar to future space missions.

According to the agency, the experiment will begin in August 2027 at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. The project does not involve an actual flight, but rather simulates the lifestyle on the Moon and Mars in a specially created environment.

Participants will live in a closed space for 12 months and perform tasks carried out by astronauts. They will undergo tests such as planting crops, monitoring their health, and performing spacewalk exercises.

Through this project, experts plan to assess how well the human body is prepared for long-term space missions. They will also study how the fact that a day on Mars is about 40 minutes longer than on Earth affects human biological rhythms.

Who can participate?

The selection is open to US citizens or holders of Green Cards who have permanent residency. Candidates must be between 30 and 55 years old, no taller than 1.88 meters, and proficient in English.

Additionally, those with a bachelor's degree in engineering, biology, physics, or mathematics will have an advantage. Applications from candidates with scientific experience or military service will also be considered separately.

How will the experiment proceed?

The project will consist of three stages. Initially, participants will live in a special module designed to resemble a spacecraft. Then, they will be moved to an environment resembling the Martian surface to perform practical exercises in planting and working in an external environment. In the final stage, they will return to the spacecraft environment to simulate the process of 'returning' to Earth.

NASA emphasizes that this research will be of great importance for organizing safer human missions to the Moon and Mars in the future.