NASA crew emerges after 378 days in simulated Mars habitat
Four crew members left a 3D-printed habitat at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston on Saturday, Reuters reported. They had lived inside since October 19, 2025, practicing life on Mars.
Four members of a simulated Mars mission came out of isolation on Saturday after 378 days, Reuters reported. They had lived inside a habitat at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. The mission is meant to help prepare for a possible future human trip to Mars. The project is called the Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog, or CHAPEA. The crew entered the 1,700-square-foot (158-square-meter) 3D-printed habitat on October 19, 2025. Inside, they grew crops in simulated Martian soil. They also coped with communication delays like those real astronauts would face between planets. Mission commander Ross Elder led the crew. Ellen Ellis served as medical officer, Matthew Montgomery as science officer and James Spicer as flight engineer. Ellis described the crew as analog astronauts who had lived in captivity of their own free will. She said the US has "a narrowing window of opportunity" to stay ahead in space. She also mentioned the Trump administration's plans for a space-related service academy and a lunar base. Elder said the risks of going…
Read more 2 min read