In the foreseeable future, humanity might witness the inaugural crewed mission to Mars, a venture actively pursued by NASA. Although the spacecraft and necessary equipment are still in development, unprecedented efforts are underway to comprehend the intricacies of such a mission.
One such endeavor involves confining volunteers within a simulated Mars habitat here on Earth. NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, hosts the Human Exploration Research Analog (HERA), a unique facility dedicated to this purpose.
HERA is compact, resembling an average European apartment, spanning 650 square feet (60 square meters) across two floors, a loft, and a hygiene module. It serves as a closed environment, simulating the conditions of deep space exploration and providing insights crucial for future Martian missions.
While HERA has been operational for years, NASA has recently intensified its use. In the first four months of this year alone, one volunteer crew completed a 53-day mission inside HERA, engaging in various tasks and undergoing 18 human health studies.
NASA plans four such missions in HERA this year, with the crew for the second mission already selected. This diverse crew of four will spend 45 days in isolation, mimicking conditions astronauts would face during a Mars mission. Notably, this crew will also conduct a simulated Marswalk using virtual reality.
Each crew member will participate in the same set of 18 health studies, crucial for understanding human responses to extended space travel and isolation. While NASA continues its research, the findings from these missions remain undisclosed, underscoring the need for further investigation.
The second HERA mission of 2024 is scheduled to conclude on June 24, with two more missions following later in the year. Interestingly, NASA invites American citizens to sign up for simulated HERA missions, subject to specific conditions undisclosed until the application process.