I had no idea this was happening, but earlier this week the first mission of NASA’s Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog (CHAPEA) concluded, where four crew members lived in isolation for over a year in a habitat simulating Mars! Specifically:

This high-fidelity simulation involved the crew carrying out different types of mission objectives, including simulated “marswalks,” robotic operations, habitat maintenance, exercise, and crop growth. The crew also faced intentional environmental stressors in their habitat such as resource limitations, isolation, and confinement.

According to Jalopnik: “Even communications between the CHAPEA and mission control were artificially delayed by 22 minutes to replicate the distance it would have to travel between parties on Mars and Earth.”

Their 1,700 square foot base was a 3D printed structure using “Martian clay” to understand the feasibility of building habitats without having to launch huge quantities of building materials.

The second CHAPEA mission will happen in 2025!