If extreme challenges are your thing, has the perfect opportunity for you. The space agency on Friday called for volunteers to participate in its second year-long simulated mission to Mars, Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog (CHAPEA 2). For the duration of the mission, which will begin in spring 2025, the four selected crew members will be housed in a 1,700-square-foot 3D-printed habitat in Houston. NASA is accepting applications in the from now until April 2. It's a paid gig, but NASA hasn't publicly said how much participants will be compensated.
The Mars Dune Alpha habitat at NASA's Johnson Space Center is designed to simulate what life could be like for future explorers on the red planet, where the environment is harsh and resources will be limited. There is currently a team living and working there as part of the first CHAPEA mission, which is now more than halfway through its 378-day mission. During their stay, volunteers will maintain the habitat and grow crops, among other tasks. The habitat also has a 1,200-square-foot sandbox attached for simulated spacewalks.
To be considered, applicants must be U.S. citizens between the ages of 30 and 55, speak fluent English, and have a master's degree in a STEM field, plus at least two years of professional experience, a minimum of one thousand hours piloting an aircraft, or two years of working 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.
