The American space agency NASA is currently looking for volunteers to stay for a year in space that simulates conditions on the planet Mars in preparation for sending people to the Red Planet from 2030.
“Finalists will undergo medical evaluations, psychological testing and a psychiatric evaluation to determine their suitability for a physically and mentally demanding long-term isolation mission,” the NASA website says.
Since February 16, the American space agency has submitted applications for the second part of its CHAPEA mission, the acronym for Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog, which will monitor the development of four individuals for a year in conditions similar to those on the Red Planets resemble , according to the BBC.
The aim of this exercise is to test all the possibilities that await astronauts on the Red Planet by recreating the many challenges such as communication problems to find out what humans need to survive on the Red Planet.
During their year in the isolated building, the four people must take part in simulated spacewalks, grow crops for food, conduct scientific experiments and undergo medical tests to monitor their condition in the simulated environment, according to the British media outlet.
The first mission of its kind was launched on June 25 with Canadian Kelly Haston as commander, still in the building in Houston, Texas.
By the start of the mission, which is intended to transport a small crew to Mars in 2030, NASA hopes to be able to carry out at least two more CHAPEA missions to best prepare.
For the second mission, NASA is seeking people ages 30 to 55 who are American citizens or permanent residents and have master's degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
Applicants must also have at least two years of professional experience in the field or at least 1,000 hours of flight time in a jet aircraft.