CHAPEA Mission 2 Crew Reflects After 378 Days on Simulated Mars
Credits: NASA/James Blair After 378 days without windows, the sounds of the outside world, or real-time calls with family and friends, four research volunteers stepped out of NASA’s Mars Dune Alpha habitat on Oct.
Key points
- NASA/James Blair NASA astronaut Jack Hathaway put the crew’s time in isolation into perspective: While they were inside the habitat, he completed a 237-day mission aboard the space station and returned to Earth.
- Supported by researchers and ground teams across the agency, the CHAPEA crew collected health and performance data while navigating limited resources and communication delays of up to 22 minutes each way.
- Ellen Ellis: Medical Officer and Tactical Thinker Ellen Ellis, CHAPEA Mission 2 medical officer, exercises on a stationary bike inside the habitat.
Additional details
- The crew participated in simulated Marswalks, robotic operations, habitat maintenance, exercise, and crop cultivation.
- I have three teammates that I rely on every day to get through the mission.” She also credited exercise, behavioral health, nutrition, and medical specialists for their coordinated support throughout the mission.
- From inside the habitat, crew members remotely operated a drone and a rover to survey terrain and identify or collect rock samples.
- As medical officer, she helped organize biological sample collections and prepare supplies for the crew’s health research.
- “It would be difficult to convince someone who has never lived in isolation that most days, I don’t feel isolated.
How this summary was made: extractive summary — built from the sources' own reporting. It is drawn only from the reporting of the sources listed below — read the originals for full detail. How we summarize →
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