The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has announced a call for volunteers to participate in a new program simulating a long-duration space mission. Starting no earlier than August 2027, participants will spend a full year living and working in conditions simulating interplanetary flight at the Johnson Space Center in Houston—experiencing isolation similar to what awaits the crews of future crewed missions to the Moon and Mars.

The new one-year program has been named the Moon and Mars Exploration Analog. The data obtained will be used to enhance astronaut safety and mission readiness for future operations on the surfaces of other planets.The results may also form the basis for plans to establish a permanent presence on the Moon as part of the agency's lunar base and subsequent Artemis program missions.

NASA is accepting applications from candidates for this year-long simulation mission, which will take place in two isolated modules. In addition to specific physical fitness and educational requirements, volunteers must undergo a multi-day selection process as well as medical and psychological testing; details are available on the Moon and Mars Exploration Analog project page. Candidates are also expected to demonstrate a genuine desire to gain unique and meaningful experience, as well as an interest in participating in NASA’s preparations for long-duration stays on the lunar surface and the first crewed mission to Mars.

The Moon and Mars Exploration Analog program combines elements of two of the agency’s previous projects—HERA (Human Exploration Research Analog) and CHAPEA (Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog)—into a single, comprehensive mission. This will enable researchers to assess astronaut adaptation across the full spectrum of potential flight scenarios. The HERA module will serve as a simulated spacecraft, while the CHAPEA module will act as a simulated planetary base.The volunteers will live and work in confined, isolated conditions simulating months-long round-trip flights to other planets. In addition, participants will practice surface operations—including simulated Mars surface excursions and the use of a lunar or Mars rover to travel to research sites outside the main module.

Throughout the mission, specialists will study the crew's health and performance under conditions of limited resources and high workloads. Such experiments also help NASA evaluate and validate equipment, technologies, protocols, requirements, and other systems designed to maintain crew health and performance during long-duration deep-space missions—without ever leaving Earth.The data obtained will make a valuable contribution to the work of NASA’s Human Research Program, which focuses on developing methods to maintain astronaut health and mission readiness.

You can learn more about NASA’s Human Research Program on the agency’s official website.