NASA just launched a rather special call for the app: it’s recruiting volunteers to simulate life on Mars. They will live for one year in the 150-square-foot prefab, housed at the US Space Agency’s center in Texas. The goal: to test the physical and psychological challenges that astronauts face on missions on the Red Planet.
“Test interactions between people left on their own devices”
How much water, carbon dioxide, or food would it take to travel to Mars? How much waste is generated? This is the most important question for NASA. For Michel Viso, an astrobiology specialist who joined Europe 1, the US space agency must “test interactions between people left alone”.
There are still some conditions that must be applied. You must be between the ages of 30 and 55, a US citizen, and have a degree in mathematics, physics, or engineering. Four successful candidates will live independently for one year. They will only communicate with each other or with the robot.
Measure the need to the nearest gram
Even if an actual expedition to the red planet isn’t currently on the agenda, this simulation is still an important step. “It is necessary to calculate a number of things in real conditions,” assures Michel Viso. Before we decide: “if we run out of oxygen or lack water on Mars, there’s a real problem!”
Measuring the requirements for the nearest gram also serves to reduce the cost of future missions. They require a large financial investment. And especially timing: the space agency isn’t planning a human spaceflight to Mars before 2040.
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