The four crew members of NASA’s Mars simulation recently marked 200 days into their 378-day Red Planet mission on May 7. Currently, the crew is in a simulated two‑week loss‑of‑signal period that mimics a Mars-Earth communications blackout when Mars moves behind the Sun. During this blackout, the crew works without contact with mission control, using preplanned procedures and available resources to complete tasks and handle any issues that may arise.
The CHAPEA (Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog) mission 2 crew, commanded by Ross Elder and with medical officer Ellen Ellis, science officer Matthew Montgomery, and flight engineer James Spicer, entered the 3D-printed habitat last year at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston on Oct. 19. They will exit in about six months on Oct. 31.
“I’m proud of the crew’s accomplishments over the past 200 days — facing each challenge with fortitude and finding new ways to improve our performance and efficiency daily,” said Ellis.
Now over halfway through the mission, the crew continues to provide NASA with valuable insights and data on how humans adapt to isolation, confinement, and resource limitations — all critical factors for future exploration of the Moon and Mars.
“We approach every day committed to doing our best work, whether we’re doing a simulated spacewalk, geology, exercise, a medical activity, or anything in between,” said Spicer. “What keeps us motivated is knowing that we’re contributing directly to NASA’s deep space exploration objectives.”
The crew has completed robotic operations, performed habitat maintenance, and grown c …
