For Canadian biologist Kelly Haston, spending a year training to survive on Mars wasn’t exactly a childhood dream. The 52-year-old woman’s explanation for participating in a simulation of a protracted stay on Mars was as simple as, “We are just going to pretend that we’re there,” according to AFP. This June, she’ll be one of four volunteers to move into a Mars habitat in Houston, Texas, where they’ll spend the next year. She jokes, “It still seems a bit unreal to me.” Careful selection of volunteers allows NASA to test the effects of isolation and confinement on a crew’s performance in preparation for a future mission. The space agency has warned that there will be equipment failures, water shortages, and “surprises,” in Haston’s words.
Delays of up to 20 minutes one way (depending on the locations of the planets) and 40 minutes both ways will affect their communications with the outside world. The research scientist, who is a permanent resident of the United States and, as such, is qualified for the program, says, “I’m very excited about this, but I’m also realistic about what the challenge is.” Mars Dune Alpha is a 160 square meter (3,300 square foot) 3D-printed habitat comprising sleeping quarters, a kitchen, and common areas.
Haston, who went there last year before her participation was confirmed, remarked, “It’s actually a surprisingly spacious feeling when you go inside it.” We also have a location outside where we can simulate spacewalks or trips to Mars. This section, accessible only through the airlock, is filled with red sand but is still enclosed. Haston, a member of the Mohawk Nation, believes that getting to wear the spacesuit during “spacewalks” is one of the things he is most looking forward to.
‘Close knit’
When Haston’s partner informed her of the opening, she did not spare any time in submitting her application. Being a part of a study that will hopefully advance space exploration is consistent with many of my life aims, and so is participating as a test subject. Herself, an engineer, an emergency physician, and a nurse have all met each other since being chosen for the expedition.
Haston, who has been named commander of the group, adds, “We really are close-knit already,” and she says she is looking forward to seeing these ties become even stronger. The housemates’ ability to get along while performing routine tasks like cleaning and cooking will be just as vital as how well they perform their “exploration mission simulation.”
Before entering the habitat, the crew will spend a month of training in Houston. In the event of an injury or medical emergency, a teammate may need to quit the game. However, a comprehensive set of protocols has been established for circumstances that can be handled by the crew themselves, such as how to inform them of an external family concern.
Isolation
The prospect of living so far from her loved ones is what gives the Canadian the most pause. She won’t be able to see them in person and will have to rely on infrequent emails and videos instead.
She says she’ll miss being able to go outside and take in sights like the ocean and mountains. She wants to draw strength from previous experiences, such as a study trip to Africa where she analyzed the genetic makeup of frogs in the Lake Victoria region. She and her group of four had to survive for months without permanent housing or consistent cell phone service. For some reason, feelings of alienation “are things that I think feel very familiar to me.” She is a stem cell treatment expert who has spent the last few years working for startups in California, where she also completed her education.
NASA has three missions planned under the CHAPEA (Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog) banner, the first of which is this one. While NASA was involved in a 2015–2016 project replicating life on Mars in a habitat in Hawaii, the space agency did not lead the effort. By the late 2030s, the United States hopes to have sent humans back to the Moon under the Artemis program, where they can practice lunar settlement and Mars travel.
