Applications are being accepted by NASA for a paid, year-long simulation of a Mars trip

You should get in touch with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa) if you are willing to spend a year imprisoned in an artificial Martian environment.

Gizmodo reports that the US space agency is willing to pay volunteers for the second iteration of the Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog (CHAPEA), which is set to launch in the spring of 2025. Applications are currently being accepted.

In order to better comprehend the psychological and physical difficulties that actual astronauts would encounter on Mars, CHAPEA is intended to track the crew’s performance over the course of a year.

The research is a component of NASA’s efforts to get ready for human exploration of Mars by building Mars Dune Alpha, a 1,700-square-foot, 3D-printed home, at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.

A four-person team will reside in the habitat, which has a kitchen, two bathrooms, private bedrooms, a work area, and a recreational area.

The program may be available to any motivated, healthy, nonsmoking US citizen or permanent resident between the ages of 30 and 55.

The requirements are as follows: they need to have 1,000 hours of flying experience, two years of professional experience, or a master’s degree in a STEM discipline.

The application deadline for the program is April 2, so if you intend to apply, act quickly.

The four volunteers will undertake activities similar to a Mars trip, such as simulated spacewalks, robotic operations, habitat maintenance, personal hygiene, exercise, and crop growing, so keep in mind that this is by no means a holiday.

Additionally, they may experience a communication delay of up to 22 minutes with ground control, akin to that of Mars.

In June 2023, the first volunteer crew entered the habitat and used an analog of Mars to share photographs of their experience.

The goal of research is to establish a permanent human presence on Mars while taking into account possible negative effects on mental and physical health. According to a recent study, a colony may require 22 members, and for optimal longevity, residents should have amiable dispositions.

In all, NASA plans to launch three ground-based Mars analog missions. There’s always another time, so don’t feel like you’re ready to get cozy with three strangers on a different planet just yet.