NASA recruits for a one-year simulation mission to Mars

Four people a year will soon be assigned by NASA to the Mars Alpha with the aim of preparing for long-term missions to Mars. Applications are already open.

The Mars Tune Alpha is a approximately 520 square meter 3D printed Mars dwelling inside a building at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. Over the next few years, the American company Forecast As part of the simulated Mars exploration mission four individuals were asked to live in this environment for three years.

First Beginning in the fall of 2022 And the application process has already begun. Of course, NASA is looking for very specific profiles. A master’s degree in engineering or mathematics or even pilot experience is one of the requirements. In addition, only U.S. citizens or permanent residents of the United States are eligible. Finally, applicants must be between the ages of 30 and 55, be in good physical health, be free of dietary problems and not be subject to motion sickness.

In short, NASA is looking for semi-astronauts. “And this is a good thing“, Former Canadian astronaut Chris Hotfield underscores, especially the one who covered the” space spectacle “on David Bowie’s ISS ship.The Russian simulated program for Mars is called Mars 500 because the participants looked like ordinary human beings.“.

Team integration, an important factor

The purpose of this new mission “Understand how humans behave towards each otherSaid Grace Douglas, the scientist in charge of the project.

NASA aims to set foot on Mars by 2030. In addition to technical challenges and Hygienic To overcome, the Psychological problems, Less induced, should also be considered. For good reason, a trip to Mars is long, taking between six and eight months. In addition, astronauts will face continuous communication delays of up to twenty minutes on each route. As we know, there may be a feeling of isolation The devastating effects of the psyche Our incredible social races.

NASA is working with anthropologist Jeffrey Johnson of the University of Florida to promote the integration of these future groups. The idea is to assess the need to integrate more people with a more informal role in future groups. Imagine “mediators” capable of uniting teams in stressful situations.

“When you live in a confined space with others for a long time, spirits are likely to shatter. Therefore, to do their job, it is very important that you have someone who can help you get along with everyone. Security“, Jeffrey Johnson explained a few months ago. “It simply came to our notice then“.