Six scientists have completed a year-long simulation of a Mars mission, during which they lived in a dome in near-isolation. The group lived in the dome on a Mauna Loa mountain in Hawaii and were only allowed to go outside if wearing spacesuits. On Sunday the simulation ended and the scientists emerged. Previous simulations in the Mauna Loa dome, which is almost 11 metres in diameter and 6 metres tall, have lasted four to eight months. Mauna Loa soil is similar to what would be found on Mars. The area’s high elevation means there is almost no plant growth.
The group included a French astrobiologist, a German physicist and four Americans – a pilot, an architect, a doctor, who is also a journalist and a soil scientist. They managed limited resources while conducting research and working to avoid personal conflicts, by delaying communication by 20 minutes which is the length it would take to relay a message from Mars. After walking out of the dome, crew members reflected on the experience and what it meant for the future of space travel. Cyprien Verseux, a crew member from France, said the simulation showed a mission to Mars could succeed.
Christiane Heinicke, a crew member from Germany, said the scientists were able to find their own water in a dry climate by using a small greenhouse type construction. Crew member Sheyna Gifford wrote a blog post just before leaving about the future of space travel, alluding to NASA’s plans to send humans to Mars by 2030. Given what it takes to keep people alive in the void – to keep them healthy on Mars for just a year, going to space would allow us to learn what it takes to keep people healthy in places with heat, light, and gravity. We’ve already started. We’ve been at it for decades.
Kim Binsted, principal investigator for the Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation, said the researchers were looking forward to jumping into the ocean and eating fresh produce and other foods that were not available in the dome. NASA funded the study, which was run through the University of Hawaii. Binsted said the simulation was the second-longest of its kind, after a Russian mission that lasted 520 days.
Mars is a rich destination for scientific discovery and robotic and human exploration as we expand our presence into the solar system. Its formation and evolution are comparable to Earth, helping us learn more about our own planet’s history and future. Mars had conditions suitable for life in its past. Future exploration could uncover evidence of life, answering one of the fundamental mysteries of the cosmos – Does life exist out there?
Engineers and scientists around the country are working hard to develop the technologies astronauts will use to one day live and work on Mars, and safely return home from the next giant leap for humanity. NASA is also a leader in a Global Exploration Roadmap, working with international partners and the U.S. commercial space industry on a coordinated expansion of human presence into the solar system, with human missions to the surface of Mars as the driving goal.