Spending a year acting like they were living on the Red Planet could yield a few valuable lessons for NASA in a slightly more accessible place – the Moon. Four individuals who had been living in a simulated Martian habitat in Houston for several months are close to finishing an experiment aimed at studying how people survive when isolated, resource-constrained and far away from their natural surroundings. The CHAPEA study conducted by NASA aims to address challenges faced by humans when living off-Earth.
Even though the experiment creates conditions related to a Mars mission, its results can be used for planning lengthy stays in lunar habitats, where astronauts would have to take care of their health, conduct experiments, and lead a normal life under difficult conditions.
