Overview
- The four volunteers, who exited the habitat on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, have begun a scheduled two‑week program of medical exams and debriefs with NASA scientists.
- The CHAPEA 2 crew consisted of commander Ross Elder, medical officer Ellen Ellis, science officer Matthew Montgomery and flight engineer James Spicer.
- Inside the 158 m² 3D‑printed habitat the team ran hydroponic food trials, simulated EVAs, maintained life‑support systems and operated with deliberately limited supplies.
- The exercise imposed simulated one‑way communications delays measured in the tens of minutes so the crew had to plan and act with autonomy, producing up to about 44 minutes round‑trip message time.
- This was the second identical 378‑day CHAPEA trial following 2023–24 and the repeated design will let NASA compare crews to find recurring human‑factor and operational limits that could change training, autonomy and habitat systems for Artemis and a possible 2030s Mars effort.