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NASA Names Second Yearlong Mars-Simulation Crew for 378-Day CHAPEA Mission

NASA will use the mission to gather human-performance data that informs crewed exploration plans.

Overview

  • Four research volunteers will enter the 1,700-square-foot, 3D-printed Mars Dune Alpha at Johnson Space Center on Oct. 19, 2025 and exit on Oct. 31, 2026.
  • Ross Elder will serve as commander, Ellen Ellis as medical officer, Matthew Montgomery as science officer, and James Spicer as flight engineer.
  • Mission stressors will include limited resources, simulated equipment failures, isolation, and communication delays of up to 22 minutes each way.
  • Planned tasks include growing crops, operating robots, and performing simulated surface walks with a VR headset and treadmill in a 1,200-square-foot sandbox.
  • Participants are stipended volunteers rather than NASA astronauts, with alternates Emily Phillips and Laura Marie named, in the program’s second yearlong CHAPEA run following a 2024 mission.