Four NASA astronauts emerged from a yearlong Earth-based mission over the weekend, having been sequestered in a habitat simulating life inside a base on Mars. The effort is designed to uncover potential unforeseen challenges involved in an eventual crewed voyage to the red planet.
Taking place inside a 1,700-square-foot, 3D-printed installation at Houston's Johnson Space Center (see inside), the group spent time growing self-sustainable crops, simulating walks on the Martian surface, and more. The effect of the relative isolation on the crew was also studied.
At an average of 140 million miles from Earth, a one-way trip to Mars could take around nine months each way. The transit time depends on how much fuel is used to accelerate the spacecraft, among many other challenges.
NASA does not have a firm target for a crewed Martian mission—potential timelines point to the late 2030s. However, the current Artemis program includes building a lunar orbital station as a steppingstone by 2031.
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