TITUSVILLE, FL – On July 8, I was interviewed on FOX 35 Orlando about NASA looking for a team of volunteers to spend a year in isolation simulating human life on Mars while working inside habitat prototypes back here on Earth.
To aid NASAs Project Artemis NASA seeks volunteers for a 1-year-long analog mission living in isolation in a pair of habitats at the Johnson Space Center to test out techniques for future real missions & lessons learned.
What are the physical, mental, psychological needs of such a long duration crewed mission and how will they interact in a very confined space for a year or longer
The program is called the “Moon and Mars Exploration Analog.”
You can apply via a link below.
Watch the Fox 35 Orlando live interview story with my comments here:
https://www.fox35orlando.com/video/fmc-wb93lbolaymx42vn
Caption: NASA wants volunteers to live on “Mars” for a year. NASA wants volunteers to spend a year isolation simulating human life on Mars, using the data to inform their future moon base. The Moon and Mars Exploration Analog is a simulation taking place at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in confined habitats that simulate flying to the destination, as well as the surface of Mars. FOX 35’s Orion Boone speaks with Ken Kremer, the Founding and Managing Editor of Space UpClose, about what this mission entails during a July 8, 2026 discussion.
Ken Kremer mosaic of the Martian surface showing how the Red Planet’s surface looks with NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover & Ingenuity helicopter:
Details from NASA:
NASA is recruiting research participants for the agency’s next simulated deep space mission. Beginning no earlier than August 2027, research volunteers will spend one year living and working in interplanetary environments at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, operating under isolated conditions expected during crewed missions to the Moon or Red Planet.
Insights from this new, yearlong experience, called the Moon and Mars Exploration Analog, can be used to help keep astronauts safe and mission-ready during future planetary surface operations. The results also could inform plans for a sustained lunar presence through the agency’s Moon Base and future Artemis missions.
NASA is looking for applicants for the approximately year-long mission simulation, which will take place in two confined habitats. In addition to specific physical and education requirements, volunteers must be willing to take part in a multi-day selection process and pass NASA’s physical and psychological assessments, found on the Moon and Mars Exploration Analog web page. Candidates also should have a strong desire for unique, rewarding experiences, and interest in contributing to NASA’s work to prepare for extended stays on the lunar surface and the first crewed mission to Mars.
The Moon and Mars Exploration Analog evolves elements of the agency’s HERA (Human Exploration Research Analog) and CHAPEA (Crew Health And Performance Exploration Analog) missions into a single, integrated mission to streamline how researchers evaluate astronaut adaptation across the full range of potential mission scenarios. Using the HERA habitat as a spacecraft and the CHAPEA habitat as a base, the volunteers will live and work in confined, isolated environments that simulate months-long flights to and from other planetary surfaces. They also will mimic surface operations, including mock Mars walks and using a rover to travel to exploration sites located beyond the main habitat.
Throughout the Moon and Mars Exploration Analog mission, researchers will study crew health and performance under resource limitations and mission demands. These missions also help NASA assess and validate hardware, technologies, protocols, requirements, and other systems designed to support crew health and performance on long-duration deep space missions, all without leaving Earth. The effort will provide valuable data for NASA’s Human Research Program, which innovates ways to keep astronauts healthy and mission-ready.
To apply, visit: NASA Analogs Recruiting
Ken Kremer recent TV interviews:
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