Four people will spend over a year living sealed inside an isolated habitat in order to simulate what life would be like on Mars.
NASA has sealed the participants into the 1,700-square-foot chamber at Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, where they will remain for 378 days.
The Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog (CHAPEA)’s Mars Dune Alpha is a 3D-printed chamber that simulates what the dwellings would be like on the Martian surface.
It is the first of three missions designed to replicate the Mars experience in order to prepare for humans to explore the red planet.
For over a year, the researchers will live like Martian astronauts and experience the challenges a real mission to Mars would involve, such as simulated space walks, combating equipment failures, delays with communications, and limited resources, according to Forbes.
Their living space will include private quarters for the crew, two bathrooms, as well as spaces dedicated to work, fitness, and recreation activities as they will not be able to leave the compound.
The crew will also be studied to establish the effects on their physical health and behavior, before a second and third analog CHAPEA mission will take place in 2025 and 2026.
Those taking part in the current study include a research scientist, an engineer, a physician, and a U.S. Navy microbiologist, who have all been selected by NASA using the same criteria as they do for astronauts, meaning they must have master's degrees and professional experience in the STEM field or be extremely experienced in piloting aircraft.
The CHAPEA mission was announced in August 2021, with NASA handpicking the lucky few from a series of applicants.
NASA is currently working to get the first woman and first person of color onto the Moon as part of the Artemis missions, and getting humans on Mars is the next phase and "focus" of the project.
The space agency has always been fascinated with the red planet, and has studied Mars using unmanned rovers to look for signs of life.
NASA is looking into a crewed mission to the faraway planet - which is 142 million miles from Earth on average - but due to the vast distance, experts believe it would take well over a year to get a crew to the planet and allow them to be there long enough to conduct research before returning.
Julie Kramer-White, Director of Engineering at NASA, said in a statement: "These long duration mission simulations really bring Mars closer to us.
"They help us realize Mars is within our reach as we try to address the issues and challenges that will face us in these long missions."
The challenges lie in engineering as well as endurance for the crew, who will have to spend a significant amount of time away from Earth in one stretch.
By trialing the mission on Earth and mimicking the conditions in space, researchers are able to take precautions against space hazards they identify,
Other analog missions have taken place in difficult conditions, such as the floor of the Atlantic ocean or in Antarctica, though most have been shorter than CHAPEA overall.
