The time to kill the urge to take a vacation from Earth seems to be coming. Jokes aside, NASA is looking for volunteers to spend a season on “Mars”. Those selected will know for a year what life on the red planet would be like.
Read more: Young woman receives VIP treatment when traveling alone on a plane during the pandemic
see more
Employee prohibits children from sleeping when they arrive at daycare
How to get your CNH for free in 2023?
In fact, it's not exactly an off-planet Earth mission. Unfortunately for some, that moment is still some way off. The mission is to stay for a year in a kind of Mars simulator.
The American company Icon Technology will build an environment similar to the Martian. The replica will be located at the Johnson Space Center near Houston, Texas.
The “Mars Dune Alpha” will have an area of 160 square meters. NASA will pay volunteers for a kind of simulated exploration. The mission will rely on limited communication with Earth, resource constraints and possible technological failures.
Participants will have astronaut diet
Food will be the same as astronauts eat. It is not yet known whether the setting will have windows, but it will be possible to grow some plants. The idea is to create three experiments like this, the first being in 2022.
Based on the experiment, the proposal is to understand how human beings act in situations like this. Scientists want to study how to survive on Martian soil in a way close to reality.
To apply for the experiment it is necessary to be a permanent resident of the USA. In addition, you also need to be between 30 and 35 years old and have a master's degree. Graduate studies must be in mathematics, engineering, biology, physics or computing.
Aircraft experience is required
Participants will have to prove 2 years of experience or 1,000 hours in command of jet aircraft. All will undergo the physical assessment of astronauts for long-duration missions.
Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield commented on the experiment in a report on the Phys website. For him, the initiative to look for people with the profile of astronauts is a great idea. Previous experiments have not had good results, such as the Mars 500 (Russia).
He also says that having a whole year away from everyday life can be a positive thing. “Imagine how much Netflix you will be able to watch […]. If you bring a musical instrument, you can go into the experiment knowing nothing and come out as a musician capable of performing at a concert if you want to,” joked Hadfield.