NASA's Second Mars Simulation Mission Begins, Four Crews Must Last For 378 Days

Mars simulation area (photo: dock. NASA)

JAKARTA NASA has started its second Mars simulation mission since October 2025. This news was only announced after NASA limited its routine communication to the public because the US government shut down.

This simulation mission is named CHAPEA, abbreviation to the Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog. There are four crew members who have joined this study since October 19, 2025. The four of them will last for 378 days in the habitat.

The four crews include Ross Elder, Ellen Ellis, Matthew Montgomery, and James Spicer. According to NASA's explanation, this 3D-shaped printed habitat has an area of about 1,700 square feet and is located in the Johnson Space Center in Houston.

This CHAPEA simulation will end on October 31 next year. Over a year or so, the four crews will stay and survive in the region, simulating life and work on Mars.

Sara Whiting, Scientist of the Human Research Program Project, explains the importance of this mission. He stated that the information from CHAPEA would be the basis for planning missions in the real world, vehicle design, and surface habitat.

"Through this learning, NASA's Human Research Program reduces health risks and human performance on spaceflight to enable safe and successful manned missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond," Sara said, quoted by NASA's official website on Thursday, November 27.

During the mission, the entire crew will carry out various assigned activities, including high- tempo Marswalk simulations, robotic operations, habitat maintenance, and plant cultivation. They only come out of their habitat to perform simulated Marswalks in an environment filled with red sand.

The crew will face real Martian circumstances, such as limited access to resources and long isolation. They will also adapt to 22 minutes of communication delays and simulated equipment failures.