The house simulating life on Mars, named Mars Dune Alpha, is located within the research center of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in Texas.
Image of NASA’s Mars living condition simulation house. (Photo: AFP).
This 160-square-meter house features four bedrooms, a gym, and two bathrooms. Mars Dune Alpha is also equipped with a vertical farm for growing lettuce, a medical room, a recreation area, and a workspace.
The surrounding area is covered in red sand, resembling the surface of Mars. This experimental facility also includes a weather station, a brick-making machine, a small greenhouse, and a conveyor belt where volunteers will be suspended by harnesses.
The identities of the volunteers who will live in this house for a year have not yet been disclosed. However, according to a NASA announcement on April 11, starting in June, four individuals will inhabit this space for over a year to experience living conditions on the red planet.
These participants will assist researchers in better preparing for future missions aimed at conquering Mars.
Grace Douglas, the program manager overseeing this experiment, stated that by measuring the performance and cognitive abilities of the volunteers, NASA will gain a better understanding of the resources needed to plan for the ambitious upcoming journey.
She revealed that strict weight control might be a significant requirement for those participating in this trial.
Volunteers will frequently face stressors, be limited in their water intake, or encounter technical malfunctions.
Notably, Mars Dune Alpha is entirely constructed using 3D printing technology. “This is one of the technologies that NASA is researching to potentially build habitats on the surfaces of other planets,” Grace Douglas remarked.
NASA is planning an expedition around Mars in the coming years, with this mission potentially taking place in the late 2030s.
