A four-person crew has completed a 365‑day simulation of a Mars mission inside a 1,700‑square‑foot, 3D‑printed habitat at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. The CHAPEA Mission 2 participants—Ross Elder, Ellen Ellis, Matthew Montgomery and James Spicer—entered the isolated environment on Oct. 19, 2025, and will leave on Oct. 31, 2025, after conducting crop growth, resource management, delayed communications and suited extravehicular activities as if they were on the Red Planet.

The crew’s schedule included limited‑resource living, crop cultivation, and simulated spacewalks, all monitored by NASA’s science teams. Their performance and health data, gathered over the 378‑day mission, aim to inform strategies for mitigating risks associated with long‑duration spaceflight.

Grace Douglas, CHAPEA principal investigator, praised the crew’s dedication, stating that the entire CHAPEA team looks forward to congratulating them in person. After exiting the habitat, the astronauts will reconnect with family members—contact limited to email with a Mars‑like communication delay—before undergoing two weeks of post‑mission evaluations and debriefs with NASA researchers.

Michael Stenger, chief scientist for NASA’s Human Research Program, noted that the analog mission provides insight into medical and psychological care requirements, as well as decision‑making support for crews facing up to 45‑minute communication delays. The findings are expected to shape future protocols for lunar and Martian exploration, including the development of autonomous systems and health‑maintenance practices.

The egress ceremony will be streamed live; viewers can access it at the provided NASA link.