A four-person crew has completed NASA’s second year-long Mars simulation mission, exiting a specialized habitat after 378 days in isolation. As reported by Engadget, NASA is broadcasting the exit event live on YouTube and social media platforms starting at 3 p.m. Eastern time.
Life Inside the 3D-Printed Habitat
The CHAPEA mission 2 crew members—Ross Elder, Matthew Montgomery, Ellen Ellis, and James Spicer—entered the habitat on October 19, 2025. The group lived inside a 1,700-square-foot 3D-printed facility located at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, conducting simulated space operations on Earth.
Throughout their time inside, the crew conducted simulated spacewalks, performed maintenance work, and grew plants, utilizing an airlock whenever leaving the habitat. The experience exposed participants to stressors that future missions to Mars and the moon will present, such as environmental isolation, communication delays, and limited resources.
Preparing for Long-Duration Spaceflights
NASA began seeking volunteers for its Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog (CHAPEA) project in 2023, sending its first crew into the habitat in June of that year. Information gathered during these missions helps researchers refine food systems and prepare for the physical and operational demands of extended crewed space travel.
Applications are already open for NASA’s next year-long experience, the Moon and Mars Exploration Analog, which will combine elements of CHAPEA with other agency simulation projects. That next phase is scheduled to begin no earlier than August 2027.
