CHAPEA is NASA's latest experiment designed to better understand the effects of isolation on crew performance and health.

With the long-term goal of preparing for a future mission to Mars, biologist Kelly Haston, 53, participated in a 378-day experiment that ended in early July. Kelly Haston lived in complete isolation during the project, conducting activities that simulated being in space, from “walking steps” on Mars (pictured) to tending a vertical garden...

The few people she has direct contact with are her three teammates and fellow settlers on Mars. They live in a 3D-printed environment, installed inside a hangar at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. In addition to psychological factors, CHAPEA also focuses on recording the food intake of each crew member, analyzing blood, saliva, urine samples, etc.

NASA is currently keeping details of the crewed missions under wraps to preserve the element of surprise for the CHAPEA 2 test, which is scheduled to launch in 2025.

MINH CHAU