When Ross Brockwell emerged from his 1,700-square-foot habitat, Life on Mars, After 378 days, he wanted to see his loved ones, eat seafood, and jump in the ocean.
But in the back of my mind, I hoped that when the spaceport’s doors opened on July 6, I would actually be on the Red Planet, rather than in Houston.
Blockwell is a NASA Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analogue The (CHAPEA-1) mission was carried out along with three other missions that NASA designed to help scientists learn more about the challenges future astronauts might face living on Mars. Track and field boots by 2040.
The mission mimics the conditions of space travel, including communication delays, Limited resourcesFor Brockwell, who was the mission’s structural engineer, it felt like a reality.
“NASA has done an incredible job creating a high-fidelity, immersive experience,” he told Business Insider.
Not everyone can live on Mars
CHAPEA crew members celebrate the birthday of Ross Brockwell (left) inside the accommodation. NASA/CHAPEA Crew
When it comes to space travel, Brockwell says there are a few key traits to consider: “Perseverance is one of them. Isolated and closed environment,” He said.
These traits also come in handy when you’re seeing the same groups of people every day with no way to escape.
Luckily, the CHAPEA crew all get along well and we became acquainted before even setting foot inside. In habitatBrockwell said it helped him feel less isolated.
Their friendship was especially important because communication with the outside world was delayed. Far from Earth It takes more than 20 minutes each way for a message to be delivered.
Brockwell said he wasn’t surprised, but that it did require some adjustment: “There are moments when I wish I could talk about it in real time, but that’s not an option,” he said.
Homesickness is real
The 1,700-square-foot CHAPEA living quarters provide separate living quarters for a crew of four volunteers. NASA/Bill Stafford
It wasn’t just their friends and family that the crew missed during the mission: “We all missed the sea, the sun, the wind, the forest,” Brockwell said. “We could feel those things.”
There was a small gardening system and a bit of greenery, but Brockwell didn’t mind. food whole.
“Despite the constraints, it’s really nice that it’s healthy, tasty and simple,” he said.
However, the food options available are limited. After a while, the crew started trying new combinations for variety.
For example, they added ginger fish to potato soup. “It was fun to get creative during the mission,” he said. But they had to be careful with their resources.
Part of the mission is for the crew to grocery store It will be resupplied just like it would be on Mars. According to NASA:.
The finite nature of everyday items quickly becomes apparent, Brockwell says.
But you might fall in love with it
CHAPEA’s crew takes part in a mock “Mars Walk” in a 1,200-square-foot sandbox that mimics the Martian terrain. NASA/CHAPEA Crew
Many of the crew’s days are spent routineThe activities included running on a treadmill, cooking, talking with family members, and mission-related tasks like monitoring and maintaining the vehicle. They also simulated going on a spacewalk to the surface of Mars.
“All of the spacewalks were really exciting,” Brockwell said. “The virtual reality was fantastic.”
During breaks, the crew played games and solved puzzles. Brockwell recalls that Gene Kranz’s “Failure is not an option” and “EnduranceBy Scott Kelly.
In fact, Brockwell is a great supporter of James M. Taber’s “Blind DescentIt may seem odd that NASA would include a book that describes the terrifying dangers of spacecraft. Cave exploration Although the book was written for a mission about life on Mars, Brockwell said he saw parallels to space exploration. “It was a really interesting book,” he said.
Despite the challenges he faced during the simulation, Brockwell would like to visit Mars for real one day. “If the opportunity arises, I would absolutely go,” he said.
