Inside NASA’s Human Exploration Research Analog, or HERA, the volunteers are scheduled to conduct research and operational tasks, including a virtual-reality walk on the simulated Martian surface. As the crew approaches Mars in the simulation, communication delays with mission control will increase to as much as five minutes each way. [S1]
NASA’s Human Research Program plans 18 human health studies during the mission, examining the crew’s physiological, behavioral and psychological responses. Seven studies are collaborations with the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre and the European Space Agency. NASA says the research will inform strategies intended to help astronauts handle obstacles on long deep-space missions. [S1]
The selected crew brings different working backgrounds to the habitat: Jason Lee is a university engineering professor; Stephanie Navarro is a senior systems engineer and Air Force Reserve officer; Shareef Al Romaithi is an airline pilot; and Piyumi Wijesekara is a NASA research scientist. Al Romaithi will participate through a NASA partnership with the United Arab Emirates’ Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre, a first for HERA. [S1]
Source documents
- NASA Selects New Crew for Next Simulated Mars Journeyhttps://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/nasa-selects-new-crew-for-next-simulated-mars-journey/