Around 10 p.m. UK time on Saturday, Kelly Haston, Anca Selariu, Ross Brockwell, and Nathan Jones were released from a 378-day confinement in a Texas bunker designed to resemble Mars.
The “one thing dearest to my heart” is bringing life to Mars, Ms. Selariu declared during a press conference following their approval to return to Earth.
She stated that her “beloved friends and family have always been there when I needed them” and that she’ll “always have them in my heart and in my memory wherever I go.”.
The Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog (CHAPEA) mission, which NASA launched on June 25 of last year, included the volunteers.
.The crew is the first of three to undertake such missions at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. The 3D-printed structure, known as the Mars Dune Alpha, has been described as “an isolated 1,700 square foot habitat.” This marks the end of the first planned program, attempting to help prepare the US space agency for the real thing. NASA is still planning for a return to the Moon, which they hope will act as a springboard for Mars exploration. During that time, they simulated Mars mission operations, including “Marswalks.”. They also grew and ate their own vegetables, including tomatoes, peppers, and leafy greens.
