Overview
- NASA announced in July 2026 that it is recruiting four volunteers for a combined transit-and-surface ground analog that can begin as early as August 2027 at Johnson Space Center.
- Participants must commit about 14 months in total including one year living inside shielded transit and surface modules plus preparation and post-mission work.
- Applicants must be U.S. citizens or Green Card holders, typically aged 30–55 with technical or scientific backgrounds, and must pass medical and psychological screening.
- The study will test equipment and procedures under realistic conditions, including plant cultivation, simulated extravehicular activities, rover drives, and measures of sleep and health.
- NASA confirmed volunteers will receive an allowance but has not published amounts, and the program is meant to inform Artemis-era planning and address human factors such as the roughly 40-minute longer Mars day.