Mars Dune Alpha: How To live 1 Year On Mars

Mars Dune Alpha Simulation

Have you ever dreamt of living on another planet? Or being an astronaut? I remember when I was a kid, I was always singing Starman by David Bowie or Rocket Man by Elton John. And I used to see myself as a future man on the Moon, or maybe as the first man on another planet.

But here's the news: Mars is calling! Well, actually, it isn't really him calling. NASA is seeking applicants for participation as a crew member during the first one-year Analogue mission in the habitat to simulate life in a distant world, set to begin in Fall 2022.

As NASA ventures farther into the cosmos, the astronaut experience will change radically. Living on another planet will be very different from living on Earth.

Scientists have to prepare for the most unexpected accidents that can happen. And the more you think about it, the more you realize the keyword is: unpredictability.

We already know from past experiences that they don't matter how much effort you make in order to predict reality: it will always surprise you. And this is really bad news when it comes to living on another planet.

So, in preparation for the real-life challenges of future missions to Mars, NASA will study how highly motivated individuals respond under the Rigor of a long-duration, ground-based simulation.

Credit to https://news.mit.edu/

Exploration Analog Crew Health and Performance

The series of missions is called "Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog" and includes three one-year Mars surface simulations based at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

This mission will support research to develop methods and technologies to prevent and resolve potential problems on future human spaceflight missions to the Moon and Mars. After this mission, our understanding of human behavior won't be the same.

It will change everything. Simulations on Earth will help scientists understand and counter the physical and mental challenges astronauts will face before they go. We don't want to just suppose. We wish to know exactly what will happen.

"The analog is critical for testing solutions to meet the complex needs of living on the Martian surface," - Grace Douglas, lead scientist for NASA’s Advanced Food Technology research effort at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

So let's talk a bit about these missions. Each mission will consist of four crew members living and working in a 1,700-square-foot module 3D-printed by ICON, called Mars Dune Alpha.

As we can read on the Icon website, "ICON develops advanced construction technologies that advance humanity." Using proprietary 3D printing robotics, software, and advanced materials, ICON is shifting the paradigm of home building on Earth and beyond. "

Did you know that one day we might all be living in 3D printed houses? What do you think about it? Let us know in the comments below!

The Mars Dune alpha habitat will simulate the challenges of a mission on Mars, including resource limitations, equipment failure, other environmental stressors, and communication delays. This means, for example, that candidates will be able to communicate only by means of delayed lines. Mars is so far away, in fact, that it takes radio signals quite a long time to get from the spacecraft back to Earth.

During the Curiosity Mission, for example, the delay was 13 minutes and 48 seconds, about mid-way between the minimum delay of around 4 minutes and the maximum delay of around 24 minutes.

Mars' Surface Habitat:

So, as you can see, life in Mars Dune Alpha will resemble the expected experience for those living in a future Mars surface habitat. The layout of the 3D-printed habitat was designed to provide separate areas within the habitat for living and working. It will look pretty much like this: And this will likely be the interior plan of the house.

As you can see, there are common areas like the kitchen and the recreation area. And then there are the crew member quarters, with a nice bathroom (because we will need to simulate that too! ), and, of course, a fitness-dedicated area: astronauts have to strengthen their muscles! But why did NASA choose a 3D printing solution for his Martian habitat?

The answer is really pretty simple. Future space exploration settlements have the potential to be 3D printed with additive construction technology to eliminate the need to launch large quantities of building materials on multiple flights, which is cost-prohibitive. In short terms, the 3D printing method is preferred because it's the cheapest one!

The technology that will be used is called ICON’s next-generation Vulcan construction system, and the habitat will have dimensions of about 1,700 square feet, as we've already said.

The 3D printed material will be the so-called "Lavacrete". Lavacrete polymer concrete provides three times the bond of normal concrete when applied over surfaces and resists thermal shock and shrinkage.

So what will be the crew's tasks?

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The crew might do spacewalks, do scientific research, or use virtual reality and robotic controls and exchange communications. All of these experiments will give us a precious result that will provide important scientific data to validate systems and develop solutions.

By the way, if you are a smoker or if you're not a U.S. citizen, I'm sorry for you: you can't be a candidate. NASA is looking for healthy, motivated U.S. citizens or permanent residents who are non-smokers. You also have to be younger than 55 and older than 30 years old. I know, this sucks. But why? We are going to Mars.

This is real rocket science! That's why you need a master’s degree in a STEM field such as engineering, mathematics, or biological, physical, or computer science. And you also need at least two years of professional STEM experience or a minimum of one thousand hours piloting an aircraft.

So, if you've never flown an airplane, it's time to learn! Additionally, with four years of professional experience, applicants who have completed military officer training or a Bachelor of Science in a STEM field may be considered.

Finalists will undergo medical evaluations, psychological testing, and psychiatric screening to determine suitability for a physically and mentally demanding long-duration isolation mission. All exams and their associated expenses will be arranged and paid for through NASA. I almost forgot.

Do you have some food allergies? Unfortunately, candidates will not be selected if they have any avoidances, food allergies, or gastrointestinal disorders, as these cannot be accommodated on a long-duration mission.

Also, they must be willing to provide requested biological samples on the required days and must eat the spaceflight-like diet provided during the mission. And, you need to be in perfect health. In fact, candidates on specific medications will be disqualified.

Blood pressure medications, blood thinners, seizure medications, daily allergy medications, diabetic insulin daily, sleeping aids, ADHD/ADD medications, antidepressants, and anxiety medications are not allowed. Vitamin D will be, of course, provided during the missions. All other vitamins will be available in the spaceflight food system, and adding vitamins won't be permitted. Candidates will be required to have a COVID-19 vaccine and show proof of full vaccination.

Is there any type of risk?

On NASA's website, we can read: "Risks of participating in this protocol may include loss of subject privacy or confidentiality, minor discomforts, and low-level radiation exposure from x-rays during medical exams, and physical injury or a highly unlikely chance of death."

Mitigations include data protection on authenticated and encrypted systems, use of licensed and approved medical clinics, and safety mechanisms, and injury prevention training. We talked a lot about Mars Dune Alpha and about applications. Now let's discuss in more detail this mission's goals.

What do you expect?

I think we can say the main goal will be to obtain the most accurate data during the analog. To do this, the habitat will be as Mars-realistic as feasible.

The major crew activities during the analog, consisting of communications, crop growth, meal preparation and consumption, exercise, hygiene activities, maintenance work, personal time, science work, and sleep, will provide us with a new understanding of human beings, talking about space missions. So when are we starting?

The so-called CHAPEA Missions are scheduled to begin at the start of fall 2022, with Analog Mission 1. The recruitment began on August 6, 2021. Analog mission 2 will start in 2024, and the third one is planned for 2025.

Conclusion

What a time to be alive!

1. Planning long-term missions to another planet is everything but a nerdy game.

Of course, there are plenty of people out there who have dreamt of going to Mars since they were kids. But for the moment, you need to be more than just a common person among the common people. You need to study hard. You need to stay healthy. You need to focus on the things that matter. You need to fix a goal in your head and pursue it until you reach that goal. This is what makes the difference. If we really want to become an interplanetary species, we will never need to surrender people. And of course, we need to study their behavior when it comes to working under pressure, as we are going to do with the Analog Missions.

2. Nobody is perfect, and everyone can improve themselves.

You could really be the perfect candidate for a mission to Mars. You just need to pour passion into the things you do, no matter what happens. Also, you are not the only one improving. Technology will improve at the same time, and maybe it will do so at a higher rate.

This means that, in the future, there will be a chance for everyone to be part of an ongoing mission to Mars. It's all about time, passion, and curiosity. So, as always, remember to keep it curious.