Scientists Complete Yearlong Mars Simulation in Hawaii
Posted on August 28, 2016
Six scientists have completed a NASA mission to simulate what it would be like for astronauts living on Mars. They lived in a dome in near isolation in Mauna Loa, Hawaii for one year. This was the longest study of its kind conducted by NASA. A similar Russian mission, Mars500, ran for 520 days.
The mission funded by NASA is called HI-SEAS which means Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation. It is conducted at the University of Hawaii site. This was the fourth and longest of the long duration simulation missions. They are already recruiting for another mission.
The scientists lived in close contact inside the dome. They were not allowed to interact with any other human beings. They could contact will the outside world through email but there was a 20 minute delay to simulate space travel. There were no phones or Skype. If they left the dome habitat they had to wear space suits.
This video contains footage of the dome being opened after the yearlong study. Take a look: