Human beings have evolved to thrive in the conditions of our planet. Often though, people thrust themselves into extreme environments: scientists studying Antarctic weather patterns, divers recovering wreckage from the deep sea, or explorers mapping sprawling cave systems.
What we know is that people are resilient, and the human psyche can adapt to deal with a range of scenarios. But what about being marooned on another planet, with only a thin barrier separating you and your peers from the vacuum of space? NASA is trying to gauge how humans might fare.
On June 25, four volunteers entered the 1,700 square-foot simulated Mars habitat at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. The crew will spend 378 days in the Martian analog environment, simulating the challenges of a human mission to Mars.
Read More: The Human Body Might Survive a Mission to Mars Better Than Our Minds
