NASA seeks introverts for year-long simulated Moon/Mars mission.

NASA is recruiting volunteers for a year-long simulated mission to the Moon and Mars, designed to study how isolation and confinement affect crew performance and health. The agency is seeking healthy, motivated individuals who can thrive in a small group setting, with a particular emphasis on those who are comfortable with limited personal space and minimal privacy—qualities often associated with introversion. The simulation will take place at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, inside a 3D-printed habitat called the Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog (CHAPEA). Participants will live and work in the 1,700-square-foot facility, which includes private quarters, a kitchen, and areas for exercise, medical care, and work. The mission is scheduled to begin in fall 2025 and will last 378 days, during which the crew will conduct simulated spacewalks, grow some of their own food, and cope with communication delays of up to 22 minutes one-way, mimicking real conditions on Mars. This is the second of three planned CHAPEA missions; the first began in June 2023 and is ongoing. NASA is specifically looking for U.S. citizens or permanent residents aged 30 to 55 who are non-smokers, proficient in English, and have a master’s degree in a STEM field, or equivalent experience as a military officer or commercial pilot. Applicants must also pass a physical and psychological exam. The application deadline is April 2, 2024. The data gathered will help NASA prepare for actual long-duration missions to the Moon and Mars, particularly in understanding how to maintain crew cohesion and performance under extreme isolation.