Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog

With one year behind them, the four CHAPEA Mission 2 crew members are gearing up for the end of their 378-day mission.

The crew discusses navigating a simulated two-week communication blackout.

In their sixth month, the Mission 2 crew members share their latest updates, including details on daily life, holiday celebrations, and habitat routines.

With half their mission completed, the crew continues to provide NASA with valuable insights on how humans adapt to isolation, confinement, and resource limitations — all critical factors for future exploration of the Moon and Mars.

Mission 2 crew members record their first audio log just weeks after entering the Mars analog habitat.

Ross Elder, Ellen Ellis, Matthew Montgomery, and James Spicer are now living and working inside the 3D-printed habitat at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston until Oct. 31, 2026.

A crew of four research volunteers stepped inside NASA’s CHAPEA habitat on Oct. 19, marking the start of the agency’s second 378-day simulated Mars mission.

Before the crew entered the habitat, they sat down and talked about their mission on an episode of "Houston We Have a Podcast."

Meet the four research volunteers whose work will help NASA make informed trades between risks and interventions for long-duration exploration missions.

CHAPEA is a series of analog missions that will simulate year-long stays on the surface of Mars.

CHAPEA is a 3D-printed structure designed to provide separate areas within the habitat for living and working.

Get a bird's-eye view of CHAPEA being printed!