New crew gears up for NASA’s simulated mission to Mars

NASA has selected a new crew for its next simulated mission to Mars. The four-member crew will soon enter the Human Exploration Research Analog (HERA) at the agency's Johnson Space Center in Houston, where they will live and work like astronauts for 45 days while travelling to the Martian moon Phobos.

HERA is a habitat used by researchers to study how crew members respond to isolation, confinement, and remote conditions on Earth before sending astronauts on deep-space missions.

The new crew, including Roberto Carlino, Alejandro Diaz, Brad Hensley, and Jennifer Milczarski, marks the third group of volunteers to participate in HERA's current research campaign. Their mission is set to begin on May 27 and they will "return" to Earth by stepping outside HERA on July 11.

A new crew is gearing up to participate in @NASA's next simulated mission to Mars! Crew members will "travel" to the Martian moon Phobos, allowing us to prepare future #Artemis astronauts to adjust to isolation, confinement, and remote conditions: https://t.co/7ZFsX4W88T pic.twitter.com/FJsh3Ek9SG

— NASA Artemis (@NASAArtemis) May 12, 2022

Through Artemis missions, NASA plans to land the first woman and the first person of color on the Moon, setting the stage for future human missions to Mars.