Could you survive a year on Mars? NASA is testing it

NASA is stepping closer to its long-term goal of sending humans to Mars by launching its second year-long Mars simulation, known as CHAPEA (Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog).

Beginning in October 2025, four carefully selected participants will spend 12 months inside a 1,700-square-foot 3D-printed habitat at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. The mission aims to replicate the daily challenges astronauts would face on the Martian surface, including limited food and water supplies, heavy reliance on exercise to maintain muscle and bone health, and the stress of extreme isolation.

A key feature of the experiment is the 45-minute communication delay with Earth, forcing crew members to solve problems on their own without immediate assistance from mission control.

While the habitat cannot mimic Mars’ lower gravity, it is designed to replicate environmental and psychological conditions as closely as possible.

NASA officials say data from the first CHAPEA mission, completed in 2024, already provided valuable insights into teamwork and mental health under stress. The second simulation is expected to build on those lessons as NASA prepares for the real thing: sending astronauts to Mars in the 2030s.