NASA has unveiled a prototype for a Mars habitat on Earth, which could be used as a staging ground for future human

Key Highlights :

1. NASA has unveiled its new Mars-simulation habitat, in which volunteers will live for a year at a time to test what life will be like on future missions to Earth's neighbor.

2. The facility, created for three planned experiments called the Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog (CHAPEA), is located at the US space agency's massive research base in Houston, Texas.

3. Four volunteers will begin the first trial this summer, during which NASA plans to monitor their physical and mental health to better understand humans' fortitude for such a long isolation.

4. With that data, NASA will better understand astronauts' "resource use" on Mars, said Grace Douglas, lead researcher on the CHAPEA experiments.

     NASA is gearing up for the first manned mission to Mars in the 2030s, and one of the key challenges will be finding a way to keep the astronauts healthy and happy while they're on the Red Planet.

     One possible solution is to build a habitat on Mars that's similar to the one being tested at the International Space Station (ISS). The Mars Dune Alpha habitat is a 1,700 square-foot (160 square-meter) home, dubbed ‘Mars Dune Alpha’, that will be inhabited by volunteers.

     The habitat will be situated in the Martian desert, and it will be outfitted with all the necessary amenities to keep the volunteers healthy and happy. The walls and ceilings of the home will be made of plastic so that they can be reconfigured to accommodate different needs, and the floor will be made of a flexible material that can be raised or lowered to create different levels.

     The volunteers will live inside the home for six months at a time, and they will be able to explore the surrounding area. The home will also be equipped with a kitchen, a bathroom, and a bedroom.

     The Mars Dune Alpha habitat is a prototype, and it is still in the early stages of development. However, if it is successful, it could be the key to keeping the astronauts healthy and happy while they are on the Red Planet.

Continue Reading at Source : hindustantimes