TAG: GS 3: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
THE CONTEXT: NASA’s Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog (CHAPEA) project is a series of missions designed to simulate living conditions on Mars.
EXPLANATION:
- The first mission saw four volunteers live in a habitat replicating Martian conditions for 378 days.
- This initiative aims to understand and address Mars’s challenges for human explorers, providing crucial data for future missions.
- The habitat, named “Mars Dune Alpha,” was constructed using 3D printing technology and is located at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.
- Spanning 1,700 square feet, the habitat includes:
- Four Bedrooms: Private quarters for each crew member.
- Two Bathrooms: Shared facilities for hygiene.
- Work Area: Space for daily tasks and scientific experiments.
- Robot Station: Area dedicated to robotic operations and maintenance.
- Gym: Equipment to ensure physical fitness.
- Common Sandy Areas: Recreational space mimicking Martian terrain.
- Vertical Farm: Used for growing vegetables and other plants.
- The adjacent 1,200 square feet of space was utilized for extravehicular activities (EVAs), simulating tasks astronauts would perform outside their spacecraft on Mars.
Mission Execution
- The mission commenced on June 25, 2023, and ended after 378 days.
- Throughout their stay, the crew faced scenarios mimicking real-life challenges on Mars, such as:
- Marswalks: Spacewalks in simulated Martian suits.
- Agriculture: Growing vegetables using the vertical farm.
- Isolation: Dealing with prolonged isolation and limited social interaction.
- Communication Delays: Managing up to 20-minute communication delays with mission control, simulating the time it takes for signals to travel between Earth and Mars.
- Resource Management: Coping with limited resources like water and food supplies.
Mission Objectives
- The primary goals of the CHAPEA project are to:
- Collect data on the potential impacts of long-duration missions on crew health and performance.
- Understand and mitigate the physical and mental challenges astronauts will face on Mars.
- Gather insights to prepare for long-term presence on the Moon as part of NASA’s Artemis program, which is a precursor to Mars exploration.
The Mars Habitat
- Mars is known for its harsh and inhospitable environment:
- Temperature: Ranges from 20°C to -153°C.
- Surface: Rocky terrain with canyons, volcanoes, dry lake beds, and craters covered in red dust.
- Atmosphere: Composed of over 95% carbon dioxide and less than 1% oxygen.
- Dust Storms: Frequent dust storms, some enveloping the entire planet.
- Gravity and Rotation: Mars has one-third the gravity of Earth, a day lasting 24.6 hours, and a year equivalent to 687 Earth days.
Future Missions and Broader Implications
- The CHAPEA project will continue with two more missions planned for 2025 and 2026.
- These missions are part of NASA’s goal to send astronauts to Mars by the 2030s.
- Understanding the Martian environment and its challenges will not only aid in human exploration but also provide insights into Earth’s past and future, and potentially answer questions about the existence of life beyond our planet.
Challenges of a Mars Mission
- Key challenges include:
- Duration: A one-way trip to Mars takes six to nine months.
- Life Support: Ensuring adequate supplies and maintaining crew health over extended periods.
- Atmospheric Challenges: Mars’s thin atmosphere complicates safe landings.
- Communication Delays: Up to 20-minute delays in communications could hinder real-time problem-solving during emergencies.
India’s Mars Mission Aspirations
- India, through its space agency ISRO, is also preparing for missions to the Sun, Mars, and Venus.
- Notably, India’s Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) or Mangalyaan, launched in 2014, made India the first nation to reach Mars orbit on its first attempt.
