NASA tests shrimp farming on Mars with four HERA volunteers.

NASA is quietly advancing its preparations for Mars missions, focusing on astronaut living conditions despite not yet revealing specific mission details or hardware. Central to this effort is HERA, or the Human Exploration Research Analog, a 650-square-foot habitat at the Johnson Space Center that simulates life on other planets.

Volunteers spend up to 45 days in this confined space, acting as if they are alone on Mars, millions of miles from home. Since spring 2023, HERA has hosted several crews, with three missions completed this year alone.

The final HERA mission of 2024 will begin on November 1 and conclude on December 16. The crew includes Obaid Alsuwaidi (captain engineer for the UAE Ministry of Defense), Kristen Magas (educator at Tri-County Regional Vocational Technical High School), Tiffany Snyder (supervisor for NASA’s Cybersecurity Mission Integration Office), and Anderson Wilder (graduate student at the Florida Institute of Technology).

The crew will live in a challenging environment, isolated from the outside world and experiencing communication delays of five minutes—much shorter than the actual 20-minute delays expected on Mars. Their responsibilities will include conducting scientific research, completing operational tasks, engaging in virtual reality Mars walks, and participating in 18 human health studies.

A key focus of this mission will be on food production, including vegetable cultivation and shrimp farming. Ultimately, the goal is to assess how humans adapt to the isolation, confinement, and remote conditions of a Mars mission, providing insights into the physical and mental challenges of long-duration space travel.
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