NASA's CHAPEA Project: Simulating Mars UPSC

CHAPEA PROJECT

Disclaimer: Copyright infringement not intended.

Context

NASA’s simulation mission saw four volunteers live in a habitat built to replicate conditions on Mars, seen as the most hospitable planet to support life after Earth.
A part of NASA’s Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog (CHAPEA) project, it was the first of three planned simulations to understand the challenges Mars poses for space explorers.

Details

*Aspect*	*Details*
Project Name	CHAPEA (Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog)
Objective	To simulate living conditions on Mars and study the effects of long-duration missions on crew health and performance.
Location	Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas
Habitat	Mars Dune Alpha - a 3D printed airlocked habitat with 1,700 sq ft living space, including bedrooms, bathrooms, a work area, a robot station, a gym, and a vertical farm. An additional 1,200 sq ft space for extravehicular activities.
Duration	378 days (June 25, 2023 - July 6, 2024)
Scenarios	Spacewalks in suits, growing vegetables, facing communication delays, limited resources, and prolonged isolation.
Aims	To collect data on the potential impacts of long-duration missions on Mars, including physical and mental challenges faced by astronauts.
Future Plans	Two more missions planned for 2025 and 2026. NASA aims to send astronauts to Mars by the 2030s.

Mars Habitat

*Feature*	*Details*
Temperature	Ranges from 20°C to -153°C
Surface	Rocky with canyons, volcanoes, dry lake beds, and craters, all covered in red dust
Atmosphere	Thin, containing over 95% carbon dioxide and less than 1% oxygen
Gravity	About one-third of Earth’s gravity
Day Length	24.6 hours
Year Length	687 Earth days
Weather	Dust storms, visible from Earth, with tiny tornado-like structures and large storms enveloping the planet

Significance

NASA's CHAPEA project is a crucial step in preparing for human exploration of Mars.
The data collected will help understand the physical and mental challenges faced by astronauts during long-duration missions, which is essential for the success of future Mars expeditions.
The project also supports NASA's broader goals, including the Artemis program, aimed at establishing a long-term presence on the Moon as a stepping stone to Mars.
By simulating Martian conditions, CHAPEA helps researchers develop strategies to maintain crew health, ensure resource sustainability, and manage isolation and communication delays, all of which are critical for the success of manned missions to Mars.

Important Mars missions to date

*Mission Name*	*Country/Agency*	*Launch Date*	*Type*	*Outcome*	*Key Achievements*
Mariner 4	USA/NASA	November 28, 1964	Flyby	Success	First close-up images of Mars
Mariner 6	USA/NASA	February 24, 1969	Flyby	Success	Close-up images and atmospheric data
Mariner 7	USA/NASA	March 27, 1969	Flyby	Success	Close-up images and atmospheric data
Mariner 9	USA/NASA	May 30, 1971	Orbiter	Success	First spacecraft to orbit another planet
Mars 2	USSR	May 19, 1971	Orbiter/Lander	Partial success (orbiter succeeded, lander failed)	Orbital images and surface data
Mars 3	USSR	May 28, 1971	Orbiter/Lander	Partial success (orbiter succeeded, lander contact lost)	First soft landing on Mars (contact lost after 20 seconds)
Viking 1	USA/NASA	August 20, 1975	Orbiter/Lander	Success	First successful landing, extensive surface and atmospheric data
Viking 2	USA/NASA	September 9, 1975	Orbiter/Lander	Success	Surface and atmospheric data, search for life
Phobos 1	USSR	July 7, 1988	Orbiter	Failure (lost contact)	No data returned
Phobos 2	USSR	July 12, 1988	Orbiter/Lander	Partial success (orbiter succeeded, lander failed)	Data on Phobos and Martian atmosphere
Mars Observer	USA/NASA	September 25, 1992	Orbiter	Failure (lost contact)	No data returned
Mars Global Surveyor	USA/NASA	November 7, 1996	Orbiter	Success	Detailed mapping of Martian surface
Mars Pathfinder	USA/NASA	December 4, 1996	Lander/Rover	Success	Sojourner rover data, surface exploration
Nozomi	Japan/JAXA	July 4, 1998	Orbiter	Failure (unable to achieve orbit)	No data returned
Mars Climate Orbiter	USA/NASA	December 11, 1998	Orbiter	Failure (lost contact)	No data returned
Mars Polar Lander	USA/NASA	January 3, 1999	Lander	Failure (lost contact)	No data returned
2001 Mars Odyssey	USA/NASA	April 7, 2001	Orbiter	Success	Gamma Ray Spectrometer data, surface composition mapping
Mars Express	European Space Agency (ESA)	June 2, 2003	Orbiter	Success	High-resolution imaging, detection of water ice
Spirit (MER-A)	USA/NASA	June 10, 2003	Rover	Success (last contact in 2010)	Surface exploration, discovery of past water activity
Opportunity (MER-B)	USA/NASA	July 7, 2003	Rover	Success (last contact in 2018)	Surface exploration, discovery of past water activity
Rosetta	European Space Agency (ESA)	March 2, 2004	Flyby (en route to comet)	Success (flyby)	Mars flyby for gravitational assist
Phoenix	USA/NASA	August 4, 2007	Lander	Success	Confirmed presence of water ice
Mars Science Laboratory (Curiosity)	USA/NASA	November 26, 2011	Rover	Success	Extensive geological and environmental analysis
MAVEN	USA/NASA	November 18, 2013	Orbiter	Success	Studied upper atmosphere and ionosphere
Mars Orbiter Mission (Mangalyaan)	India/ISRO	November 5, 2013	Orbiter	Success	Mars atmosphere and surface imaging
ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter	ESA/Roscosmos	March 14, 2016	Orbiter	Success	Trace gas analysis in the Martian atmosphere
Schiaparelli (ExoMars)	ESA/Roscosmos	March 14, 2016	Lander	Failure (crash landed)	Attempted landing on Mars
InSight	USA/NASA	May 5, 2018	Lander	Success	Seismic activity and internal structure analysis
Hope Mars Mission	UAE	July 19, 2020	Orbiter	Success	Martian atmosphere and climate studies
Tianwen-1	China/CNSA	July 23, 2020	Orbiter/Rover	Success	Orbiter and Zhurong rover exploration, surface analysis
Perseverance	USA/NASA	July 30, 2020	Rover	Success	Astrobiology, sample collection for return mission
Zhurong Rover (part of Tianwen-1)	China/CNSA	May 14, 2021	Rover	Success	Surface exploration and environmental analysis

Sources:

IndianExpress

PRACTICE QUESTION

Q: Consider the following statements regarding Mars habitats:

The Mars Habitat is designed to provide a self-sustaining environment for human habitation on Mars.
The Mars Society's Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) in Utah, USA, is an example of an analog habitat simulating conditions on Mars.
NASA's InSight mission is primarily focused on developing habitats for future human missions to Mars.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

a) 1 and 2 only
b) 1 and 3 only
c) 2 and 3 only
d) 1, 2, and 3

Answer: b)