NASA’s simulated Mars crew reaches one year in Houston habitat
NASA says four CHAPEA Mission 2 crew members have spent a year in an Earth-based Mars simulation and are scheduled to leave the habitat October 31.
What the record says
NASA reported October 19 that its four-person CHAPEA Mission 2 crew had completed a year living and working in an isolated habitat at Johnson Space Center in Houston. The crew entered the 1,700-square-foot habitat on October 19, 2025, simulating resource limits, crop growing, communication delays and surface activities. NASA plans for the crew to leave on October 31 and then complete two weeks of evaluations and debriefs. Researchers intend to use the collected health and performance data to study support needs for future long-duration exploration.
Source details and supporting locations.
Practical next step
Follow NASA's CHAPEA updates and announced October 31 egress coverage for the mission's planned conclusion.
Limits and what is not established
CHAPEA is a ground-based simulation, not a crewed mission on Mars. NASA has not presented completed study findings in this update, and the planned October 31 exit had not occurred when the article was captured.
Sources checked October 20, 2026. Later notices may change instructions or arrangements.