Do you want to follow Matt Damon and pretend to be isolated on Mars for a year? NASA has a job offer for you.
In preparation for sending astronauts to the Red Planet in the future, the U.S. space agency began accepting requests on Friday for four people a year to live on Doon Alba on Tuesday.
It’s 158 square meters (1,700 square feet) of Mars habitat, created by a 3D printer, housed inside a building at the Johnson Space Center in Houston.
Paid volunteers will work on a Mars exploration mission that includes spacewalks, limited communications with Earth, limited food and resources and equipment failures.
NASA plans three tests, the first of which will begin in the fall of next year. Food is usually served in space, and no windows are planned at this time. Some plants will be grown, but not potatoes like in the movie “The Mars”. Damon plays Mark Watney, an astronaut who lives on a potato trapped on Mars.
“We want to understand how humans work in them,” said Grace Douglas, the scientist who led the experiments. “We are studying realistic conditions on Mars.”
The admissions process began Friday, but they are not looking for anyone. Requirements are strict and include a master’s degree in science, engineering or mathematics or pilot experience in aviation. Only US citizens or those with permanent residency in the country can participate. Applicants must be between 30 and 55 years of age, in good health, free of dietary problems and prone to motion sickness.
This shows that NASA is looking for individuals with profiles close to astronauts, said former Canadian astronaut Chris Hotfield. Also, for him, it’s a good thing, because it’s a great experiment if the participants actually resemble people going to Mars.