NASA’s four-member Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog, or CHAPEA, crew emerged from its simulated Mars mission on Oct. 31, 2026, after spending more than a year in the habitat.
Matthew Montgomery, James Spicer, Ross Elder and Ellen Ellis tested systems, maintained crops, managed limited resources and communication delays, and conducted extravehicular activities during the analog mission.
NASA said the work is intended to help the agency better understand how crews adapt to long-duration stays. Insights from the crew’s experience are expected to inform the design of a future Moon Base and planning for missions to Mars.
The group posed outside for the first time in more than a year following the end of the simulated journey.
