NASA CHAPEA 2 Mission Completion
Ross Elder, Matthew Montgomery, Ellen Ellis, and James Spicer will emerge from the Mars Dune Alpha habitat at Johnson Space Center on October 31, 2026. Crew members worked and lived in the simulated Mars habitat for 378 days as part of the NASA CHAPEA 2 Mission.
The second CHAPEA mission began on Oct. 19, 2025. Four crew members have lived and worked inside a 3D-printed 1,700-square-foot facility, simulating Mars mission operations, conducting simulated spacewalks, exercising, performing habitat maintenance, growing plants, and more, while operating under stressors that future deep space crews will likely experience. These included communication delays, resource limitations, and isolation.
NASA used the AllTraq Realtime Location System my team built to track crew members in the habitat. I'm honored to be a part of the project!
Data from the mission can aid preparation for NASA’s lunar missions by optimizing food system design, efficient use of crew time, bandwidth on NASA’s Deep Space Network, and other aspects of living in deep space. In addition, data can help flight doctors and psychologists strengthen spaceflight medical care and behavioral support practices to ensure crew readiness and performance.