Four volunteers have spent a year in a special home in Houston, Texas. They are taking part in NASA's second CHAPEA mission. The home copies some conditions of life on Mars. Inside, the team grows food and carefully uses limited supplies. Messages arrive late, just as they would during a distant space mission.
NASA reported the milestone on October 19. The volunteers are due to leave on October 31, after 378 days inside. Researchers will then study their health and discuss their experiences for two weeks. This work may help future crews manage daily life far from home. It is a long test on Earth, not a journey to Mars.