Mars Exploration Space Exploration & Science Missions Human Spaceflight & Space Stations NASA

NASA’s yearlong Mars simulation ends as crew exits habitat; underwater analog tests probe spacewalk safety

Four volunteers who spent more than a year living and working in a simulated Mars mission are due to leave their habitat on Saturday, Oct. Separately, analog astronaut Michaela Musilova led low-visibility underwater “spacewalks” to test astronaut safety and communications protocols—using terrestrial simulations to examine challenges crews may face during space missions.

Discovered 2026-10-27T12:55:22.347317-07:00 | 2026-10-27T12:55:22.347317-07:00

Briefing

What Hype is tracking

The yearlong habitat mission offers NASA a long-duration analog for examining crew life and work in a simulated Mars setting; the crew’s exit marks the completion of the study period.
Low-visibility underwater “spacewalks” tested astronaut safety and communications protocols, addressing operational challenges relevant to planning future space missions.

Reported By

Space.com NASA