The CHAPEA Mission 2 volunteers will step out of their 3D-printed habitat at Johnson Space Center on Saturday, with NASA streaming the exit live.
NASA says the four volunteers of its second Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog (CHAPEA) mission will leave their simulated Mars habitat at Johnson Space Center in Houston on Saturday, Oct. 31, after 378 days of isolation. Crew members Ross Elder, Ellen Ellis, James Spicer and Matthew Montgomery entered on Oct. 19, 2025. NASA will stream the exit ceremony live from 3 p.m. EDT on NASA Johnson's YouTube and social accounts, with remarks from Johnson Center Director Vanessa Wyche, NASA astronaut Jack Hathaway and the crew.
CHAPEA is a series of missions that simulate year-long stays on the surface of Mars. The crew lived and worked inside a 3D-printed, 1,700-square-foot facility, performing simulated spacewalks, exercising, maintaining the habitat and growing plants while facing stressors that future deep-space crews are likely to encounter, including communication delays, limited resources and isolation. The first mission ran from June 25, 2023 to July 6, 2024.
According to NASA, health and performance data from the mission can support preparations for Artemis and Moon Base missions by helping optimize food system design, crew time and the use of bandwidth on the Deep Space Network. Flight doctors and psychologists can also use the findings to strengthen spaceflight medical care and behavioral support. U.S. media wishing to attend in person, or to speak with the crew in the days after the mission, must contact the NASA Johnson newsroom by 2 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 30.
