Suwaidi commences simulation mission to Mars at NASA habitat

Yamama Bedwan, Staff Reporter

Obaid Al Suwaidi, a member of the simulation crew, has commenced a manned simulation mission to Mars. This is the fourth phase of the second study within the Emirates Space Simulation Programme. The mission will last for 45 days at the HERA habitat of the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

In a tweet through the X platform, the MBR Space Centre, said, “This 45-day phase, conducted in isolation, simulates a journey to Mars and includes 18 human health experiments, 6 of which are presented by Emirati universities.”

Director of the MBR Space Centre, Eng. Salem Al Marri, said via X platform, “Wishing success to analog crewmember Obaid Al Suwaidi as this study begins. The data it provides will be valuable for examining human health in preparation for upcoming human spaceflight, especially long-duration missions.”

Along with Al Suwaidi from the UAE, is participating in the simulation mission, which is taking place on Earth, Kristen Magas, Tiffany Snyder and Robert Wilson. As NASA announced that the isolation at the HERA habitat is scheduled to cease operations on 16 December.

During the mission, the crew will engage in a series of experiments that encompass a range of disciplines. These will include simulations of traversing the Martian surface using digital reality technology, as well as activities such as vegetable cultivation and shrimp farming.

The principal objective of HERA's studies is to evaluate the long-term impact of isolation and confinement on the performance and mental and physical health of the crew. Furthermore, the crew will undergo a simulation of the communication delays that are to be expected during an approach to Mars, which are estimated to last up to five minutes in one direction.

As stated by NASA, the Hera habitat occupies a total area of 650 square feet at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. The facility is a distinctive three-storey structure, constructed with the specific objective of enabling scientists to investigate how crew members respond to isolation and confinement in environments that replicate the conditions experienced in space. The analogue mission permits researchers to simulate the demands of long-duration space missions, such as those to Mars, in order to gain a deeper understanding of how astronauts will deal with the extreme physical and psychological challenges posed by these future missions.