The Martian Life

 

Living the Martian Life Fans of the science fiction book and movie “The Martian” now have the chance to experience what it’s like to live alone on Mars, the Associated Press reported. Earlier this month, NASA began taking applications for four people to live in a simulated version of the red planet for a whole year. The four spacefarers will spend their time in Mars Dune Alpha, a 1,700-square-foot Martian habitat, created by a 3D printer, which is hosted by the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. The paid volunteers will experience a make-believe Martian exploration mission, including spacewalks, limited food and resources and equipment failures. Food will comprise of ready-to-eat space food but the participants will also be able to grow plants – similar to the movie. “We want to understand how humans perform…,” said lead scientist Grace Douglas. “We are looking at Mars-realistic situations.” Meanwhile, the application is restricted to specific individuals: They must be American citizens or permanent US residents with a master’s degree in a science, engineering or math field, or have pilot experience. The potential Martians need to be between 30 and 55 years old, in good health and not prone to motion sickness. Former Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield said that the selective application shows that the space agency is looking for people who are similar to astronauts. Apparently, past Russian efforts at a pretend Mars mission didn’t go well – the people were too normal, he said. Click here to become a Martian.