Hawaiʻi Space Exploration Analog and Simulation

Abstract

HI-SEAS (Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation, www.hi-seas.org) is a habitat on an isolated Mars-like site on the Mauna Loa side of the saddle area on the Big Island of Hawai‘i at approximately 8200 feet above sea level. Here, crews of six people live and work through long-duration simulations of Mars exploration missions (four, eight and twelve month long). This research aims to answer several critical questions to prepare for extended space exploration, including: • How should the crew be selected? • What skillsets will they need? • How should they be trained? • How can we best monitor their physical and psychological health? • What should we do if a problem arises? Our goal is to help NASA remove barriers to the human exploration of Mars.