How will it be live on mars? One of the greatest human curiosities is about to be discovered – at least in a simulated environment. The answer must be given by the Canadian biologist kelly haston, 52, who will be one of four volunteers chosen by NASA to spend a year in a simulated Mars-like habitat in Houston, Texas. A CHAPEA mission should take place from the end of June.

Second at CNBC, the experiment will be conducted to assess the behavior of a crew in an isolated environment before an actual mission takes place. Haston will be the mission commander. “I’m really excited about it, but I’m also realistic about the challenge. Let’s pretend we’re there,” the biologist told AFP.

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Along with the other participants in the experiment, the Canadian will face challenges such as water limitations and communication delays with the outside world. The simulated environment is called Mars Dune Alpha. It is a 3D printed installation, with facilities such as bedrooms, a gym and a vertical farm.

Who is Kelly Haston?

Kelly Haston has experience building human disease models and has led innovative stem cell-based projects. She holds a BA in Integrative Biology from the University of California, Berkeley and an MS in Endocrinology from Stanford University in Palo Alto, California.

The biologist also holds a PhD in Biomedical Sciences from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and has done postdoctoral work focused on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis at Harvard University and Stanford University.

In his new job at NASA, Haston will be joined by Ross Brockwell, an American engineer who will act as a flight engineer; the American doctor Nathan Jones, who will be the medical adviser; and Alyssa Shannon, a nurse who will serve as science officer.

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