NASA Seeks Small Crew Of Participants To Spend 8 Months In Isolation

NASA is seeking participants who are willing to spend 8 months in isolation with only a small crew of people, something that will help the space agency understand the effects of isolation during long space trips. The isolation will take place at a facility located in Moscow, Russia, where the participants will be exposed to living conditions similar to the ones astronauts are expected to experience in a future Mars mission.

NASA has spent years studying the effects of space on the mind and body, including the mental health effects of spending long periods of time in small, isolated places with limited social contact. This latest installment in its effort seeks US citizens ages 30 to 55 who can proficiently speak both English and Russian.

The participants must either have completed military officer training, have a Master's degree, medical degree, or a Ph.D.; in certain cases, NASA says that it may also accept candidates who only have a Bachelor's degree alongside 'other certain requirements' that may include things like military service or other types of education.

According to NASA, the isolation will involve an international crew that will be expected to conduct scientific research, among other things. The space agency explains on its website:

The research will be conducted to study the effects of isolation and confinement as participants work to successfully complete their simulated space mission. Results from ground-based missions like this help NASA prepare for the real-life challenges of space exploration and provide important scientific data to solve some of these problems and to develop countermeasures.

Interested individuals can view all of the requirements and submit their application on NASA's website here.