After a Year Long Simulation of a Mars Mission, Six Scientists Leave the Mauna Loa dome.

Mars scientists leave dome on Hawaii mountain after year in isolation

Six scientists on Sunday completed a year-long simulation of a Mars mission, during which they lived in a dome in near-isolation. The group lived in the dome on a Mauna Loa mountain in Hawaii and were only allowed to go outside if wearing spacesuits. On Sunday, the simulation ended and the scientists emerged.

theguardian.com

This simulation is the second longest of its sort, following a 520-day Russian project. The crew simulated a Mars mission with limited resources, limited living quarters and only being able to go outside in a space suit. These simulations test some of our technologies and procedures, but more importantly, they study the psychological effects that such a long mission will have.