While lockdown has been hard on some (extroverts, in particular), the past few months spent at home proved surprisingly easy for others. If this sounds like you, and you felt as if your time in iso allowed you to thrive and not just survive, then you may be just who space agency NASA is looking for.
NASA conducts Analog Missions regularly, that essentially replicate a space environment but are held here on Earth. The field tests allow researchers at the agency to better understand the social, psychological and physiological effects an isolated environment can have on astronauts, who will often spend a large portion of time in space with only a few others.
Right now, the space agency is recruiting for two upcoming programs held in Houston and Moscow respectively. The HERA program is seeking volunteers to spend 45 days in isolation in a three-storey habitat, while the NEK program is after participants willing to spend eight months in isolation aboard a mock spacecraft.
Of course, a fondness for alone time isn’t the only requirement to qualify for this kind of experiment. Successful applicants will be aged between 30 and 55, will be non-smokers, and must pass physical and psychological tests.
In some cases, test subjects may have to speak multiple languages, including Russian, and may have to have undertaken military training.
Think you’ve got what it takes? You can find out more about NASA’s Analog Missions through its website.
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