Exploring an asteroid ... without leaving Earth

Hop on NASA's Tumblr account to see how Human Research Exploration Analog (HERA) crew members will explore an asteroid from the safe confines of a compact, science-making house. The 45-day mission, which began Feb. 1, 2018, will help researchers evaluate how isolation and close quarters affect individual and group behavior. This study out of NASA's Johnson Space Center prepares us for long-duration space missions, like a trip to an asteroid or even to Mars.

While inside the spaceship-looking research platform, their communication with the rest of planet Earth will also be very limited, and they won’t have any access to internet. It's just mission control ... and each other.

Good luck to HERA XVI and its crew!

• Kent Kalogera
• Jennifer Yen
• Erin Hayward
• Gregory Sachs

Image Credit: NASA