Air Force Test Pilot to Lead NASA's Year-Long Mars Simulation Mission

NASA has announced the crew for its upcoming year-long Mars simulation mission, set to commence on October 19, 2025, at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. The mission aims to gather critical data on human health and performance to inform future exploration of the Moon, Mars, and beyond.

The selected crew comprises Air Force Maj. Ross Elder, who will serve as mission commander, Space Force Col. Ellen Ellis as medical officer, and two civilians: Matthew Montgomery and James Spicer. Elder, an experimental test pilot with over 1,800 flying hours, including 200 combat hours, has piloted more than 35 military aircraft. Ellis, a material leader in the Communications Systems Directorate at the National Reconnaissance Office, has a background as an ICBM launch officer.

The crew will reside in the 1,700-square-foot Mars Dune Alpha habitat, a 3D-printed structure designed to simulate the Martian environment. During the 378-day mission, they will face realistic challenges such as resource limitations, equipment failures, communication delays, isolation, and confinement. Their tasks will include simulated Mars walks, robotic operations, habitat maintenance, exercise, and crop growth.

This mission is the second in NASA's Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog (CHAPEA) series. The first mission concluded on July 6, 2024, after a year-long simulation. These analog missions are crucial for developing the knowledge and tools needed for humans to one day live and work on the Red Planet.

"CHAPEA and other ground analogs are helping to determine which capabilities could best support future crews in overcoming the human health and performance challenges of living and operating beyond Earth's resources," said Sara Whiting, project scientist with NASA's Human Research Program at NASA Johnson.

The mission is scheduled to conclude on October 31, 2026.