Edwards Air Force Base test pilot selected for yearlong NASA Mars mission simulationBrian Day, Victorville Daily Press
Victorville Daily PressTue, September 9, 2025 at 4:23 PM EDT
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A test pilot and instructor from Edwards Air Force Base has been selected as one of four volunteers to take part in a yearlong Mars mission simulation program led by NASA to study long-term human survivability on the Red Planet.
U.S. Air Force Maj. Ross Elder, who serves as director of operations for the F-35 Integrated Test Force and Air Force Test Pilot School instructor at Edwards Air Force Base, will take part in the Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog program, base officials announced Monday.
Elder and his three fellow volunteers, Ellen Ellis, Matthew Montgomery, and James Spicer, will spend 378 days living inside a 1,700-square-foot mock-up of a proposed Mars habitat design at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, according to the space agency.
U.S. Air Force Maj. Ross Elder, who serves as director of operations for the F-35 Integrated Test Force and Air Force Test Pilot School instructor at Edwards Air Force Base, has been selected to take part in a yearlong NASA Mars mission simulation.The mission is slated to begin on Oct. 19 and continue through Oct. 31, 2026.
"We are proud to congratulate Maj. Ross Elder on his selection as Commander for the forthcoming NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration CHAPEA Crew," according to a USAF statement. "Maj. Elder becomes the inaugural [Test Pilot School] staff member to be selected for this unique type of space mission."
What is the CHAPEA mission?The CHAPEA mission is meant to help simulate the conditions astronauts will experience while living and working on Mars, according to NASA.
"This mission will provide NASA with foundational data to inform human exploration of the Moon, Mars, and beyond," NASA officials said in a written statement.
The habitat, dubbed "Mars Dune Alpha," is 3D printed in a method consistent with what future Mars explorers may ultimately use to establish humankind's first foothold on Earth's closest celestial neighbor.
"NASA aims to evaluate certain human health and performance factors ahead of future Mars missions," according to the Air Force statement. "The crew will undergo realistic resource limitations, equipment failures, communication delays, isolation and confinement, and other stressors, along with simulated high-tempo extravehicular activities, over the course of 378 days."
U.S. Air Force Maj. Ross Elder, who serves as director of operations for the F-35 Integrated Test Force and Air Force Test Pilot School instructor at Edwards Air Force Base, has been selected to take part in a yearlong NASA Mars mission simulation.Research, robots and vegetable gardensNASA is eager to expand study into longterm effects of space travel as the agency prepares to return to manned exploration, inlcuding a return to the Moon, with its upcoming Artemis missions, according to NASA HUman Research Program Project Scientist Sara Whiting.
"As NASA gears up for crewed Artemis missions, 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 – all before we send humans to Mars," she said.
While living in the similated Mars base, the crew members will carry out tasks including science experiments, going on simulated Mars walks, operating robots and growing a vegetable garden. They will also test out newly developed technologies for space travel, such as medical diagnostic equipment.
The insights gained from the project will be applied to future missions, CHAPEA Princpal Investigator Grace Douglas explained.
"The simulation will allow us to collect cognitive and physical performance data to give us more insight into the potential impacts of the resource restrictions and long-duration missions to Mars on crew health and performance," she said. "Ultimately, this information will help NASA make informed decisions to design and plan for a successful human mission to Mars."
The upcoming CHAPEA mission will be NASA's second, officials said. The first mission ended in July of 2024.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/edwards-air-force-test-pilot-202339030.html
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