Houston, we have a podcast. Welcome to the official podcast of the NASA Johnson Space

Center episode 303 Mars Audio Log number one. I'm Garrett Jordan, I'll be your host today.

On this podcast, we bring in the experts, scientists, engineers, and astronauts. I'll

tell you what's going on in the world of human spaceflight and more. Four humans are currently

on Mars. Well, sort of. Four individuals are in the beginning of a year-long analog mission

in a habitat right here on Earth that is simulating very closely what it would be like to live on Mars.

The analog mission is called Chapea, or crew health and performance exploration analog.

And more so than a technology demonstration, or a human Mars mission,

dress rehearsal, the primary purpose of this study is human research. A deep study into understanding

what life would be like if you actually had to be there for a full year. We got a chance to chat

with the crew before they began their journey on episode 295 and they shared their background and

mindset of entering this habitat for a year. We're lucky enough to have regular access to the crew

through their journey and they promise to record audio logs about their experience month to month.

On this episode, we hear from the Chapea crew for their first audio log. To add some context,

we're also bringing in Grace Douglas, Chapea principal investigator, to describe more of the

science behind the mission. Very excited to hear from the crew inside Chapea for the first time.

Let's get into it.

First is Chapea Mission Commander, Kelly Hastin.

Hello, my name is Kelly Hastin. I'm the commander of Mission 1 of the Chapea Project out of

Johnson Space Center for NASA. Right now, we are in week four of the mission and things are

running really well and the team is feeling great. And I personally am also feeling great.

We've really continued to be a strong, strong way collaborative unit and we have moved through

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