Aspiring Martians

In this month’s Inside the Habitat, I traveled to NASA’s Johnson Space Center to explore the agency’s human exploration analogs. From the year-long Mars missions of CHAPEA, to the behavioral research of HERA, and beyond to a look toward the future with the upcoming Moon and Mars Exploration Analog (MMEA).
First, I sit down with Dr. Grace Douglas, Principal Investigator for CHAPEA and NASA’s lead scientist for Advanced Food Technology. We discuss why NASA built Mars Dune Alpha, its remarkable 3D-printed Mars habitat, and how year-long missions inside are helping scientists study everything from food and exercise to crew health, performance, and daily life.
Then, I speak with Brandon Vessey about one of the most fascinating (and often overlooked) aspects of space exploration: people. We explore how NASA uses the Human Exploration Research Analog (HERA) to study teamwork, leadership, communication, isolation, and psychological resilience, and why understanding human behavior may ultimately be just as important as building better spacecraft.
Finally, Grace and Brandon take us inside what comes next: the Moon and Mars Exploration Analog (MMEA), a new program bringing together elements of CHAPEA and HERA to help NASA prepare for future missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
From 3D-printed habitats and future food systems to isolation, team dynamics, communication delays, and life in confinement, this episode explores the surprisingly human challenges of preparing for deep space—and the places here on Earth where NASA is already putting them to the test.
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Apply now for MMEA! https://analogstudies.jsc.nasa.gov/
Learn more about CHAPEA: https://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/chapea/
And HERA: https://www.nasa.gov/mission/hera/

A huge thank you to Dr. Grace Douglas and Brandon for takingtime out of their incredibly busy days to sit down with me for these conversations. I’d also like to give a very special thank you to Kelsey for coordinating all of the interviews, the logistics of bringing me onsite to NASA’s Johnson Space Center, and for being such an incredible host throughoutthe visit. And to everyone at NASA who helped make this experience possible—thank you for opening your doors and giving us a glimpse into the incredible work being done to prepare humanity for life beyond Earth. And of course, thank you to Nick Thorburn for the stellar theme music, Ceci Giglio for the incredible graphics, Jero Squartini for the amazing animations, to RDan, Leila, Inka, and Carl for admining the Facebook group, and to my family for supporting this project—even when my “office” occasionally becomes MissionControl.

Human beings have created art for tens of thousands of years.
From prehistoric cave paintings to Renaissance masterpieces, photography, music, sculpture, and now even paintings created aboard the International Space Station, creativity has followed us everywhere we’ve gone.
So what happens when humanity reaches Mars?
This month on Everyday Mars, retired NASA astronaut, artist, engineer, and author Nicole Stott joins us to explore one of the most overlooked aspects of settling another planet: art.
Nicole shares the story behind becoming one of the first astronauts to paint with watercolors in space, why astronauts are naturally creative problem-solvers, and how artistic expression may become essential for the psychological well-being of future Martians during months-long journeys across the solar system.
We also discuss photography as art, using Martian materials as creative mediums, whether future astronauts should leave murals on Mars, the importance of preserving our humanity while exploring space, and why creativity might be just as important as engineering when building a civilization on another world.
Nicole also discusses her incredible nonprofit, Space for Art Foundation, which brings together children from around the world through the healing power of art and the inspiration of space exploration.
Whether you’re an artist, engineer, scientist, educator, or simply someone fascinated by humanity’s future beyond Earth, this conversation offers a thoughtful look at one of the most human questions we can ask:
What will it mean to create art on Mars?
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Space for Art Foundation: https://www.spaceforartfoundation.org/
Nicole's book - Back to Earth: What Life in Space Taught Me About Our Home Planet―And Our Mission to Protect It: https://a.co/d/09jtTgXq
Send Frank to Space! https://www.moondao.com/mission/4?tab=about

A huge thank you to Nicole Stott for taking the time to join me today and for sharing her incredible perspective on the intersection of art, exploration, and humanity. If Nicole’s vision resonated with you, I also encourage you to check out spaceforartfoundation.org and support the amazing work being done by the Space for Art Foundation, helping connect children around the world through the universal language of creativity. And of course, thank you to Nick Thorburn for the stellar theme music, Ceci Giglio for the incredible graphics, Jero Squartini for the amazing animations, to RDan, Leila, Inka, and Carl for admining the Facebook group, and to my family for supporting this project—even when conversations about Mars somehow end up in an eighteenth-century art gallery.

What does it look like to pursue multiple impossible dreams at the same time?
For Dr. Banu Cole, it means leading cutting-edge cancer research during the week, flying helicopters, editing one of the world’s first journals dedicated to analog astronaut research, and helping prepare humanity for future missions to Mars.
Banu earned her PhD in Cell Biology from Harvard before building a career leading preclinical drug discovery programs in oncology, metabolic disease, and rare diseases. Alongside her work in biotechnology, she became a commercial helicopter pilot and certified flight instructor, graduated from Project PoSSUM’s Scientist-Astronaut Program, served as a backup crew member for NASA’s HERA analog, and fulfilled a lifelong dream by joining the historic MENA-00-WR analog mission in Wadi Rum, Jordan as Mission Specialist.
In this conversation, we discuss how the Challenger disaster inspired her dream of becoming an astronaut, why helicopters captured her imagination, the surprising similarities between drug discovery and space exploration, and what it was really like living and working inside one of the world’s newest Mars analog habitats.
We also explore the value of failure during analog missions, the importance of human factors, teamwork under pressure, women in aviation and space, the launch of the Analog Astronaut Research Journal, and why the future of Mars exploration depends just as much on collaboration as it does on technology.
Whether you’re interested in medicine, aviation, analog missions, or simply pursuing a dream that refuses to let go, this is a conversation about curiosity, resilience, and building a life that doesn’t fit neatly into a single job title.
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A huge thank you to Banu for taking the time to join me today and for sharing her incredible journey and perspective. And of course, thank you to Nick Thorburn for the stellar theme music, Ceci Giglio for the incredible graphics, Jero Squartini for the amazing animations, to RDan, Leila, Inka, and Carl for admining the Facebook group, and to my family for supporting this project!

What happens when the traditional path to becoming an astronaut closes before you even get the chance to prove yourself?
For Dr. Dirk Raiser, it meant finding another way forward.
Dirk is a German experimental physicist, optical-instrumentation specialist, analog astronaut, commercial astronaut candidate, and founder of Razzor Tech, a startup developing spacesuits and mobility systems for astronaut training. In his scientific career, he works with advanced lasers and X-ray instrumentation at European XFEL, helping researchers observe incredibly fast changes in matter. Outside the laboratory, he has commanded an analog mission at LunAres Research Station, supported the Austrian Space Forum’s AMADEE-24 Mars simulation in Armenia, and served as engineering officer during the World’s Biggest Analog mission at MENA in Wadi Rum, Jordan.
He is also a father of five whose pursuit of space has grown alongside, rather than in opposition to, his family.
In this conversation, Dirk shares how a childhood fascination with rainbows and light led him into experimental physics, why the ESA astronaut selection process became a turning point, and how he began building a second professional path devoted to human spaceflight. We explore the role analog missions play in preparing people for Mars, the enormous amount of work hidden behind every successful simulation, and why the future of space exploration depends on thousands of people whose names may never appear above the credits.
We also discuss Razzor Tech’s development of modular analog EVA suits, portable life-support systems, neutral-buoyancy training equipment, and future mobility technologies for the Moon and Mars. Along the way, Dirk reflects on commercial astronaut training, stepping outside his comfort zone, preserving wonder through scientific understanding, balancing ambition with parenthood, and why he would still accept a one-way ticket to Mars.
This is a conversation about rejection, reinvention, curiosity, and refusing to believe that there is only one route to the stars.
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Inside the MENA Analog with Salam Abualhayjaa: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/inside-the-mena-analog-mission-with-salam-abualhayjaa/id1777937758?i=1000759991093

Inside the World's Biggest Analog with Jas Purewal: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/inside-the-worlds-biggest-analog-with-jas-purewal/id1777937758?i=1000747831688
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A huge thank you to Dirk for taking the time to join me today and share his incredible experiences and perspective. And of course, thank you to Nick Thorburn for the stellar theme music, Ceci Giglio for the incredible graphics, Jero Squartini for the amazing animations, to RDan, Leila, Inka, and Carl for admining the Facebook group, and to my family for supporting this project—even when our conversations somehow end up 25 kilometers below the Martian “sea level.”

This month on Inside the Habitat, we’re traveling to northeastern Brazil to explore Habitat Marte, the Southern Hemisphere’s only continuously operating Mars analog station.
Founded by professor, researcher, and analog astronaut Julio Rezende, Habitat Marte has welcomed more than 1,000 participants from over 40 countries and conducted nearly 190 simulated space missions. Built in Brazil’s rugged semiarid landscape, the station has become a global leader in analog research, combining sustainable agriculture, astronaut training, scientific experimentation, and education to prepare humanity for future missions to the Moon and Mars.
In this conversation, Julio shares the remarkable story of how Habitat Marte grew from a bold idea into one of the world’s premier analog facilities. We explore the station’s unique greenhouse and aquaponics systems, its lunar and lava tube habitats, EVA operations, and why sustainability isn’t just important for Mars—it may help improve life here on Earth.
We also discuss Habitat Marte’s participation in The World’s Biggest Analog, the largest synchronized analog astronaut mission ever conducted, where the station represented Brazil alongside habitats from around the globe. The international collaboration was even featured by National Geographic, highlighting the growing role analog stations play in preparing humanity for permanent life beyond Earth.
Whether you’re fascinated by analog astronauts, sustainable living, or the future of Mars exploration, this episode offers an inspiring look at how one community in Brazil is helping shape the next chapter of human spaceflight.
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A huge thank you to Julio for taking the time to sit down with me and share the incredible story behind Habitat Marte and everything his team has built over the past eight years. It’s inspiring to see a world-class Mars analog thriving in the Southern Hemisphere and helping prepare people from around the globe for the future of space exploration. And of course, thank you to Nick Thorburn for the stellar theme music, Ceci Giglio for the incredible graphics, Jero Squartini for the amazing animations, to RDan, Leila, Inka, and Carl for admining the Facebook group, and to my family for supporting this project—even when my travel wishlist starts including Mars analog stations.