NASA Starts Year-Long Life On Mars Experiment

A team funded by NASA has started a year of living in a dome near a rugged Hawaii volcano to simulate what life would be like for humans on Mars.

The international group - made up of four scientists, an architect and a pilot - closed themselves away at 1am (3pm Friday local time) on Saturday as they prepared for 365 days without fresh air, food or privacy.

If they want to leave the solar-powered dome - which measures 36ft (11m) across by 20ft (6m) tall - members of the team must wear a spacesuit.

Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation (HI-SEAS) mission will help NASA plan for a human mission to Mars - which experts believe could last between one and three years.

Researchers are focusing on team cohesion and performance and will monitor their crew with cameras, body movement trackers, electronic surveys, and other methods.

The project's principle investigator, University of Hawaii professor Kim Binstead, said: "The longer each mission becomes, the better we can understand the risks of space travel.

"We hope that this... mission will build on our current understanding of the social and psychological factors involved in long duration space exploration and give NASA solid data on how best to select and support a flight crew that will work cohesively as a team while in space."

One member of the team, scientist and journalist Sheyna Gifford, tweeted a photo of her first meal of her simulated mission to the Red Planet - a rehydrated cheese and turkey quesadilla with peas and sweetcorn.

The HI-SEAS project has already seen recruits conduct four-month and eight-month stays in the dome.

Missions to the International Space Station generally last for six months.