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[ Music ]

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>> We can simulate what it is
like to be in a spacecraft.

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So the isolation,
the confinement,

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the controlled environment
[Background Music].

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The research investigations
are aimed at answering some

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of the questions that we need
to answer before we send people

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on those extremely
long duration missions,

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such as to an asteroid
or to mars.

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It's probably about the size

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of I'll say maybe a one bedroom
apartment that's not terribly

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terribly luxurious.

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But on the other hand it's--

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it emulates what you
might see in a spacecraft.

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A lot of the things
that you have

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on the first floor are things
like workstations, you know some

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of the computer and some

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of the simulation devices
are on the first floor.

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We have a lot of capabilities

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for performing different
kinds of experiments.

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The second floor is kind
of like your living room.

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There's a table that the
group members can sit

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at and eat their meals.

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All of our food right
now is coming

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from the Johnson
Space Center food lab,

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which means it's the
same food that goes

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to the International
Space Station.

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There's also a capability
for them

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to play videos or
to watch movies.

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We have a couple of
exercise devices;

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a bicycle in particular,

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and then we also have
some free weights.

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We find that a lot of our
crew members will also do some

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calisthenics and
stretching, maybe some yoga

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so there's a little tiny
little pace for them

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to be able to do that.

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The final level, fi you will,
is really not a full story;

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it's really the sleep quarters.

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It's bigger than a pup tent.

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Each crew member has his
or her own sleep quarters;

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it's actually very
cozy, very comfortable.

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The hygiene module
has a flushing toilet.

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We have a standup shower with
hot and cold running water

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and we also have a sink with
hot and cold running water.

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The final element of the
module is a very small module

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that is an airlock and we do
isolate or subdivide the crew

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such that two crew members will
go into the airlock and that is

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where they'll do their
virtual reality EVAs from.

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[ Music ]

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>> I'm excited for
the challenge.

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I love a good challenge.

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I'm a professor at Grand
Valley State University;

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I teach biology.

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I feel like I'm actually
playing it's a small role

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but it's a real tangible
important role

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in getting people to mars.

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The first thing I saw about
this was on a Facebook posting

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and a couple of former
HERA crew people had posted

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that they were-- that
they had just come out.

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I didn't think I
would be selected

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and you know I just
kind of did it on a lark

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and it worked out awesome.

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They are measuring us in more
ways than I could have imagined.

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We've given a lot of biological
samples of various types.

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They're measuring our
heart rate, our brainwaves.

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They're doing a tremendously
large number

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of psychological tests on us.

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[ Music ]

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>> This mission the crew members
are going to an asteroid.

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So while they are on their way
to the asteroid they are going

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to practice their flying skills.

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Once they get to the
destination they're also going

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to be conducting some
virtual reality EVAs,

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so on the way there they're
also practicing those skills.

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We have the housekeeping
tasks for them;

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we have maintenance
types of tasks.

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A primary purpose for the
mission controllers is really

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to ensure the safety and
well-being of the crew members

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who are inside the
HERA to make sure

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that everything is going well,
but it's really also to as much

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as possible to keep all

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of the scientific investigations
happening as they're scheduled

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on time to answer any
kind of questions.

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We provide some input, you
know, a newspaper if you will,

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electronically to
the crew members

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in their I'll call it
their morning mail.

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Not allowing the internet
access really does allow us

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to keep the crew members really
engaged in the mission and not

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to be, you know, concerned
about things that are going

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on in the outside world.

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The one little luxury,
if you will,

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that they have is approximately
once a week we schedule them

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for a private family
conference, so a telephone call

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that is patched in on
a private phone line.

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We do plan to keep
the HERA operating

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for at least another
four or five years.

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The 45 day missions we're
always going to be looking

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for qualified crew members to
be able to come and join us