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How would you like to spend a year as if you’re living on Mars? NASA is looking for four people to do that.

To prepare for eventually sending astronauts to Mars, NASA has started taking applications(申请) for people to live for a year in Mars Dune Alpha. That’s the place created by a 3D-printer inside building at Johnson Space Center in Houston.

The paid volunteers will experience spacewalks, few communications back home and equipment failures(设备故障)。

NASA is planning three of these experiments(实验), with the first one starting in the second half of 2022.

“We want to understand how humans perform in them,” said Scientist Grace Douglas. “We are looking at Mars situations. Simulations( 模拟) on Earth will help us understand and know the challenges astronauts will face before they go.”

Food will all be ready-to-eat space food and some plants will be grown, but now there are no windows planned.

NASA opened applications on August 6 and has strict requirements for those wanting the job, including a degree in science, engineering or maths, or experience as a pilot. They must also be aged 30-55, be in good physical health with no illness or bad habits.

Hadfield, who spent five months at the International Space Station in 2013, said the experiment was great.

Just think how much you’re going to be able to catch up on Netflix, he joked. “If they have a musical instrument there, you could go into there knowing nothing and come out a concert musician, if you want.” He said there could be “unbelievable freedom” in a year away from your normal life.