RelatedThe recent year-long mission was the longest and most recent of three NASA-backed Mars simulations, with the previous two lasting eight and four months. Sheyna Gifford, one of the crew members, waited with anticipation on Sunday as the mission came to a close. They were also allowed to leave the dome occasionally to walk on the volcanic land, but only while wearing heavy spacesuits. Before a human ground mission on Mars even starts, a team will spend seven months in a claustrophobic pod hurtling through space. The Hawaii group are nonetheless optimistic that future teams will be able to find ways to deal with the psychological challenges of a Mars mission.

Source: National Post August 29, 2016 15:56 UTC