The first mission of the US space agency NASA’s multi-mission project, which aims to simulate life on Mars, ended on Saturday in Houston, Texas, after four volunteers left after more than a year in the NASA-built Mars environment.

Media quoted NASA as saying that the mission was the first in a series called Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog (CHAPEA), where the crew simulated walking on the Mars Dunes Alpha several times, planted and harvested several salad crops to supplement their occasional shelf-stable food, and participated in maintaining the environment and equipment, and more missions are scheduled for 2025 and 2027.