Crew of NASA's earthbound simulated Mars habitat emerge after a year

The crew of a NASA mission to Mars emerged from their craft after a yearlong voyage that never left Earth.

The four volunteer crew members spent more than 12 months inside NASA's first simulated Mars environment at Johnson Space Center in Houston, coming out of the artificial alien enviroment Saturday around 5 p.m.

Kelly Haston, Anca Selariu, Ross Brockwell and Nathan Jones entered the 3D-printed habitat on June 25, 2023, as the maiden crew of the space agency's Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog project.

Haston, the mission commander, began with a simple, “Hello.”

“It’s actually just so wonderful to be able to say ‘hello’ to you all,” she said.

Jones, a physician and the mission medical officer, said their 378 days in confinement “went by quickly.”

The quartet lived and worked inside the space of 1,700 square feet (157 square meters) to simulate a mission to the red planet, the fourth from the sun and a frequent focus of discussion among scientists and sci-fi fans alike concerning a possible voyage taking humans beyond our moon.

The first CHAPEA crew focused on establishing possible conditions for future Mars operations through simulated spacewalks, dubbed “Marswalks,” as well as growing and harvesting vegetables to supplement their provisions and maintaining the habitat and their equipment.

They also worked through challenges a real Mars crew would be expected to experience including limited resources, isolation and delays in communication of up to 22 minutes with their home planet on the other side of the habitat's walls, NASA said.

Two additional CHAPEA missions are planned and crews will continue conducting simulated spacewalks and gathering data on factors related to physical and behavioral health and performance, NASA said.

Steve Koerner, deputy director of Johnson Space Center, said most of the first crew's experimentation focused on nutrition and how that affected their performance. The work was “crucial science as we prepare to send people on to the red planet,” he said.

“They've been separated from their families, placed on a carefully prescribed meal plan and undergone a lot of observation,” Koerner said.

“Mars is our goal,” he said, calling the project an important step in America's intent to be a leader in the global space exploration effort.

Emerging after a knock on the habitat's door by Kjell Lindgren, an astronaut and the deputy director of flight operations, the four volunteers spoke of the gratitude they had for each other and those who waited patiently outside, as well as lessons learned about a prospective manned mission to Mars and life on Earth.

Brockwell, the crew's flight engineer, said the mission showed him the importance of living sustainably for the benefit of everyone on Earth.

“I’m very grateful to have had this incredible opportunity to live for a year within the spirit of planetary adventure towards an exciting future, and I’m grateful for the chance to live the idea that we must utilise resources no faster than they can be replenished and produce waste no faster than they can be processed back into resources," Brockwell said.

“We cannot live, dream, create or explore on any significant timeframe if we don’t live these principles, but if we do, we can achieve and sustain amazing and inspiring things like exploring other worlds," he said.

Science officer Anca Selariu said she had been asked many times why there is a fixation on Mars.

“Why go to Mars? Because it’s possible,” she said. "Because space can unite and bring out the best in us. Because it’s one defining step that ‘Earthlings’ will take to light the way into the next centuries.”

This story has been updated to correct that the crew members lived in 1,700 square feet of space, not 17,000.

In this image made from video provided by NASA, NASA Deputy Director Flight Missions Kjell Lindgren, center, speaks in front of the crew members of the first CHAPEA mission, from left to right, Kelly Haston, Ross Brockwell, Nathan Jones, and Anca Selariu, after they emerged from their craft, Saturday, July 6, 2024, at Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. The crew of a NASA mission to Mars emerged from their craft after a yearlong voyage that never left Earth. (NASA via AP)

In this image made from video provided by NASA, the crew members of the first CHAPEA mission, Kelly Haston, third right, Ross Brockwell, center, Nathan Jones, left, and Anca Selariu, not in photo, emerge from their craft, Saturday, July 6, 2024, at Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. The four volunteers crew members spent more than 12 months inside NASA's first simulated Mars environment at Johnson Space Center in Houston, coming out of the artificial alien environment Saturday. (NASA via AP)

In this image made from video provided by NASA, the crew members of the first CHAPEA mission, Kelly Haston, center, shakes hands with NASA Deputy Director Flight Missions Kjell Lindgren, second right, as other crew Ross Brockwell, emerges from their craft, Saturday, July 6, 2024, at Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. The crew of a NASA mission to Mars emerged from their craft after a yearlong voyage that never left Earth. The four volunteers crew members spent more than 12 months inside NASA's first simulated Mars environment at Johnson Space Center in Houston, coming out of the artificial alien environment Saturday. (NASA via AP)

In this image made from video provided by NASA, Anca Selariu, the crew members of the first CHAPEA mission, speaks in front of other members, from left to right, Kelly Haston, Ross Brockwell, and Nathan Jones, Saturday, July 6, 2024, at Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. The crew of a NASA mission to Mars emerged from their craft after a yearlong voyage that never left Earth. The four volunteers crew members spent more than 12 months inside NASA's first simulated Mars environment at Johnson Space Center in Houston, coming out of the artificial alien environment Saturday. (NASA via AP)

In this image made from video provided by NASA, Kelly Haston, a crew member of the first CHAPEA mission, speaks in front of other members, from left to right, Ross Brockwell, Nathan Jones, and Anca Selariu, Saturday, July 6, 2024, at Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. The crew of a NASA mission to Mars emerged from their craft after a yearlong voyage that never left Earth. The four volunteers crew members spent more than 12 months inside NASA's first simulated Mars environment at Johnson Space Center in Houston, coming out of the artificial alien environment Saturday. (NASA via AP)

CLEVELAND (AP) — Lane Thomas hit a three-run homer in a five-run outburst before Detroit got an out, and the Cleveland Guardians unleashed their lights-out bullpen to complete a four-hitter in a 7-0 win over the Tigers in an AL Division Series opener on Saturday.

Thomas' shot — on his first career postseason swing — helped the Guardians cool off the Tigers, who stormed into the playoffs with a second-half surge before sweeping AL West champion Houston in the wild-card round.

“It started with the guys in front of me,” Thomas said.

Tanner Bibee pitched 4 2/3 innings before Guardians manager Stephen Vogt swung the door open to baseball's best bullpen to finish off the Tigers. Relievers combined for 4 1/3 hitless innings to finish and match the largest shutout victory margin in Cleveland postseason history.

Detroit struck 13 out times and didn't get a runner past first in the final four innings.

Cleveland's bullpen was as advertised. Rookie Cade Smith (1-0) replaced Bibee and struck out all four batters. Tim Herrin took care of the seventh, Hunter Gaddis the eighth, and Emmanuel Clase, who led the AL with 47 saves, worked the ninth.

“It’s incredible. to come out and do what they do, day in and day out, especially during the season, 162 (games), it shows what we have back there,” Thomas said.

David Fry added a two-run, sixth-inning double for the AL Central champion Guardians, who were unaffected by not playing for almost a week with a first-round bye.

Game 2 is Monday, when the Tigers will turn to Tarik Skubal, the favorite to win the AL Cy Young Award, to try and even the best-of-five series.

The 2,327th meeting between Detroit and Cleveland was the first between the franchises and Central division rivals in the postseason.

It was as good as over after one inning.

Tigers manager A.J. Hinch has made the right decisions for months as his young club went from being under .500 at the trade deadline to qualifying for the postseason with a 33-13 flourish since Aug. 11.

Hinch used his bullpen in Game 1 from the start and it backfired.

The Guardians sent nine batters to the plate in the first with Thomas' moon shot into the left-field bleachers opening the 5-0 lead. Cleveland became the first team in AL postseason history to score five runs before recording an out.

Steven Kwan got it rolling with a leadoff double against Tigers starter Tyler Holton (0-1) and Fry walked. José Ramírez followed with a hard hopper to third that Zach McKinstry misplayed for an error, allowing Kwan to score.

Josh Naylor's RBI single made it 2-0 and Hinch pulled Holton after just four batters to bring in Reese Olson — the move blew up in seconds.

Thomas, who batted just .143 with 33 strikeouts in his first month with Cleveland after being acquired from Washington in July, made his first postseason at-bat with the Guardians unforgettable.

He turned on Olson's first pitch — a slider down the heart of the plate — and launched it over the wall, sending the majority of 33,548 fans inside Progressive Field into a frenzy.

Bibee admitted feeling nerves ahead of the opener, and he showed some in the first.

He gave up a one-out single and hit Riley Greene with two outs, prompting a visit from pitching coach Carl Willis. Bibee got Colt Keith on a lazy fly for the final out on his 27th pitch.

Taking the mound in the second with a five-run lead helped Bibee settle in. The right-hander gave up four hits and struck out six.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Guardians: RHP Alex Cobb, a candidate to start Game 3, was added to the ALDS roster after finishing the regular season on the injured list with a blister on his middle finger. Cobb's postseason experience — he beat Cleveland in the 2013 wild-card round with Tampa Bay — certainly helped his cause along with being a former teammate of Vogt's. Cobb was acquired in a July trade from San Francisco.

UP NEXT

Skubal led the AL in wins (18), ERA (2.39) and strikeouts (228). The left-hander is expected to face Guardians RHP Matthew Boyd, who spent eight seasons with the Tigers and remains close friends with Skubal.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Tanner Bibee is greeted as he returns to the dugout after being taken out of the game in the fifth inning during Game 1 of baseball's AL Division Series against the Detroit Tigers, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Dermer)

Detroit Tigers' Zach McKinstry celebrates a hitting a double at second base during the second inning of Game 1 of baseball's AL Division Series against the Cleveland Guardians, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Dermer)

Cleveland Guardians' Andres Gimenez, right, steals second base as Detroit Tigers shortstop Trey Sweeney takes the throw in the third inning during Game 1 of baseball's AL Division Series, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Dermer)

Cleveland Guardians second baseman Andres Gimenez, right, throws the ball to first base after forcing out Detroit Tigers' Colt Keith (33) at second base on a double play ball hit by Spencer Torkelson in the fourth inning during Game 1 of baseball's AL Division Series, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Dermer)

Fans cheer in the fifth inning during Game 1 of baseball's AL Division Series between the Detroit Tigers and the Cleveland Guardians, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Phil Long)

Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt, left, and Detroit Tigers manager A.J. Hinch, right, greet each other before Game 1 of baseball's American League Division Series against the Detroit Tigers, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Cleveland Guardians' Tim Herrin pitches in the seventh inning during Game 1 of baseball's AL Division Series against the Detroit Tigers, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Dermer)

Cleveland Guardians' Cade Smith pitches in the sixth inning during Game 1 of baseball's AL Division Series against the Detroit Tigers, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Phil Long)

Detroit Tigers relief pitcher Tyler Holton (87) is taken out of the game in the first inning during Game 1 of baseball's AL Division Series against the Cleveland Guardians, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Dermer)

Cleveland Guardians' Lane Thomas (8) is greeted at the plate by teammates Josh Naylor, rear and third baseman Jose Ramirez, second right, in front of Detroit Tigers catcher Jake Rogers, right, after hitting a home run in the first inning during Game 1 of baseball's AL Division Series, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Phil Long)

Cleveland Guardians left fielder Steven Kwan celebrates his double at second base in the first inning during Game 1 of the baseball's American League Division Series against the Detroit Tigers, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Dermer)

Cleveland Guardians' Lane Thomas shouts as he runs the bases after hitting a home run in the first inning during Game 1 of baseball's AL Division Series against the Detroit Tigers, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Dermer)