Space is an unforgiving, hostile environment — defined by vacuum, radiation and extreme temperatures — making human spaceflight an inherently challenging and high-risk endeavor where even small failures can have catastrophic consequences. To confront those realities before launch, researchers conduct astronaut analogs: simulated missions run in extreme Earth environments that mirror the operational and environmental challenges of other worlds.
One such mission recently sent Aerospace engineering specialist Trevor Jahn to the Mars Arctic Research Station (MARS), operated by The Mars Society on Devon Island in remote Nunavut, Canada. The mission was designed to examine how people and technology function together in off-world environments — offering a realistic rehearsal for future planetary exploration.
“When you do a Mars analog mission, you have to put into place some protocols that make it seem like you're on another planet,” said Jahn. “To heighten the simulation…we had airlocks, we could not go outside without space suits and we also had time windows where we could communicate with the outside world on a 20-minute delay.”
Mars on Earth: Devon Island as a Living Laboratory
Located deep in the Canadian Arctic, Devon Island’s barren polar desert terrain, geological similarity to Mars and extreme isolation – it is the world’s largest uninhabited island – make it an ideal testing ground for simulated planetary missions.
During the 2-week mission, daily schedules, resource usage and task planning were all designed to reflect the logistical realities of deep-space exploration. Within those limits, the crew conducted simulated extravehicular activities (EVAs), collected environmental samples and monitored physical and psychological health. These tasks generated valuable data on how crews adapt to confinement, limited resources and operational uncertainty.
As with a previous Mars analog mission he participated in, Jahn tested Aerospace’s Project Phantom technology — a telepresence and “digital twin” initiative that employs handheld LiDAR scanners and drone imagery to produce high-resolution 3D models of any terrain, which can then be used by remote scientists and mission planners to communicate with astronauts using holograms and augmented reality. Using this technology, Jahn examined a rocky outcrop hosting an unexpected oasis of vegetation on otherwise barren terrain, generating a 3D rendering of the outcrop, which remote geologists subsequently analyzed.
“This is really exciting for us, because for human spaceflight, this is a way for scientists to communicate and guide astronauts when they’re not on location, and they can talk back and forth,” said Jahn. “If we can talk to people with holograms and 3D scans of things, we create a whole new opportunity for exploration and collaboration.”
Preparing Humans for Long-Duration Exploration
As space exploration moves outward — from low Earth orbit to the Moon under NASA’s Artemis campaign, and eventually to Mars — helping prepare crews for living and working on other planetary bodies is increasingly critical. Lessons learned in one environment inform the next: underwater training improves EVA techniques, Arctic missions refine crew autonomy and resilience and desert analogs support surface mobility and habitat development.
Beyond technology, these missions strengthen the human element of exploration. Living and working in isolation requires adaptability, trust and teamwork — qualities no simulation can fully replicate.
Every analog mission transforms risk into readiness, laying the foundation for humanity’s next great leap — one that begins on Earth, but reaches far beyond it. For engineers like Jahn, analog missions are providing insight and experience that can bridge the gap between aspiration and achievement.
“I have a new appreciation for analog missions like this, and I can really see the value and perspective it brought,” said Jahn. “Perspective isn't something that you can necessarily get by thinking as hard as you can about it. You have to go live it.”
