CAPEA Mission 2 completes 378-day habitat mission

CAPEA Mission 2, the Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog, is recorded as completed. The four-person crew stayed in the Mars Dune Alpha habitat at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. The mission record lists a duration of 378 days.

CAPEA Mission 2 is marked completed and is associated with the dates 2025-10-19 and 2026-10-31. The mission's duration is listed as 378 days.

The crew was Ross Elder, Ellen Ellis, James Spicer and Matthew Montgomery. Elder is listed as Commander and Test Pilot, Ellis as Medical Officer and Tactical Thinker, and Spicer as Flight Engineer and Systems Specialist.

The mission used the 3D-printed Mars Dune Alpha habitat, described as roughly 1,700-square-foot and located at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.

Mission activities included simulated Marswalks, robotic operations, habitat maintenance, exercise and crop cultivation. The payload included a drone and rover, and health and performance data were collected.

Ellis is associated with the U.S. Space Force and the National Reconnaissance Office, and her milestones include biological sample collections.

For readers tracking the lunar industry and crewed exploration, the mission provides health and performance data from a 378-day stay in a 3D-printed habitat. The record also covers simulated Marswalks, robotic operations, habitat maintenance, exercise, crop cultivation, and drone and rover payload work.

Earlier coverage on 2026-10-27 said the CHAPEA Mission 2 crew exit was scheduled at NASA Johnson.

Coverage on 2026-11-02 said the CHAPEA crew ended their simulated Mars journey, and the completed status repeats that conclusion.