Effingham Native Nathan Jones, Three Others, End Mars Simulation

(NATHAN JONES {left} AND THREE OTHERS HAVE COMPLETED THEIR MARS SIMULATION MISSION...photo courtesy of NASA)

The four volunteers, including an Effingham native, who have been living and working inside NASA's first simulated yearlong Nars habitat mission exited their ground-based home on Saturday.

The four include Nathan Jones, now a physician in Springfield but a graduate of Effingham High School and the son of Dr. Bob and Jill Jones of Effingham.

The first crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog mission began in the 3D printed habitat on June 25, 2023. For more than a year, the crew simulated Mars mission operations, including "Marswalks", grew and harvested several vegetables to supplement their shelf-stable food, maintained their equipment and habitat, and operated under additional stressors a Mars crew will experience, including communication delays with Earth, resource limitations, and isolation.