An unprecedented study in Germany is looking for six volunteers to simulate the human experience in space. Those selected will spend one hundred days confined in an environment in Cologne that simulates a space station. The idea is for them to experience what life as astronauts is like in isolation, which can last up to several months during missions.
As a reward, each participant who completes the study will receive 23 thousand euros (142 thousand Brazilian reals). Registration is possible until the 12th.
“Future space missions will go beyond Earth orbit and target distant locations, such as the Moon or Mars,” says the call for applications for the SOLIS1000 study. “It is more important than ever to prepare astronauts to meet the psychological and physiological challenges of long-duration missions.”
The goal is to understand the effects of extreme conditions imposed by spatial isolation on human health, behavior, performance, and well-being. In this way, it will be possible to better determine what kind of support astronauts need when they leave our planet.
The study was funded by the European Space Agency (ESA) and organized by the German Aerospace Center (DLR). The confinement trial will take place at the Aerospace Medicine Institute.
Strict requirements
Challenges faced by those who venture into space include a long period of isolation from Earth, deprivation of various social interactions, and living in confined spaces, which generate physiological and psychological risks.
Participants will be carefully selected, according to those responsible for the study, to ensure they are prepared for the difficulties they will face along the way. Key requirements include being between 25 and 55 years old, in good health, exercising regularly, and proving proficiency in the English language.
It is also necessary to have a higher education, preferably in medicine, software engineering, technology or related fields. You will need to undergo psychological, physical and medical examinations in order to be accepted.
“Missions to the Moon and Mars require flexibility, independence, and adaptability,” explains the Institute of Aerospace Medicine.
The study will be conducted in English. Non-EU citizens, such as Brazilians, can apply, as long as they provide a visa and travel insurance.
Small bathroom, no nap
Participants’ routines will mimic the life of astronauts, which includes teamwork, scientific research and operational challenges.
In total, the trial will last 126 days. Before the 100 days of isolation, scheduled between April 7 and August 7, 2026, there will be 16 days of preparation. Next, participants will undergo a week of recovery.
In a test of the full study, three men and two women from different countries simulated an eight-day space mission. Without daylight or contact with the outside world, their routine was one of constant surveillance and a strict schedule.
The rules included bathing only twice a week and physical exercise daily. Napping during the day is prohibited, and each person is allowed to take only 1.5 kilograms of personal belongings.
The only places that will not be monitored by cameras during the four months of SOLIS100 are the cabins where participants sleep and the bathrooms.
60 days in bed
In space, the absence of gravity causes several changes in the human body. These include loss of muscle and bone mass, due to decreased tension, and shifting of body fluids toward the head due to weightlessness.
Astronauts often have difficulty controlling their posture and movements when returning to Earth after a space mission. In partnership with NASA, another study by the German Aerospace Center (DLR) wants to understand why astronauts experience this problem and what could help reduce these difficulties.
Participants are also being sought, all of whom are German speakers. The biggest challenge in this case is spending 60 days lying in bed.
“It is necessary to ensure that astronauts are able to perform all tasks during transitions between gravity and weightlessness without exposure to health risks. Therefore, research is necessary to determine the best way to preserve and train the sensorimotor function of astronauts,” explains the German Aerospace Center, also citing future missions to Mars and the Moon.
The experience involves using beds that are tilted six degrees downward in the head area, causing bodily fluids to move toward the head, just as they would in space.