Nasa seeks applicants to spend a year on Mars... on Earth

Nasa is seeking applicants to simulate spending a year on Mars, while remaining firmly on Earth, in the name of science.

The four crew members chosen will live and work for a year in a 3D-printed, 1,700-square-foot module called Mars Dune Alpha, based at Nasa's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.

They might perform tasks such as simulated spacewalks, using virtual reality and robotic controls, exchanging communications and conducting other research.

Nasa is seeking to observe humans in a Mars-like situation so they can study the challenges that might crop up during a future mission to the red planet.