Being stuck in a two-storey, 8-metre metal cylinder with five strangers for two weeks would be terrifying for many people – but for Haritina Mogosanu it was a dream come true.
In fact, the Romanian-born Wellingtonian couldn’t wait to get back to the Mars Desert Research Station in Utah, returning a year later. She will speak on her experiences tonight at the Carter Observatory.
The hab was built in the US by the international Mars Society to simulate what a long-term astronaut crew sent to the Red Planet might undergo.
Volunteers at the station provide invaluable feedback to those developing technologies like spacesuits and dehydrated food.