Isolation: Living Inside Mars Analog Missions — with Andrzej Stewart

In this episode of Extreme Living, Anchal speaks with Andrzej Stewart — an analog astronaut, mission operations specialist, and aerospace engineer who has lived inside long-duration Mars simulation habitats and asteroid analog missions for NASA-related research.

Andrzej shares firsthand insights into:

• Managing interpersonal conflict inside small, high-stakes crews

• Communicating with Earth under multi-minute communication delays

• Why analog missions are essential for future human space exploration

• How environmental design shapes mood, resilience, and mental health

• Balancing technical precision with emotional well-being in isolation

• The challenges of reintegrating into everyday life after mission confinement

Together, they explore what extreme environments — from Mars analog habitats to deep-space simulations — can teach us about human behavior, design, adaptation, and the psychology of isolation.

Guest link:

Solar System Ambassador profile — https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/ambassadors/1973/

Recorded as part of Extreme Living — a design inquiry into human isolation and adaptation.

Learn more: https://extreme-living.com

Inquiries: [e-mail]

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