Georgia Tech Students Build, Operate Simulated Mars Mission

Six students have simulated a Mars mission, while dozens more operated a mission control center in Atlanta.

Five people wearing matching blue flight suits stand with arms crossed in a grassy field beside a large rocket display. Sunlight breaks through clouds overhead in the background. — Six students have simulated a Mars mission, while dozens more operated a mission control center in Atlanta.

Aug 27, 2026

Earlier this month, six Georgia Tech students went to Mars. For 10 days, they conducted experiments, managed limited resources, and lived in isolation while learning what it's like to be an astronaut. Except they were not actually on Mars. They were at Titan Ranch in Arkansas, participating in the inaugural mission of Georgia Tech's Southeast Analog (SEA), the first completely student-led analog astronaut program in the United States.