University of Hawaii researchers are looking for volunteers to act as crew members for a new series of space exploration studies scheduled to take place in an isolated research dome on Mauna Loa.

The studies will test whether group cohesion over the short term predicts team performance over the long term. They will also examine how technical, social and task roles evolve over long-duration missions and establish base lines for a variety of cognitive, social and emotions factors over missions of different durations.

The information gleaned from these studies will help NASA understand how teams of astronauts will perform on missions such as those required for human travel to Mars.

The studies will be conducted at the Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation site on Mauna Loa. Participants will live in the same geodesic dome habitat previously used for a NASA-funded Mars food study.

Missions will range from four to 12 months.

Applicants must be between 21 and 65 years old, tobacco-free and able to pass a physical examination. Applicants must also be fluent in English.

The deadline for applications is Nov. 1. For a full explanation of requirements and application instructions, visit hi-seas.org.