The Habitat

On a remote mountain in Hawaii, there's a fake planet Mars. Six volunteers are secluded in an imitation Mars habitat where they will work as imitation astronauts for one very real year. The goal: to help NASA understand what life might be like on the red planet—and plan for the day when the dress rehearsals are over, and we blast off for real. Host Lynn Levy has been chronicling this experiment from the moment the crew set foot in their habitat, communicating with them through audio diaries that detail their discoveries, their frustrations, and their evolving and devolving relationships with each other. From those diaries, Gimlet Media has crafted an addictive serialized documentary: the true story of a fake planet.

Episodes

Trailer

April 17, 2018 • 4 mins

The true story of a fake planet. Listen to the entire series starting on Wednesday, April 18th. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Episode 1: This Is the Way Up

April 18, 2018 • 28 mins

The crew leaves Earth behind. The Habitat is a production of Gimlet Media. It’s produced by Lynn Levy, Peter Bresnan, and Megan Tan. Our editors are Alex Blumberg, Jorge Just, Caitlin Kenney, and Blythe Terrell. Music, sound design, and mixing by Haley Shaw. Music supervision by Matthew Boll. Additional music in this episode by Bobby Lord and Elliot Cole. Our credits music in this episode is performed by Ellen O, and written by Dav...

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Episode 2: Every Day Goes By Faster and Faster

April 18, 2018 • 29 mins

The crew explores their new home. The Habitat is a production of Gimlet Media. It’s produced by Lynn Levy, Peter Bresnan, and Megan Tan. Our editors are Alex Blumberg, Jorge Just, Caitlin Kenney, and Blythe Terrell. Music, sound design, and mixing by Haley Shaw. Music supervision by Matthew Boll. Additional music by Charlie Palmieri. Our credits music in this episode is performed by Serengeti, and written by David Bowie. Our fact c...

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Episode 3: Why Are We Like This?

April 18, 2018 • 28 mins

The crew gets bad news. The Habitat is a production of Gimlet Media. It’s produced by Lynn Levy, Peter Bresnan, and Megan Tan. Our editors are Alex Blumberg, Jorge Just, Caitlin Kenney, and Blythe Terrell. Music, sound design, and mixing by Haley Shaw. Music supervision by Matthew Boll. Our credits music in this episode is performed by Reps, and written by David Bowie. Our fact checker is Michelle Harris. Special thanks to Jasmine ...

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Episode 4: She Likes to Camp Alone in the Finnish Winter

April 18, 2018 • 30 mins

The crew feels all warm and fuzzy. The Habitat is a production of Gimlet Media. It’s produced by Lynn Levy, Peter Bresnan, and Megan Tan. Our editors are Alex Blumberg, Jorge Just, Caitlin Kenney, and Blythe Terrell. Additional reporting in this episode by Eric Eddings. Music, sound design, and mixing by Haley Shaw. Music supervision by Matthew Boll. Doo-wop vocals by Nico Osborne and Sean Zuni Green. Our credits music in this epis...

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Episode 5: Tortilla!

April 18, 2018 • 31 mins

The crew gets pissed. The Habitat is a production of Gimlet Media. It’s produced by Lynn Levy, Peter Bresnan, and Megan Tan. Our editors are Alex Blumberg, Jorge Just, Caitlin Kenney, and Blythe Terrell. Additional reporting in this episode by Eric Eddings. Music, sound design, and mixing by Haley Shaw. Additional music by Alexander Overington. Music supervision by Matthew Boll. Our credits music in this episode is performed by Alb...

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Episode 6: I Feel Like A Million Dollars

April 18, 2018 • 30 mins

The crew opens the hatch. The Habitat is a production of Gimlet Media. It’s produced by Lynn Levy, Peter Bresnan, and Megan Tan. Our editors are Alex Blumberg, Jorge Just, Caitlin Kenney, and Blythe Terrell. Music, sound design, and mixing by Haley Shaw. Music supervision by Matthew Boll. Our credits music in this episode is performed by Pavo Pavo, and written by David Bowie. Our fact checker is Michelle Harris. Thanks to Kaitlin R...

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Episode 7: And Now I Can See Everything

April 18, 2018 • 33 mins

The crew comes back to Earth. The Habitat is a production of Gimlet Media. It’s produced by Lynn Levy, Peter Bresnan, and Megan Tan. Our editors are Alex Blumberg, Jorge Just, Caitlin Kenney, and Blythe Terrell. Additional reporting in this episode by Eric Eddings. Music, sound design, and mixing by Haley Shaw. With help from Bobby Lord. Music supervision by Matthew Boll. Our credits music in this episode is performed by The Weathe...

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Bonus: This Is Not My First Rodeo

April 18, 2018 • 35 mins

What's it going to take to actually get us to Mars? Plus, what to do once you’ve listened to every episode of The Habitat. The Habitat is a production of Gimlet Media. It’s produced by Lynn Levy, Peter Bresnan, and Megan Tan. Our editors are Alex Blumberg, Jorge Just, Caitlin Kenney, and Blythe Terrell. Music and sound design by Haley Shaw. Mixing by Catherine Anderson. Music supervision by Matthew Boll. Our credits music in this e...

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Introducing How to Save a Planet

October 8, 2020 • 47 mins

The Habitat introduces How to Save a Planet, a new Gimlet Media podcast hosted by journalist Alex Blumberg and scientist Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson. This show asks the big questions: what do we need to do to solve the climate crisis, and how do we get it done? In this episode, "Unnatural Disasters," you'll hear what it's like to survive a life-changing disaster, get tips on how to prepare — from a disasterologist — and learn why y...

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