While the premise of a four month stay in Hawaii and tropical weather would intrigue most Calgarians, scientist Simon Engler spent the majority of his trip indoors.

Engler, a robotics expert, was one of six scientists selected for Hi-SEAS (Hawai'i Space Exploration Analog and Simulation), a NASA sponsored experiment, which replicated conditions on the planet Mars.

The scientists lived in the sealed habitat for 120 days and were required to wear space suits when venturing outside of the two-level enclosure.

Engler says NASA’s decision to conduct the project in Hawaii was based on similarities between the islands and the red planet.

“This particular lava flow is very Mars like in geology and chemical consistency of rock,” explains Engler. “The most Mars like area in the world.”

Simon was selected out of 700 applicants for the project which had a research focus on the production of food. Several additional projects are scheduled for the Mars habitat.

For more information on the project, including a photo gallery of the habitat, visit Hi-SEAS.

With files from CTV's Bill Marks