Mars Society Research Articles

Surveying for Mars Analogue Research Sites in the Central Australian Deserts

AbstractIn anticipation of a future crewed mission to Mars, the international non‐profit organisation known as the Mars Society is currently establishing four mockup bases at which planetary surface operations simulations, equipment testing and personnel training exercises will be conducted over the next decade. These should provide valuable design data for, and raise public awareness about, plans to explore the red planet. One of these bases, which are organised around a habitat of the kind that is likely to serve as shelter for surface‐dwelling astronauts, is to be sited in central Australia under the name MARS‐OZ. To find a suitable location, the Mars Society Australia has conducted a ground‐truth survey of 15 potential sites as practical scientific analogues of the Martian surface, recording these in a specialised database. Each site was assessed on a set of geomorphic, science/engineering, logistic and visual analogue criteria. Six circular exploration zones 200 km in diameter were identified as clusters of the most significant, observed, comparative planetological features. These zones were then ranked to recommend a series of ‘landing sites’, at which future field seasons of exploratory science may be conducted.

Using an Australian Mars Analogue Research Facility for Astrobiology, Education and Outreach

The Mars Society is an international private organisation advocating the exploration and settlement of Mars. Part of its mission involves selecting areas for Martian analogue research, to test hardware, technology, strategies and human factors relevant to sending people to Mars. Mars Society Australia has selected an area in the Arkaroola region in the Flinders Ranges as the site for the first Australian analogue facility. The facility will be an invaluable public education and outreach tool for Australian science, focusing on astrobiology, and its role in future human Mars missions; demonstrating Australian contributions to astrobiology related science and work on terrestrial analogues to Martian environments.

Geologists See Mars in the Canadian Arctic

PLANETARY SCIENCEBy studying the ice-sculpted terrain of the Haughton meteorite crater in the hostile Canadian Arctic, planetary scientists think they may be able to deduce whether similar martian features arose during icy conditions, rather than during a warm and wet period postulated for early Mars. Although NASA has not yet promised more funds to study it, the crater already has captured the imagination of enthusiasts at the private Mars Society, who plan to build a prototype Mars base there.

MDRS Crew 110A – Summary Report

The crew would like to thank the Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium (WSGC), the UW- Madison Dean of Engineering, their faculty advisor Dr. Frederick Elder, and the Mars Society Mission Support for their knowledge, guidance, and support of the mission. We could not have accomplished our goals without you. Crew 110A consisted of a team of engineers, undergraduates and graduate students, from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. During our stay, we celebrated the New Year with an inaugural midnight EVA and red Martian cool-aid, we anxiously listened to the UW-Madison Badger Football Team play in the Rose Bowl, and we completed 15 EVA’s within a seven day period. The crew set out with a mission to conduct habitability, atmospheric, geologic imaging, and space suit ergonomic studies and a vision to advance the space industry’s exploration capabilities.Â