As we approach the close of another remarkable year, we want to pause and celebrate the extraordinary progress the Mars Society community has made toward the human exploration and settlement of the Red Planet. In reflecting on 2024’s achievements, we’re filled with pride, gratitude, and a renewed sense of purpose—and we hope you share in this excitement.
Building on a Year of Breakthroughs
With your help, we have accomplished a lot over the past twelve months. We’ve maintained at a high level both of our analog research stations in Utah and on Devon Island, enabling crews to test new technologies, study human factors, and perfect operational protocols for future missions to Mars. Educators and students have continued to receive unparalleled support from our programs—encouraging the next generation of space explorers through STEM curricula, hands-on design challenges, and Mars-focused educational materials. We’ve launched the first two projects from the Mars Technology Institute and began to define a long-term approach to incubating startups around research goals. Additionally, we’ve broadened our network of partnerships to cultivate the innovation and collaboration needed for sustained human presence on Mars.
Your Impact on the Path Ahead
Every new crew mission in the Utah desert and every student who joins our virtual classroom are testaments to your generosity. It’s your support that helps fund critical research and field simulations, drives global outreach, and fosters the vibrant community that makes the Mars Society a hub of cutting-edge exploration planning. In 2024, your contributions powered operational enhancements at the Mars Desert Research Station, expanded our international Mars analog community to include Mongolia and (soon) French Guyana, and enabled a growing number of students to participate in our Mars-focused competitions, workshops, and international conventions.
Scaling Up Mars Analog Missions
We are working tirelessly to refine hardware, improve mission simulations, and conduct groundbreaking interdisciplinary research to ensure that future Martian habitats are safe, sustainable, and productive. A key component of this endeavor is the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS), where we test technologies and train crew members to operate in a Mars-like environment. This year, MDRS urgently needs:
- A Power System Upgrade: Advanced power solutions—both reliable and eco-friendly—are critical for simulating off-world living conditions and ensuring crews can conduct research and daily tasks seamlessly.
- New Vehicles: Upgrading the fleet is vital for realistic field tests, facilitating sample collection, and refining protocols that will one day be used by astronauts on the Martian surface.
Why We Need You Now
But the journey is far from over. As we look to 2025, we must continue to push forward—and in some cases, push harder. Our ambitious goals for the coming year include:
- Igniting Inspiration Worldwide: Through expanded STEM outreach and public engagement campaigns, we want to empower students, teachers, and enthusiasts everywhere to see themselves as part of humanity’s future in space.
- Driving Technological Innovation: With the Mars Technology Institute, we will deepen collaborations with engineering teams and research institutions to advance solutions in life support systems, Mars agriculture, and in-situ resource utilization.
Join Us in Charting a Bold Future
We stand at the threshold of the most promising era yet for human space exploration. With NASA’s Artemis program and private ventures accelerating the timeline to establish a permanent presence on the Moon, the path to Mars is becoming clearer. Your support will ensure that when we take those momentous steps onto Martian soil, they will be backed by decades of rigorous preparation, visionary planning, and a united global community.
Make Your Year-End Gift Today
As we say goodbye to 2024 and welcome an inspiring new year, we ask you to consider making a tax-deductible donation to the Mars Society. As our way of saying thanks, we are happy to send a copy of either The Case for Mars, The New World on Mars, or Students to Mars autographed and personally inscribed by Robert Zubrin to anyone who donates $250 or more. Your gift will help fund vital research, expand educational opportunities, and bring all of us closer to the ultimate goal: becoming a spacefaring, multi-planetary species. In addition, you can pre-purchase our upcoming $100 Friend of MDRS package which includes your name listed on a new donor plaque we will be installing at the Mars Desert Research Station. This will be available for anybody who donates $100 or more between now and the end of December.
Donate today!
With your help, we’ll shape a future where humankind thrives not just on Earth, but on Mars as well.
Thank you for your continued support and belief in our mission. Here’s to an extraordinary 2025!
Warm regards,
James Burk
Executive Director
The Mars Society
marssociety.org
