News & Announcements

The Mars Society is pleased to announce that another chapter has been added to the growing ranks of its world-wide network dedicated to the cause of humans to Mars. Late last week, a group of university students belonging to the Engineering Students Association of Bangladesh (ESAB) held an inaugural meeting of the Bangladeshi chapter of the Mars Society at the U.S. Embassy in Dhaka, the country’s capital. The U.S. Embassy organized a reception to host the new international Mars Society… READ MORE >

The Mars Society (US) would like to thank the student teams from Canada, Poland, India, Egypt and our generous host country, the United Kingdom, that participated in the inaugural 2016 UK University Rover Challenge (UKURC) in Manchester, England this past weekend. The Top 3 Winning Student Teams: 1st place – The Elite (Misr University for Science & Technology, Egypt) 2nd place – Nex Robotics (Gdańsk University of Technology, Poland) 3rd place – The University of Warsaw Rover Team (Uniwersytet Warszawski,… READ MORE >

Chris Carberry, CEO and co-founder of Explore Mars, will give a plenary talk on “Creating a unified campaign for Mars” at the 19th Annual International Mars Society Convention, scheduled for September 22-25 at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. In his role with Explore Mars, Mr. Carberry has led successful international conferences including the ISS & Mars Conference in Washington, D.C. and Strasbourg, France, and the Women & Mars Conference also in the U.S. capitol. He is considered… READ MORE >

Major Speakers to Discuss Humans-to-Mars in Washington, D.C. The Mars Society will be convening the 19th Annual International Mars Society Convention at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. September 22-25, just weeks prior to the U.S. presidential and congressional elections. Leading scientists, government officials, policymakers and space advocates will address the four day conference on the latest updates about Mars exploration, planning for a human mission to the Red Planet and other major space news. Some of the… READ MORE >

Mars Society President Dr. Robert Zubrin spoke at TEDx Moscow during a trip to Russia in June, detailing the potential for the human exploration and settlement of the planet Mars. To watch the complete TEDx talk by Dr. Zubrin, please click here.  … READ MORE >

Dr. Adrian Brown, a planetary scientist working at NASA Ames Research Center and the SETI Institute, will present a plenary talk about “the Martian Water Cycle” at the 19th Annual International Mars Society Convention, scheduled for September 22-25, 2016 at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. Dr. Brown’s field of expertise includes the planet Mars, astrobiology and remote sensing spectroscopy. His current research focuses on the analysis of data from the Mars instrument “CRISM” (Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer… READ MORE >

The Mars Society would like to congratulate all of the teams which have been selected as crew members for the upcoming 2016-17 field season at the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) in Utah. We look forward to another successful period of Mars surface simulation work and research, benefiting future pioneers of the Red Planet. Crew 171 – Dec. 17, 2016 – Jan. 1, 2017 — SEDS Crew 172 – Dec. 31, 2016 – Jan. 15, 2017 — Mars Society Crew… READ MORE >

Work on the Mars Society’s new GreenHab at the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) in Utah is almost finished! The new greenhouse is a wonderful addition to the MDRS facility and will serve crew members in their important research for years to come. The earlier dome-shaped greenhouse that was constructed last year was unfortunately deemed unsuitable for some aspects of greenhouse use and will therefore be retrofitted into a state-of-the-art science lab, expanding the organization’s ability to carry out Mars-related… READ MORE >

HBO Vice, the network’s award-winning news program, will broadcast a 15-minute report about current planning for a human mission to Mars on Friday, July 1st at 11:00 pm EDT (8:00 pm PDT). The segment will include a visit to the Mars Society’s Mars Desert Research Station in Utah, which took place last December during the field rotation of Crew 158. The program can be viewed on television, but can also be seen online via HBO GO immediately after the show is… READ MORE >

Congresswoman Donna Edwards (D-MD), the ranking member of the U.S. House Subcommittee on Space, will address the 19th Annual International Mars Society Convention on Friday, September 23rd, 2016 at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. A strong advocate of Mars exploration and a human mission to the Red Planet, Rep. Edwards will discuss the future of  the U.S. space program and the need for Congress to increase NASA’s budget, including funding for a humans-to-Mars program. Rep. Edwards currently… READ MORE >

Opportunities to Participate as Part of the Mars Desert Research Station Mission Support Team As the Mars Society’s Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) begins its 16th year of analog studies in southern Utah, we look back with pride on the people who have supported the station in the past, those who have been and are now working on their dreams through their professional position in the space sector. There are plenty of opportunities to participate at MDRS other than as… READ MORE >

After months of extensive work, design and updates by a dedicated group of volunteers, the Mars Society has officially launched a major update of MarsPapers, an extensive online archive of over 500 Mars-related papers, presentations and documents, all available in PDF format for viewing or downloading. While many of the documents in MarsPapers have been presented at past Mars Society international conventions, members of the public are encouraged to submit any Mars-oriented document for inclusion in the archive, where it will… READ MORE >

The Mars Society is sorry to announce that Charles Zubrin, father of Dr. Robert Zubrin, passed away late last week at the age of 100. A descendant of Russian Jewish immigrants, Mr. Zubrin was an army veteran of World War II, a successful businessman and world traveler. He will be truly missed by family and friends.  … READ MORE >

Mars Society President Dr. Robert Zubrin recently concluded a whirlwind tour of Russia, giving a series of seven talks in Moscow and St. Petersburg and conducting meetings with Russian space leaders and numerous interviews with Russian press along the way. Dr. Zubrin arrived in Moscow on May 26th, and after attending a gathering that evening went on to give interviews with Komsomolnaya Pravda Radio, Izvestia and Life TV the following day. On May 28th he spoke at the TEDx Moscow… READ MORE >

Jim Watzin, Director of NASA’s Mars Exploration Program, will address the 19th Annual International Mars Society Convention, scheduled for September 22-25, 2016 on the campus of Catholic University in Washington, D.C. Appointed “Mars Czar” in December 2014, Mr. Watzin oversees NASA’s Mars portfolio and budget, helps shape the robotic exploration of the Red Planet, including current planning for the Mars 2020 rover mission, and develops strategies for future Mars research and programs. Prior to this role, Mr. Watzin served as… READ MORE >

The Mars Society is convening its 19th Annual International Mars Society Convention, scheduled for September 22-25, 2016 at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. Every year, members and non-members who volunteer to help at the international convention (a minimum of ten hours required) receive free entry to the four-day conference. Please let us know if you’re interested in serving this year as a volunteer. Contact Nicole (nicolew@marssociety.org) for full details. Thanks!  … READ MORE >

The 2016 University Rover Challenge concluded on Saturday (June 4th) at the Mars Society’s Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) in southern Utah as 28 rovers and more than 300 college students took on the harsh Mars-like terrain of this unique venue.  Following two rounds of competition and five different events over a three-day period, the Legendary Rover Team from Rzeszow University of Technology in Poland defended their title from 2015 with another amazing victory. The podium was rounded out by… READ MORE >

The tenth annual rendition of the Mars Society’s University Rover Challenge (URC) featured an exciting Semi-Finals round of competition on Thursday, June 2nd at the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) in southern Utah. The international robotics competition for college students, which is part of the Rover Challenge Series, features an elite field of teams vying to build the world’s best student-designed Mars rover. The Semi-Finals round of competition is a new feature for URC. Teams were required to compete in… READ MORE >

Mars Society President Dr. Robert Zubrin will be visiting Russia from 28 May 28 – 3 June for a series of lectures and discussions [in English] on Mars exploration and planning for a human mission to the Red Planet. This will be Dr. Zubrin’s second trip to the Russian Federation over the last two years, focusing on cultivating a growing interest among the Russian scientific community and public in exploring the planet Mars and meeting with members of Russia’s Mars… READ MORE >

Mars Society President Dr. Robert Zubrin’s Kindle version of “Mars Direct: Space Exploration, the Red Planet and the Human Future” is now available as a paperback booklet via Amazon. Order a copy today!… READ MORE >

Dr. Geronimo Villanueva, a planetary scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, will present an update about the ongoing search for trace signatures of current and ancient life on the planet Mars during the 19th Annual International Mars Society Convention, scheduled for September 22-25, 2016 at the Catholic University in Washington, D.C. A Ph.D. recipient from the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research in Germany, Dr. Villanueva specializes in the search for organic molecules on Mars and nearby icy… READ MORE >

Viewing a lack of direction in the U.S. human spaceflight program, the Mars Society launched the International Gemini Mars Design Competition in August 2015 in an effort to provide focus and encourage a serious humans-to-Mars initiative. The new contest invited U.S. and international engineering students to create a plan for a two-person Mars flyby mission that could be placed on the desk of the President-elect in November 2016 and completed by the end of his or her second term in… READ MORE >

The 2015-16 Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) field season officially came to a close this weekend as Crew 169 (Team Peru IV) departed the Mars Society habitat in Utah. The next field season begins in September, one month earlier than usual. New crews, including our Mars 160 mission participants, will use MDRS to train and prepare for humans-to-Mars. As always we want to thank our tremendous Mission Support team for their hard work over the course of the season. Without… READ MORE >

The Mars Society is very pleased to announce the winner of the 2016 Mars Society Poster Contest. After reviewing over a dozen design submissions, a committee made up of senior Mars Society staff selected a poster created by Bill Wright, a freelance science fiction illustrator, as the first place winner. Design artists were asked to create a poster that uses the theme “Mars: A Mission for the Next Administration, Not the Next Generation,” for the 19th Annual International Mars Society… READ MORE >

Dr. Jim Green, Director of NASA’s Planetary Science Division, will address the U.S. agency’s current and future plans for international cooperation and partnership on exploring the planet Mars at the 19th Annual International Mars Society Convention, scheduled for September 22-25 at Catholic University in Washington, D.C. Dr. Green began his NASA career in 1980 at Marshall Space Flight Center’s Magnetospheric Physics Branch where he developed and managed the Space Physics Analysis Network (SPAN). From 1985 to 1992 he served as… READ MORE >