Congratulations to George Whitesides for his hard-fought victory in his race for Congress. George and his wife, Loretta Hidalgo Whitesides, have not only been long time friends of everyone striving for a spacefaring future for humanity, but they have also been leaders in the field themselves. Furthermore, and most importantly, they are fine people, with great minds and great hearts. All Americans have reason to be thankful they will be going to Washington. – Dr. Robert Zubrin, Mars Society President… READ MORE >
Topic Area: Science
The Mars Society is proud to announce that Sergii Iakymov, Director of the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS), has successfully completed a 45-day NASA simulated Mars mission at the HERA (Human Exploration Research Analog) facility, located at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. The mission, which ran from August 9 to September 23, is a vital part of NASA’s efforts to better understand the physical and psychological challenges astronauts may face during long-duration space missions. Sergii was selected alongside three… READ MORE >
The Mars Society is very pleased to announce the appointment of Ben Stanley as the organization’s new Analog Research Program Director. Currently serving as the Assistant Director of the organization’s Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) in Utah, Ben brings a wealth of experience and passion for space exploration to this pivotal role. In his new position, Ben will collaborate closely with senior officials of the Mars Society to enhance overall science initiatives and implement program-level improvements. This includes developing comprehensive… READ MORE >
The Mars Society is excited to announce that Kirsten Whittingham, President of Max Space and a distinguished veteran in the aerospace industry, will be the featured guest on the September 3rd episode of Red Planet Live. Hosted by Ashton Zeth, this 60-minute RPL broadcast will explore the cutting-edge developments in space habitats and the future of space exploration. Max Space is at the forefront of designing and manufacturing affordable, high-fidelity expandable space habitats. These innovative structures are set to revolutionize… READ MORE >
My name is Nicole Willett, Director of Education Programs at the Mars Society, the world’s largest humans-to-Mars advocacy group. We are excited to offer a comprehensive STEM curriculum designed for all grade levels (K-12) and are looking for teachers to implement these projects and activities in their classrooms—completely free of charge! Understanding the challenges of tight budgets, we’re providing these resources at no cost. All we ask in return is for your feedback on the activities via a brief Google… READ MORE >
The Mars Society is proud to announce that Team Aspera, an exceptional multi-national student team, has claimed the top spot in the Third Annual International Mission to Mars Engineering Design Competition. The winning team, comprised of Anay Ashwin (Australia), Tanay Naik (U.S.), Nidhi Mandrekar (U.S.), and Leonardo Berlinski (Italy), achieved an outstanding score of 91.67/100 in this prestigious global challenge. This year’s competition, which took place from June 3rd to July 12th, 2024, challenged high school students aged 13-19 to… READ MORE >
The Mars Society is pleased to announce that the next episode of its Red Planet Live podcast will air on Wednesday, August 21st, at 5:00 PM PT / 8:00 pm ET. This show will feature interviews with two prominent leaders in the organization’s educational outreach: Nicole Willett, the Mars Society’s Director of Education Programs, and Jen Carver-Hunter, master teacher and crew commander of the NASA-funded Spaceward Bound Utah program. Nicole Willett has been the driving force behind the Mars Society’s… READ MORE >
We are very excited to share that our own Sergii Iakymov, Director of the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS), has been chosen to join a 45-day NASA simulated Mars mission (Aug. 9 – Sept. 23) at the HERA analog facility at Johnson Space Center in Houston. Congratulations, Sergii! We wish you and your crew an incredible experience on your mission “to Mars!” NASA Research Volunteers to Begin Next Simulated Mission to Mars [NASA Announcement, 07.22.24] NASA selected a new team… READ MORE >
The Mars Society is excited to announce that a major panel discussion on NASA’s current and future Mars exploration plans will take place (virtually) on Friday, August 9th at 10:00 am PT / 1:00 pm ET as part of the 27th Annual International Mars Society Convention. Amid the growing complexities of Mars exploration, NASA is concentrating on several key areas: deploying robotic exploratory systems (rovers, landers, and orbiters), returning Martian rock and soil samples to Earth, and designing infrastructure for… READ MORE >
The Mars Society is excited to announce that Dr. Agnieszka Wendland, an Assistant Professor at Warsaw University of Technology, will be delivering a (virtual) plenary talk at the 27th Annual International Mars Society Convention this August. Her presentation, titled “The First Tree on Mars,” is part of a new multi-authored research project led by NASA’s Dr. Chris McKay. The project explores the possibility of warming the Red Planet by increasing its CO2 density and introducing greenhouse gases like perfluorocarbons (PFCs),… READ MORE >
The Mars Society is very pleased to announce the safe return of Crew 16 (Arctic Wolves), an international team of seven scientists, who have completed their mission at the Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station on Devon Island. Following several days of weather delays, the crew finally departed the island and arrived safely in Resolute Bay, Nunavut Territory earlier today. Taking advantage of their brief time in Resolute Bay, the crew enjoyed much-needed showers and a hearty meal before boarding a… READ MORE >
The Mars Society is pleased to announce that Dr. Michaela Musilova will be joining the 60-minute Red Planet Live podcast, hosted by Ashton Zeth, on Tuesday, July 16th, at 6:30 PM PT / 9:30 PM ET – 90 minutes later than the usual time slot. Dr. Musilova is a distinguished astrobiologist, explorer, analog astronaut (including Commander of MDRS Crew 173), science communicator, keynote speaker, and author. Her impressive resume includes conducting space-related research at NASA, ESA, CalTech, University College London,… READ MORE >
The Mars Society is pleased to announce that Jeremiah Pate, Founder and CEO of Lunasonde, will deliver a plenary address on “Mining Space Rocks” at the 27th International Mars Society Convention this August at the University of Washington in Seattle. An entrepreneur and visionary in space resource exploration, Mr. Pate and his team are pioneering ways to secure critical minerals for humanity while preserving our planet from the impacts of traditional mining. Lunasonde is paving a new path for accessing… READ MORE >
Crew 16 (Arctic Wolves) officially began their simulation on Saturday (July 6th) at the Mars Society’s Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station on Devon Island in Nunavut territory. Located near the 20-kilometer wide Haughton Crater, formed by a massive meteorite impact 31 million years ago, the analog station serves as an ideal environment for Mars mission simulations. Led by Dr. Ilaria Cinelli, the 7-person international team is conducting important research and field studies to help prepare future astronauts for exploring the… READ MORE >
The Mars Society is pleased to announce that Dr. Steven Benner, a renowned biochemist known for his pioneering work in synthetic biology, dynamic combinatorial chemistry, and paleo-molecular biology, will deliver a plenary address at the 27th Annual International Mars Society Convention in Seattle this August. His talk, titled “Strategies for Life to Survive on the Near Surface of Mars – Indigenous and Human,” promises to be one of the highlights of the event. Dr. Benner, a Distinguished Fellow at the… READ MORE >
The Mars Society is delighted to announce that a new breakthrough concept that could open the way to terraforming the Red Planet will be presented at the 27th Annual International Mars Society Convention, which will be held at the University of Washington in Seattle, August 8-11. Developed by a team led by University of Chicago Prof. Edwin Kite and in collaboration with Prof. Hooman Mohseni‘s research group at Northwestern University and Prof. Ramses Ramirez at the University of Central Florida,… READ MORE >
The Mars Society is very pleased to announce that a distinguished three-person NASA panel will join the Red Planet Live (RPL) podcast on Tuesday, July 2nd at 5:00 pm PT / 8:00 pm ET. This expert team will delve into topics including Mars exploration, strategies for sample returns from the Red Planet, and the architecture supporting Moon to Mars missions. Hosted by Ashton Zeth, this first podcast episode of July will mark the beginning of RPL’s new twice-a-month format (airing… READ MORE >
The Mars Society is excited to announce the return of an international crew to the organization’s Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station in northern Canada for approximately two weeks, beginning on June 26th (weather permitting). Established in 2001, the Flashline station aims to develop the capabilities needed for Mars to enable productive field research during long human missions. Over the years, the facility has evolved to achieve higher levels of realism and fidelity, ultimately supporting the training of Mars-bound astronauts. Located… READ MORE >
Grant Bonin, Co-Founder and CEO of gravityLab, a Seattle-based company specializing in artificial gravity satellites for research and manufacturing in low Earth orbit by government, academia, and commercial businesses, will give a plenary talk at the 27th Annual International Mars Society Convention. The event is scheduled for August 8-11 at the University of Washington (Seattle). Mr. Bonin is an aerospace engineer with expertise in space mission design, spacecraft systems engineering, project management, and business development. He has contributed to over… READ MORE >
The Mars Society is issuing a call for dedicated volunteers to help out during a work party from October 6-12, 2024, at our MDRS – Mars Desert Research Station in southern Utah. A MDRS work party is a refit event that focuses on preparing the station for the upcoming crew field season. All applicants will be provided with transportation from/to Grand Junction, CO and lodging at the station, as well as water, food and Wi-Fi access. Those interested in joining… READ MORE >
Anna Wadhwa, a MD student at Harvard Medical School and a Ph.D. candidate at MIT’s Department of Aeronautics & Astronautics, will give a presentation at the 27th Annual International Mars Society Convention at the University of Washington (Seattle) this August, with the title of her address being “You Spin Me ‘Right Round’: The Latest Research on Artificial Gravity by Centrifugation and Its Implications for Human Space Exploration.” Interested in enabling human space exploration to the Moon, Mars and beyond, Ms…. READ MORE >
The Mars Society is pleased to announce that long-time writer and editor on science and space Alan Boyle will be giving a plenary talk about the field of space journalism during the 27th Annual International Mars Society Convention this August at the University of Washington (Seattle). Mr. Boyle served as science editor for MSNBC.com and NBCNews.com from 1996 to 2015, and in that capacity, he won the 2006 Space Frontier Award for Excellence in Journalism and the 2014 National Space… READ MORE >
Embark on a virtual tour of the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) in southern Utah, organized by Mars Society Chicago, the national organization’s Chicagoland chapter! On Sunday, May 26th at 1:00 pm PT / 4:00 pm ET, join Sergii Iakymov, the Director of MDRS and a seasoned analog astronaut, for an immersive online event. With extensive experience leading crew missions and serving as the Assistant Director of MDRS, Sergii offers invaluable insights into life and work in this very Mars-analog… READ MORE >
Join us for an engaging panel discussion featuring two members of the space-science media, Ling Xin and Laura Forczyk. Tune in for the next episode of Red Planet Live on Tuesday, May 21st at 5:00 pm PT / 8:00 pm ET to be part of this exciting opportunity to explore space exploration, lunar missions, and more! Ling Xin, originally from Beijing and now based in Ohio, is a science journalist known for her coverage of space, astronomy, and physics. With… READ MORE >
By Dr. Robert Zubrin, SpaceNews.com, 05.06.24 NASA’s Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission has run aground, wrecked by a $10 billion price estimate, a 16 year timeline and excessive mission and programmatic risk. If the mission is to proceed, a much simpler and cheaper approach must be found. Fortunately, such an approach is available. The current MSR mission plan is so costly, complex, and risky because it has not been approached as a mission to be accomplished as swiftly and cheaply as possible,… READ MORE >