MDRS Crew 32
January 8 - 22, 2005

During the active field season, the crew of the Mars Desert Research Station rotates every 2 weeks. These are the scientists and engineers who live and work on site within the MDRS. They explore all of the facets of human exploration in a simulated Mars environment. The MDRS will be active for a 7 month period.

Name	Speciality
Celeste Gale	Commander & Chemist/Biochemist
Andy Wegner	Executive Officer & Chemist
Barbara Sacre	Crew Biologist
Kristian von Bengtson	Crew Engineer
Ronald Dyer	Crew Engineer
Kent Nebergall	Crew Engineer

Celeste Gale	Celeste Gale: I have degrees in chemistry and biochemistry from Colorado State University. For the last 10 years I have worked in upstream research at Procter and Gamble as an organic chemist. My work experience includes some biochemistry and analytical chemistry interest as well. I have a black belt in Tae Kwon Do, and some experience in Tai Chi and Jeet Kune Do. Music is also important to my life, I play the viola in the Cincinnati Community Orchestra. For the completely technical part of my interests, I was one of the founding members of the Cincinnati Linux Users Group. This will be my second time serving on a crew at the Utah site. I have been asked why would I give up 2 weeks of vacation to go to the desert with 5 strangers to work hard without pay. I do it because I want to be a part of humanity going to the stars. The Mars Society, through this program, gives the candidates that are selected for rotation an unique opportunity to contribute to the eventual goal of humans setting foot on Mars. I also enjoy the opportunity to embark on my own research program, even if it only lasts two weeks. I have been in contact with my future crew via e-mail for a couple of weeks now, and I am looking forward to serving as their crew commander.
Andy Wegner	Andy Wegner: I grew up on a small dairy farm - mostly gravel hills and tamarack swamp -- in northern Wisconsin. I am the father of five (the youngest a junior in college). My professional training is in chemistry. Most of my career was with Kimberly-Clark Corporation, in analytical chemistry (gas & liquid chromatography, infrared spectroscopy, environmental analysis), at the bench, and in management in that area and of an R&D materials development group. I saved my money, retired early, and have been trying to follow meaningful (and fun) pursuits since then. They have included writing, genealogy, remote backpacking, travel, substitute teaching, political action, restoration of a 118 year-old one-room school, and most recently: construction of a railroad trestle-shaped arbor out of railroad ties, and a rock garden out of glacial till. I have had a lifelong interest in space exploration. At age 62, I will miss the cut to actually walk on Mars, but I hope I can contribute in some small way to my children having that chance. There are many reasons -- both practical and esoteric, both societal and scientific -- for humans to go to Mars; but for me, a gut reaction, it is that our very destiny as a species draws us outward - and the destiny of a species that has come this far in explaining its own existence, and that of the universe that yielded us, is no small matter! The time to begin the journey is now!
Barbara Sacre	Barbara Sacre: I was brought up in Belgium and from a very early age I had always wanted to be a vet. I had a passion for horses and dressage and spent much of my school year weekends on dressage competitions and teaching younger riders the pleasure of dressage. When I moved to Britain in 1998 I had the opportunity to first enjoy the wonderful country of Wales where my love of the outdoors was born. I now live in the East Midlands where I am currently specialising in small animal surgery. Although I am not involved with horses anymore I am still fairly sporty and love everything and anything outdoors. I also like a little bit of fencing from time to time. The horses now are in the distant past and moved aside for a vision of the future, involving the human race in space and on Mars. I have had a strong interest in space and space exploration from a very early age, but this has always been kept in the background. It is only recently that I have developed this interest more and now believe that it is up to us, perhaps as today's "space missionaries" to convert the people out there. The MDRS is a place where excellent research is done, but it is also a place which will inspire people that Mars is not as far away as previously thought. I am honoured to have been given the chance to be a part of it and am looking forward to meeting the rest of Crew 32.
Kristian von Bengtson	Kristian von Bengtson: I was born in Copenhagen, Denmark in 1974. Today I am still here living with Karla my companion in life. I hold a Master's degree in architecture majoring in industrial design with a diploma project in corporation with the European Space Agency. I have been busy at my design company 'Goodmorning Technology' but have chosen to put all my energy into space related projects from primo 2005 in order to do what I like and do best. I am starting on a Master's degree in Space Studies at the International Space University in Strasbourg from Sep 2005. Until and after Strasbourg I will be working in my cross-disciplinary design group called SpaceArch trying to help out in the grand plan for humans to go to Mars and to improve the integration of astronauts and space technology. I am also attending conferences to speak on various space related design issues. I believe that complex space projects like a manned mission to Mars will only be a success if we work together from many different professional groups. This is not only a challenge for the scientists and engineers but for the whole human race, thereby demanding thoughts and solutions from all of us. I salute Mars Society in creating such a network which play an important role in our endeavour towards Mars.
Ronald Dyer	Ron Dyer is Director of the Office of Innovation & Assistance, at Maine's Department of Environmental Protection. Ron directs the agency's pollution prevention, toxic reduction, small business assistance, and economic development initiatives. He is a Team Leader for internal & external multimedia and environmental technology initiatives, a member of the Senior Management Team, and has extensive state and national public presentation, policy development and business assistance experience. Ron and his wife Nancy Ponzetti-Dyer reside in Winthrop, Maine, and he has two college age children. He serves as the Maine, NH and Vermont political coordinator for the Mars Society and has long time interest in space exploration and discovery. Ron can be reached at via email: ronedyer@adelphia.net
Kent Nebergall	Kent Nebergall: My day job is as a technical writer and communications consultant in information technology. Born in Canton, Illinois and currently living near Chicago, I have been fascinated by spaceflight since Apollo-Soyuz, when I was seven. Having soloed at age sixteen under the instruction of my former test pilot father, I hope to eventually work in aerospace. Over the past twelve months, I have joined the Mars Society, gotten honorable mention in the "Why Mars?" essay contest, won the Kepler Prize for Mars Mission Design 2004 for my ERV design, and presented papers at the Mars Society Conference. Part of winning the Kepler Prize was being offered a slot on MDRS, which I eagerly accepted. I plan to continue to express my gratitude to the Mars Society for these honors by applying my skills to assist in the projects of the other crew members, as well as work on a personal project to enhance documentation materials for the station. I'm currently toying with writing a series of science fiction novels set mostly on Mars. I'm also an amateur at many other things - film maker, backpacker, swordfighter, speaker, and B-movie aficionado.