Simulating Mars On Earth: Crew 37 At The Mars Desert Research Station

Osburg, Jan
Aerospace Systems Design Laboratory , Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering , Georgia Institute of Technology Atlanta, GA 30332-0150, USA
mailto:jan.osburg@asdl.gatech.edu

Preprint. (2005)

The Mars Society’s Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) provides a unique environment for simulating planetary surface exploration activities. It enables the field testing and development of systems and procedures in an integrated environment that includes a human crew. It also allows participants to get invaluable first-hand experience with this type of operation.

MDRS Crew 37 consisted of eight members of the Mars Society @ Georgia Tech , which is the Georgia Tech student chapter of the Mars Society, and the chapter’s faculty advisor as mission commander. This was the first time that a single academic institution had fielded a complete analog-facility crew, which among other advantages enabled us to conduct extensive pre-mission familiarization and training. Along with an extensive research effort, an outreach program covered Internet presence, interaction with local, national and international print and broadcast media, and auxiliary mission support activities by high schools and members of the Georgia Tech campus community.

Keywords

Analog Mars Research and Research Stations