On this page we honor those members that we’ve lost and who have contributed to the Mars Society’s goals and activities.
John Barainca
John (1935-2015) was one of the founding members of the Mars Society and a dedicated supporter of the MDRS analog simulation. He played a major role in establishing MDRS by helping select its location in southern Utah and working as part of the team that set up the station.
John also served as long-time Hab manager at MDRS, volunteering countless hours to repair and improve the station, manage its field seasons and train its crews. In addition, he was part of the MDRS astronomy team.
“John was a true believer in the potential of the Mars Desert Research Station to teach and inspire crew members, ranging from educators to students to scientists,” said MDRS Remote Science Team Coordinator Dr. Jean Hunter.
Declan O’Donnell
An active member of the organization’s board of directors and steering committee, Mr. O’Donnell (1938-2015) was a respected trial lawyer in the Denver metropolitan area with a national constituency in the areas of tax and securities litigation.
Declan maintained a growing practice base in space law, having authored over 50 publications on space law and policy, many with the AIAA, IISL and IAF conventions.
In addition, he served as president of the World Space Bar Association, publisher of the Space Governance Journal and founder and president of the United Societies in Space. His primary goal was to cause a consensus to develop on the legal structure and international character of a space colonization model.
“Declan was my good friend for many years,” said Mars Society President Dr. Robert Zubrin. “He was a true fighter for the future, and a great human being. He will be remembered, and he will be missed.”