The Mars Society is pleased to bring you several updates about the growing partnership between the Mars Society and Mongolia’s MARS-V Project, an initiative in Mongolia to build the next Mars analog simulation station in the Gobi Desert. The MARS-V Project has recently become the Mars Society’s first official chapter in Mongolia. This new initiative signifies the country’s alignment with a global community of scientists, researchers and space enthusiasts. As one of the coldest and most inhospitable deserts on Earth,… READ MORE >
Topic Area: Technology
With growing interest among the global scientific community in investigating caves and lava tubes on the Red Planet, the Mars Society has invited Dr. Wolfgang Fink, a senior researcher from the University of Arizona and CalTech, to give a plenary talk about this field of exploration during the 26th Annual International Mars Society Convention October 5-8, 2023 at Arizona State University (Tempe). The title of Dr. Fink’s plenary address during the convention will be: “To boldly go where no robot… READ MORE >
The Mars Society is pleased to announce that Dr. Kris Zacny, Vice President and Director of Exploration Technology at Honeybee Robotics, will address the 26th Annual International Mars Society Convention (October 5-8 at Arizona State University) about robotic space exploration and mining. Honeybee Robotics is a prominent R&D engineering company that creates advanced robotic systems for the most demanding environments and applications, both on Earth and in space. Industries served include spacecraft, planetary exploration, defense robotics, medical devices, mining, oil and gas,… READ MORE >
The Mars Society is pleased to announce that Emily Calandrelli (widely known as The Space Gal), a popular science communicator, author, and television host-producer, will be joining our next Red Planet Live podcast on Tuesday, July 18th (4:30 pm PT / 7:30 pm ET). An MIT engineer turned Emmy-nominated science television personality, Emily is the host and co-executive producer of Emily’s Wonder Lab on Netflix, as well as a correspondent on Netflix’s Bill Nye Saves the World and host of… READ MORE >
Red Planet Live will be welcoming James Burk, Mars Society Executive Director and veteran analog astronaut, to the show just days after the completion of Crew 261’s two-week simulation, which he is currently commanding at the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) in Utah until May 13th. Join us three days later – Tuesday, May 16th (5:00 pm PT / 8:00 pm ET) – for another one-hour podcast episode hosted by Ashton Zeth to learn from James about his and the crew’s mission “on Mars”…. READ MORE >
Presentations for the 26th Annual International Mars Society Convention, set for Thursday-Sunday, October 5-8, 2023 at Arizona State University in Tempe, are invited. This year’s four-day global forum will deal with all matters associated with the exploration and settlement of the Red Planet, including science, technology, engineering, politics, public policy & advocacy, STEM education, economics, etc. Abstracts between 150-300 words can be uploaded on our Mars Society convention web site at: abstracts.marssociety.org. Please note that the deadline for submitting abstracts… READ MORE >
Former NASA Chief Scientist Dr. James Green will join Red Planet Live host Ashton Zeth on Tuesday, April 18th (5:00 pm PT / 8:00 pm ET) for a one-hour discussion about exploring Mars and the solar system, a return to the Moon via the Artemis program, the search for life, and much more. Dr. Green worked at the U.S. space agency for 42 years before retiring in December 2022. During his long career at NASA, he held the position of Chief Scientist and was… READ MORE >
A new science project begun by ALFA Mars (Agnostic Life Finding Association – Mars), a group of scientists, engineers, science communicators, and volunteers aiming to determine prior to initial human exploration of the red planet whether or not indigenous life is present today on Mars, has received the public backing of the Mars Society, the world’s largest space advocacy group dedicated to the human exploration and settlement of Mars. “We believe that ALFA Mars offers a new and important approach… READ MORE >
After the most competitive System Acceptance Review in University Rover Challenge (URC) history, a record 37 teams from 10 countries will compete at the URC2023 Finals, scheduled to be held June 1-3, 2023 at the Mars Society’s Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) in southern Utah! 104 teams (also a record) began the year competing for a coveted invitation to the URC Finals. Teams submitted both written reports as well as video demonstrations of their rovers, which were scored by URC’s… READ MORE >
We’re glad to announce that members of Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) Crew 269, led by their commander Dr. Kristine L. Ferrone, are set to appear on the next episode of the Mars Society’s Red Planet Live (RPL) podcast, scheduled for Tuesday, March 21st (5:00 pm PT / 8:00 pm ET). A monthly one-hour video podcast hosted by Ashton Zeth, RPL brings together the people instrumental in planning for the exploration and eventual settlement of the red planet, covering a… READ MORE >
We had an interesting and entertaining discussion with space visionary & entrepreneur Rick Tumlinson last night (Tuesday, February 21st) on our monthly Red Planet Live video podcast, hosted by Ashton Zeth. Both a rebel and a respected leader, Mr. Tumlinson is listed as one of the top 100 influential people in the space field, serving as a Partner in SpaceFund and Founder of the Earthlight Foundation. He coined the term “NewSpace” and is credited with helping create the new commercial space industry highlighted… READ MORE >
Red Planet Live (RPL) is a monthly live podcast from The Mars Society. Host Ashton Zeth interviews the people instrumental in Mars and space exploration, STEM education, technology, women in science, the space economy, and much more. On our next episode of Red Planet Live, scheduled for Tuesday, February 21st (5pm PST / 8pm EST), Ashton will speak with Rick Tumlinson, Founder of Earthlight Foundation & Founding Partner of SpaceFund, about his latest endeavors in space advocacy and more. Both a rebel and a respected… READ MORE >
A message from Mars Society Executive Director James Burk: I am pleased to announce our partnership with Million on Mars. Million on Mars is a game where you can explore creating and growing your own settlement on Mars. It is set in the 2070s, and the Ad Astra Unlimited corporation led by fictional character “Lane Dusk” has solved transportation, but the challenge is now on you – the brave settler of Mars – will you go hard on Solar or… READ MORE >
The following is the final summary report of Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) Crew 269 (The Aerospace Corporation). A full review of the 2022-23 MDRS field season and crew activities will be presented at the 26th Annual International Mars Society Convention next year. The Aerospace Corporation Demo-1 Crew 269 Commander (CDR): Dr. Kristine Ferrone Executive Officer (XO): Allison Taylor Health & Safety Officer (HSO): Barbara Braun Crew Engineer (ENG): Ashley Kowalski Green Hab Officer (GHO): Matthew Eby Technology Officer (TECH): Trevor Jahn Crew 269… READ MORE >
The Mars Society is pleased to announce that Ashton Zeth will be serving as the new host of its video podcast, Red Planet Live (RPL), beginning in January 2023. The show will focus on a wide variety of topics, including Mars and space exploration, STEM education, technology, women in science, and much more, with exciting and open discussions involving experts in these respective fields. A Washington resident with experience in SaaS sales, strategic communications, business development, and public speaking, Ms…. READ MORE >
This past week, the Mars Society convened its annual international convention for the 25th year in a row, and the first time in-person since prior to the Covid-19 pandemic. The theme of this year’s event was “Searching for Life with Heavy Lift”, which was meant to encourage out-of-the-box thinking of presenters and attendees to develop new systems that take advantage of the increased payload capacity that is coming with NASA’s SLS and SpaceX’s Starship. We worked with the excellent team… READ MORE >
In Person or Proxy to Mars and Beyond? By Larry Klaes, Guest Writer, Red Planet Bound In 1972, singer, pianist, and composer Sir Elton H. John (born 1947) released a song titled “Rocket Man”. This music piece, which was inspired by a Ray Bradbury (1920-2012) science fiction story of the same name, has an individual who sees his job in outer space not as some grand adventure as one might expect of a typical astronaut, but rather as ordinary and… READ MORE >
Celebrating its 25th Annual International Convention at Arizona State University in Tempe October 20-23, the Mars Society will be hosting, both in-person and virtually, a large contingent of senior representatives from NASA and Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), discussing the latest news about exploring Mars, planning for a human mission to the Red Planet, and much more. Leading off the NASA-JPL involvement at the four-day conference will be Dr. Jim Bell, an Arizona State University professor and a planetary scientist involved… READ MORE >
The Mars Society is pleased to announce that Michael Edmonds, Senior Vice President for Strategy, Marketing, and Sales at Blue Origin, will give an update about the company and its plans for space on Saturday, October 22nd at 7:00 pm MST during the 25th Annual International Mars Society Convention at Arizona State University (Tempe). Founded in 2000 by Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, Blue Origin is a private space company developing vehicles and technologies that dramatically improve access to space for… READ MORE >
As the world’s largest space advocacy group dedicated to humans-to-Mars, the Mars Society has been bringing together for years leading scientists, commercial space executives, and government policymakers to discuss the latest news about exploring Mars and plans for a human mission to the Red Planet, as well as topics involving space exploration, science, and technology. For the last two years, due to the pandemic, the organization’s international conference has been virtual only, resulting in a significant online audience. This year,… READ MORE >
The Mars Society is pleased to welcome Maraia Tanner, CEO of Star Harbor Academy, as one of its plenary speakers at the 25th Annual International Mars Society Convention, scheduled for October 20-23 at Arizona State University (Tempe). Her address will focus on new pathways to space that are opening up for individuals through programs being created at Star Harbor. Star Harbor representatives announced earlier this year details of its planned 53-acre mixed-use development campus and training center to be built… READ MORE >
As the world’s largest space advocacy group dedicated to humans-to-Mars, the Mars Society has been bringing together for years leading scientists, commercial space executives, and government policymakers to discuss the latest news about exploring Mars and plans for a human mission to the Red Planet, as well as topics involving space exploration, science, and technology. For the last two years, due to the pandemic, the organization’s international conference has been virtual only, resulting in a significant online audience. This year,… READ MORE >
The preliminary program itinerary for the 25th Annual International Mars Society Convention, scheduled for Thursday-Sunday, October 20-23, 2022 at Arizona State University (Tempe), is now available for viewing online. Visit https://bit.ly/3RSMptd to see the full four-day conference schedule (please note that the schedule is subject to change). This year’s Mars Society Convention will include interesting plenary talks, panel discussions, and public debates about the latest news on the exploration of Mars and planning for a human mission to the Red Planet,… READ MORE >
The Mars Society is pleased to announce that Dr. Jingnan Guo, a research professor at the School of Earth & Space Sciences at the University of Science & Technology of China, will give a virtual address about the potential radiation risks for future human Mars settlement, as well as China’s ongoing and future plans for exploring the Red Planet during the 25th Annual International Mars Society Convention, set for October 20-23, 2022 at Arizona State University (Tempe). Dr. Guo has… READ MORE >
By Dr. Robert Zubrin, President, The Mars Society, Space.com, 09.08.22 We can reverse the conventional relationship of students to scientific knowledge. Around the world, in all the best university engineering programs, students encounter at some point a class different from all the others. This is the engineering design class, within which, instead of being tested as individuals on their mastery of lectures and texts, the class is challenged to work as a team to design a complex engineering system capable… READ MORE >