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An Interview with Rocket Lab Founder & CEO Peter Beck at the 2022 Mars Society Convention

The Mars Society is pleased to announce that Peter Beck, founder, Chief Executive Officer, and Chief Engineer of Rocket Lab, a leading launch and space systems company opening access to space to improve life on Earth, will be interviewed virtually about his company and its plans for the future at the 25th Annual International Mars Society Convention on Thursday, October 20th at 3:00 pm MST. Rocket Lab’s capabilities span the space economy, including satellite design and manufacture, industry-leading spacecraft software… READ MORE >

Mars Society Offers Virtual Option for Attendance at 2022 Int’l Convention

The Mars Society will be offering virtual attendance options for its in-person 25th Annual International Mars Society Convention, to be held Thursday-Sunday, October 20-23, 2022 at Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona.   The international forum presents a unique opportunity for those interested in learning more about current efforts and future plans for the exploration of the planet Mars, including a human mission to the Red Planet, from leading scientists, aerospace executives, government policymakers, science journalists, and space advocates. Virtual attendance… READ MORE >

Former NASA Chief Scientist Jim Green to Discuss Bringing Earth Life to Mars at 2022 Int’l Convention

The Mars Society is pleased to announce that former NASA Chief Scientist Dr. James Green will give a plenary address about “bringing Earth life to Mars” and how that will begin the long-term process of terraforming the planet during the 25th Annual International Mars Society Convention, scheduled for October 20-23, 2022 at Arizona State University in Tempe. Currently a scientist and senior advisor at NASA headquarters in Washington, D.C., Dr. Green previously held the position of Chief Scientist within the… READ MORE >

2022 Mars Society Convention to Receive Briefing about Model Mars STEAM Learning Platform

The Mars Society is pleased to announce that Dr. Jan Millsapps, a veteran filmmaker and Professor Emeritus of Cinema at San Francisco State University, will give a presentation during the 25th Annual International Mars Society Convention (October 20-23, 2022 at ASU in Tempe) about Model Mars, a unique, interdisciplinary STEAM learning platform that invites young people from around the world to create their own futures as virtual settlers living in simulated communities on Mars. Launched in early 2022 by Dr. Millsapps and co-developers… READ MORE >

Two Important Convention Deadlines Approaching (Aug. 31st)

The Mars Society is convening its 25th Annual International Mars Society Convention October 20-23, 2022 at Arizona State University. It’ll be the organization’s first in-person convention since 2019 due to the pandemic, with hundreds of people expected to attend and thousands to watch the four-day event via livestreaming. Convention planners would like to remind everyone of two important convention deadlines coming up on Wednesday, August 31st (5:00 pm MT). The first involves our call for papers, inviting members of the… READ MORE >

Voyager Space CEO Dylan Taylor to Discuss Future of Space Industry at Mars Society Convention

The Mars Society is pleased to announce that Dylan Taylor, Chairman & CEO of Voyager Space, a multi-national space holding firm that acquires and integrates leading space exploration enterprises globally, will give a plenary talk on October 20th (11:00 am MST) about how the commercial space industry will likely evolve over the next five years during the 25th Annual International Mars Society Convention at Arizona State University (Tempe). As an early-stage investor in more than 50 emerging ventures, including Accion, Kepler, York,… READ MORE >

Mars Society Concludes its “International Mission to Mars” Design Class & Competition for High School Students

The Mars Society, the world’s largest nonprofit organization dedicated to sending humans to Mars, has recently concluded its first cohort of a groundbreaking educational program “International Mission to Mars”, an engineering design competition for high school students.  The program is modeled on the approach taken in engineering design courses at some of the leading universities in the world. In conducting this program, the Mars Society sought to demonstrate the value of a new and much more creative way to teach… READ MORE >

Join Us at Star Trek Las Vegas Aug. 25-28!

The Mars Society will have for the first time its own booth/display at The 56-Year Mission Las Vegas (previously Star Trek Las Vegas), scheduled for August 25-28 at Bally’s Hotel & Casino. Organized and managed by Creation Entertainment, the Las Vegas-based annual Star Trek convention will include a line-up of approximately 100 actors, such as William Shatner (“Captain Kirk”), involved in the historic science fiction television and film series. Supervised by Mars Society staff and volunteers, the organization will manage its own… READ MORE >

2022 Mars Society Convention to Receive Update about Mars Rovers from ASU’s Jim Bell

Ten missions have now been successfully landed on the planet Mars since 1976, including six rovers that have traversed across a total of more than 50 kms of terrain. Arizona State University’s Dr. Jim Bell has been the lead or deputy scientist in charge of the science cameras on NASA’s Spirit, Opportunity, Curiosity, and Perseverance rovers, providing him with an amazing front row seat for their photographic and geological adventures. The Mars Society will be welcoming Dr. Bell as a… READ MORE >

NASA Assoc. Admin. Bhavya Lal to discuss Mars nuclear propulsion at Mars Society Convention

The Mars Society is pleased to announce that Dr. Bhavya Lal, NASA Associate Administrator for Technology, Policy, and Strategy, will give a plenary talk about the strategic and policy challenges related to nuclear propulsion for a human mission to Mars during the 25th Annual International Mars Society Convention, scheduled for October 20-23, 2022 at Arizona State University. Dr. Lal is responsible for providing evidence-driven advice to NASA leadership on internal and external policy issues, strategic planning, and technology investments. She… READ MORE >

An Awesome Design Wins 1st Place in the 2022 Mars Society Poster Contest

The Mars Society is very pleased to announce that Antonella Berti Benza has won first place in the 2022 Mars Society Poster Contest! A resident of Córdoba, Argentina, Ms. Benza works in art direction and graphic design and illustration at Nellabe Art. Graphic artists who participated in this year’s design competition were asked to submit a poster using the theme “Searching for Life with Heavy Lift” as part of its overall composition. Current heavy lift spaceflight options include NASA’s SLS… READ MORE >

UA’s Marcia Rieke to Present Latest News about Webb Telescope at Mars Society Convention

With booming world-wide interest in NASA’s now operational James Webb Space Telescope, the Mars Society is pleased to announce that Dr. Marcia Rieke, Principal Investigator for the Webb’s near-infrared camera NICRam, will give an address – “The Webb Telescope’s First Months: A Treasure Trove of Results” – during the 25th Annual International Mars Society Convention October 20-23 at Arizona State University (Tempe). Currently a Regents Professor of Astronomy at the University of Arizona, Dr. Rieke focuses her research activities on… READ MORE >

Int’l Mars Mission Design Competition Moving into the Final Round

After two weeks of lectures and two weeks of intensive design work, the Mars Society’s International Mission to Mars Design Class & Competition for high school students is now moving towards its final stage, with the five teams of approximately seven students each – one from Asia, one from Europe and Africa and three from the Americas – now writing up their design reports in preparation for the concluding contest beginning next week. The final shootout will occur in three… READ MORE >

Honeybee Robotics VP Kris Zacny to Address 2022 Mars Society Convention

The Mars Society is pleased to announce that Dr. Kris Zacny, Vice President of Exploration Systems and Senior Research Scientist at Honeybee Robotics, will give a plenary talk about robotic space exploration and mining at the 25th Annual International Mars Society Convention, scheduled for October 20-23, 2022 at Arizona State University (Tempe). 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… READ MORE >

First All-High School Crew Set for MDRS

The Mars Society is pleased to announce the high school students selected to be part of the first all-high school crew participating in a full analog mission at the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) in Utah. Spaceward Bound is part of the Mars Society’s growing K-12 STEM initiative at MDRS, which involves U.S. and international students. The student team was chosen for their personal skills and interests, as well as their ability to fit into a team of Martian explorers…. READ MORE >

Space Nomads: Why Mongolians are Destined to Go to Mars

By Dr. Robert Zubrin, The Cosmopolitan Globalist, 07.13.22 While I earn my living as president of a small aerospace R&D company, Pioneer Astronautics, I also lead the Mars Society, a non-profit that promotes the exploration and settlement of Mars. Founded in 1998, the Mars Society has chapters in 40 countries. Our activities include public outreach to spread our vision, securing support for government Mars programs, and projects of our own—most notably, establishing Mars analog research stations in deserts around the… READ MORE >

Register Now for ‘Living in Space 2022’

Join us this Friday & Saturday (July 8-9) for ‘Living in Space 2022’, a fascinating series of talks about analog research and development involving the Mars Society’s Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) in southern Utah. Hosted by Better Futures, in coordination with the Mars Society, the two-day virtual event will involve over a dozen speakers discussing various topics related to humanity living in space, including on the planet Mars. Among the many speakers participating are: Mars Society President Dr. Robert… READ MORE >

SpaceX’s Starlink Comms System Now Used by Crews at Mars Society’s MDRS in Utah

The Mars Society announced that its Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) management team has installed SpaceX’s Starlink system at its remote campus in southern Utah to help dramatically improve the facility’s communications network used by analog crews involved in on-site simulation training and field studies.  Starlink is a global satellite internet constellation operated by SpaceX, providing internet access coverage to dozens of countries around the world, and frequently used in areas where wifi connectivity is typically unreliable or completely unavailable. … READ MORE >

U of Michigan Wins URC Competition!

The Mars Society is pleased to announce that the Michigan Mars Rover Team (University of Michigan) has won the 2022 University Rover Challenge, the world’s premier Mars robotics competition for college students, with 388.97 points! Way to go, Wolverines! Coming in second place was the Monash Nova Rover (Monash University, Australia) with 380.55 points, and third place was taken by the Mars Rover Design Team (Missouri University of Science & Technology) with 370.71 points. All 36 student teams did a… READ MORE >

2022-23 MDRS Field Season Announced

With the 2021-22 field season at the Mars Society’s Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) in Utah winding down in the coming days, MDRS management, led by its director, Dr. Shannon Rupert, is pleased to announce the crew itinerary* for the 2022-23 field season at MDRS. Congratulations to the crews on being selected, and we look forward to hosting them “on Mars”! 2022 October 1 – 16: MDRS Work Party October 20 – 23: [Off-Site] The 25th Annual International Mars Society… READ MORE >

Hiring: Assistant Director (for remote research station in Utah)

The Mars Society is seeking applications from highly qualified people for management positions at the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) in Utah, the largest and longest-running Mars analog facility in the world.  The station is set amid some of the most spectacular landscapes you will ever see, and researchers come from all over the world to work here. We are looking for assistant directors beginning in October 2022.  You must be able to work in the U.S. and possess a… READ MORE >

Mars Society to Hold International High School Mars Mission Design Class & Competition

The Mars Society will hold an international high school student Mars Mission Design Class & Competition this summer. The virtual class will be a unique experience, allowing high school students from around the world to take part in an educational activity modelled on the design course now practiced by the best world-wide university engineering departments. A university design class differs greatly from a typical college class. Instead of being taught some material by a professor and then being tested on… READ MORE >

Utah NASA Space Grant Consortium Approves 5K Grant for MDRS Classroom Initiative

The Mars Society is pleased to announce that the Utah NASA Space Grant Consortium has approved a $5,000 grant request to fund an educational project called “Spaceward Bound Classroom: Bringing Mars to Utah Students,” which focuses on developing a series of labs in a box with engaging science experiments that can be shipped to Utah classrooms when visiting the organization’s Mars Desert Research Station in southern Utah is not an option for students. Led by MDRS Director Dr. Shannon Rupert,… READ MORE >

From the Executive Director

How You Can Help Humanity Get to Mars Many people ask me, “James, how I can help get human beings to Mars? I’m not a rocket scientist… I’m just a regular person!” I tell them that the Mars Society was founded on the principle that we need people from all walks of life to achieve our mission. From the beginning, we have been a grassroots organization powered by people from all cultures, with a wide variety of skill sets and… READ MORE >

Celebrate our 25th Annual International Mars Society Convention

As the world’s largest space advocacy group dedicated to humans-to-Mars, the Mars Society has been bringing together key scientists, researchers, commercial space executives, government representatives, and journalists to discuss the latest news about human Mars exploration and settlement, as well as cutting-edge topics in space exploration, science, and technology. For the last two years, due to the pandemic, our international conference has been virtual only, resulting in a significant online audience. This year, our Mars Society leadership is pleased to… READ MORE >