Mars Analogs. Not a term I’d heard until a few months ago when The Mars Society put out an appeal for volunteers to join a re-hab crew at the Mars Desert Research Station in southeastern Utah. I’d heard of specific facilities and experiments run by NASA, but not the MDRS nor the term Mars Analog. (MDRS: Mars Desert Research Station (marssociety.org))
As I prepared to head to Utah to join the re-hab crew, I thought I’d check in on what’s going on at other analogs. There are more than you might think, and certainly the ubiquitous Wikipedia page lists several, with links to their details (List of Mars analogs – Wikipedia).
Several analog cycles have concluded in the last couple of months. Most notably, CHAPEA Mission 1 (CHAPEA Mission 1 – NASA) wrapped up in July with the crew exiting the habitat after 378 days in isolation.
NASA’s Antarctic facility (referred to as “white Mars”) is part of the Human Research Program (Antarctic Stations – NASA) NASA states:
“Antarctica’s climate, terrain, temperature, and isolation provide an environment on Earth that closely parallels the conditions of isolation and stress that astronauts will face on long-duration missions in space. This analog provides a unique and accessible test bed to develop prototype systems and technologies for use on the Moon and Mars.”
And yes, you read that right, I’m heading to the MDRS in the near future. But no, I’m not joining a Mars simulation mission, but rather joining the team that is prepping the facility for the next research season that starts in mid-October. I’d love to be part of a real research cycle, maybe play the role of the useless stowaway that rises to the occasion to save the day. But my guess is, that’s not a role they typically fill.
So I’m excited to go and spend a couple of weeks working on the habitat and, as my wife puts it, “geeking out” with my fellow Mars enthusiasts.
But as you know from past issues, I can let a post go by without a movie reference.
I will try to avoid embarrassing myself and thus include only this passing reference to the absurd Bio-Dome (included here only in reference to my remark above about the useless stowaway) and move on to darker reference to a Mars-like habitat in the 1977 science fiction thriller, Capricorn One (2-minute video).
[Image Credit: v67566dd67m.jpg (442×800) (rovicorp.com)]
The movie centers on a Mars mission, doomed to failure. The “government” decides to have the crew live in a simulated Mars environment, send back updates, and ultimately return to Earth—sure, what could go wrong. No spoilers here though.
So, I guess when the first mission to Mars is launched, the conspiracy theorists will be staking out all the Mars analogs that are around the world.
I just hope they don’t show up when we’re re-habing the MDRS.
I’ll provide a mission de-brief when I return from Utah and let you all know how it went. In the meantime, check out The Mars Society (The Mars Society) and the MDRS (Mars Desert Research Station (marssociety.org)), and support them if you’re so inclined.
Thanks for stopping by.