Crew biographies, photos and mission patch

Mariona Badenas-Agustí
Crew Commander & Crew Astronomer
Mariona Badenas Agusti earned a degree in Astrophysics from Yale University, a master’s degree in Astrophysics, Cosmology, and High Energy Physics from the Autonomous University of Barcelona and the Institute for Space Studies of Catalonia, and is now pursuing a Ph.D. in Planetary Sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). At MIT, she uses computational tools and observations from space telescopes to study stellar evolution and to discover and characterize exoplanets (planets in orbit outside the Solar System). In parallel, she spends much of her free time giving educational lectures on the universe and space exploration. Outside academia, she is very interested in the aerospace industry and is a member of the Space Generation Advisory Council and also of Women in Aerospace Europe.

Carla Conejo González
Crew Executive Officer & Crew Biologist
Carla Conejo González is the co-founder of Polaris, a science-travel app. She is also the former Head of Science Programs at the Fundació Catalunya La Pedrera. She earned a degree in Human Biology by the Pompeu Fabra University, a master’s degree in Pharmaceutical and Biotechnological Industry by the same university and a postgraduate’s degree in Science Communication by the University of Vic. She has done research in neurobiology at the Center for Genomic Regulation (CRG) in Barcelona, in Spain, and the University of Bologna, in Italy. She has worked as scientific advisor and documentalist in the TV3 program Quèquicom. She has also been a volunteer and Director of International Relations in MAGMA, Association for Promoting Youth Research, representative at the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) in the USA, and Vice-President of the science diplomacy association Scientists Dating Forum. She combines her passion for science education and outreach with travelling to get to know this special planet that we have been lucky to inhabit.

Ariadna Farrés Basiana
Crew Scientist & Health and Safety Officer
Ariadna Farrés Basiana has a Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics by the University of Barcelona. Specialized in astrodynamics and celestial mechanics, she has devoted part of her scientific career to the study of the use of solar sail for missions in the Earth-Sun system. Currently she works with the Flight Dynamics team at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, as an expert on the impact solar radiation pressure has on Liberation point orbits, and studying how to minimize the cost of station-keeping maneuvers. Collaborating with the James Webb Space Telescope and Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope.

Laia Ribas
GreenHab Officer
Laia Ribas is a senior researcher at the Institute of Marine Sciences of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC). She studied at the University Autonomous of Barcelona where she obtained her Ph.D. in biological sciences in 2006. She worked as a postdoc at the Imperial College of London, United Kingdom. She leads her own research team (Repro-Immune Team) to study the effects of the environmental factors on the sexual phenotype of fish, focusing on the interactions between the reproductive and the immune systems. She is interested in identifying molecular markers with the aim of improving aquaculture production. She is a member of SONET and participated in the awarded Nüwa project to design a city for 1 million people on Mars. She is committed to outreach by participating and leading projects, e.g. Sex in the Sea-ty.

Núria Jar
Crew Journalist
Núria Jar is a freelance journalist, specialized in science and health. She currently collaborates with the radio program El Matí de Catalunya Ràdio, the public science news agency SINC and the magazine Muy Interesante. She also co-directs the 5W Magazine podcasts and coordinates the radio workshop for the Master’s Degree in Scientific, Medical and Environmental Communication at Pompeu Fabra University (UPF). With more than 10 years of experience in journalism, she has worked for the main Catalan and Spanish media outlets, such as El País, La Vanguardia and TV3, as well as international journals, such as Scientific American. She recently produced the audio series ‘The Coronavirus Scientists’, funded by COVID emergency funds for journalists from the National Geographic Society. Throughout her career, she has received numerous awards, such as the Concha García Campoy Award in the written press category for the report ‘Cuando el médico se convierte en paciente’, published in La Vanguardia. She has a Degree in Journalism from the Autonomous University of Barcelona and Master’s Degree in Scientific, Medical and Environmental Communication by UPF. She is also a member of the Catalan Association of Scientific Communication and the Spanish Association of Scientific Communication. She has also taken an active part in different editions of the World Conference of Science Journalists (WCSJ) in Seoul, South Korea, and Lausanne, Switzerland.

Neus Sabaté
Crew Engineer
Neus Sabaté is an ICREA Professor at the Institute of Microelectronics of Barcelona and co-founder of Fuelium, a spin-off company that aims at developing and commercializing paper-based batteries for single use portable devices. Physicist by education, she has devoted her scientific career to the development of microsystems such as physical sensors and power sources. She is the leader of the Self-Powered Engineered Devices Group (SPEED) that focuses on the development of sustainable diagnostic devices that contain a minimal amount of electronic components and extract the energy required to perform the test from the sample under analysis. Her research has been granted by relevant institutions like the European Research Council or the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. She is highly motivated to take her research out of the lab and test it in real environments as a first step of a successful deployment of her inventions to society.

Cesca Cufí-Prat
Crew Mission Specialist
Cesca Cufí Prat is an aerospace engineer specialized in space systems. She is graduated in Aerospace Engineering at Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC, Spain) and earned a master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering with a specialization in Space Systems at Institute Supérieur de l’Aeronautique et de l’Espace (ISAE Supaero, France). She has been working on the field of attitude and orbital control systems (AOCS) for the last three years in Airbus Defence and Space where her work is currently focused on high precision instruments for Earth observation.

During these two weeks, our crew will aim to accomplish their experiments in the best way possible. Every crewmate has chosen an experiment in their domain of expertise and has prepared it thoroughly. Here are the details and mission plans of every experiment.

“Confinement FOMO” – Aglaé Sacré

FOMO, “Fear of missing out”, can appear when we are cut out of society. The Mars simulation completely cuts the crew off of the network and the outer world, which makes it the best place to study how the lack of social media affects the mental condition of not wanting to miss on something. This analysis will be done by anonymous questionnaires before, during (30 min every other day) and after the mission. This way Aglaé could compare how the crew used to use social media, how they predicted they would live without it and how they actually lived without it. Aglaé will be doing this for her Master’s thesis that she will present in June to the jury of UCLouvain.

Collaborator: François Lambotte, Director of School of Communication at UCLouvain.

“Radiation: how attached are we?” – Thomas Stinglhamber

Every day, everywhere, different types of radiation attack us. On Mars, radiation will be way more brutal and dangerous than on Earth due to the difference of the atmosphere. It is thus very important to be able to have easy ways to measure the dosage of this radiation. Thomas will install dosimeters both inside and outside the station to check how radiation proof the station actually is. The crewmates also get an individual dosimeter that they wear at all times to measure their personal dosage. Complementary to this, Thomas will use a Gamma detector to map out the dosage of the soil and try to find radioactive isotopes near the station.

Collaborator: Pascal Froment, CEO of BeSure

“High Speed Rotor Manufacturing” – Gwenael le Bussy

The Martian atmosphere is a hundred times less dense than the one on Earth. This means that every flying object we would like to use for observation, scouting or measurements needs to be adapted to the physics of that new environment. Like the ones on Ingenuity, the rotor blades have to have a special shape. Naturally, every piece of equipment may encounter a problem and need to be repaired or replaced. The problem cannot be predicted precisely in advance, which means that we need an adaptable solution. Gwenael will study how he can use 3D printing to model (with SolidWorks with NACA profile) and print rotor blades for the Martian atmosphere. Afterwards, he will test them with a high speed motor and measure their thrust with a scale.

“Space Oddity” – Ioana Dimitrova

Long term spaceflight separates astronauts from society and their loved ones for months and months. It also keeps them confined without leaving them a possibility to feel free and do whatever they want. This can lead to mental health problems, tensions within the team and can put the mission at risk. Music could be a cheap, easily transportable and effective solution to this problem. Choosing your personal music to help you relax could have multiple benefits. It could help you transport yourself elsewhere, work through your emotions and stimulate your senses. Ioana will test if this theory is true by measuring cardiac parameters during relaxing times with and without music chosen by the crew. The technology used for the measurements is KINO by HeartKinetics. It is an app that you put on your chest and that analyses your heart.

Collaborator: HeartKinetics

“Hide and seek during radiation storms” – Augustin Tribolet

As we mentioned earlier, radiation is an important factor in a Mars mission. If we are to live there or try to make bacteria or plants survive, we must find the most protected areas on the surface. An easy way to be able to find those places could be to use a drone to map out the area and to find these places. Augustin will use a drone to scan the surface and generate a 3D model by photogrammetry. This digital technique allows us to build the 3D model from photographic images. He will work closely with Agnes who studies extremophiles (see below) to analyse how effective his hiding places actually are.

Collaborator: Jerome Loic, Bernard Foing, Jeff Rayner, CEO of MXTreality

“Mars well-being” – Ttele Hiriart

Confinement, isolation, extreme conditions… All these factors affect mental health and team dynamics. How do girls react differently to boys? How does the team work together? How do the dynamics evolve? Which teamwork tools actually work? During the mission, Ttele will keep a diary of her observations of the team and different crewmates. She will compare these observations with the ones made by other mission simulations in Antarctica for example. She will also introduce some teamwork exercises to see if they help. At the end of the mission, she will present her observations of the ups and downs of the mission, how the team interacted and different lessons the team has learned or must work on for future missions.

“I will survive” – Agnes Dekeyser

I will survive !

As you may know, the planet Mars is currently not habitable for life as we know it due to its extreme

conditions. We are talking about an atmospheric pressure that is 1% of that found on Earth (at sea

level), an average temperature of -60°C, and an atmosphere composed of only 0.1% oxygen.

However, there are microorganisms on Earth that could withstand such conditions. They are called

"extremophiles". These are microorganisms that live in conditions that are lethal to most other

microorganisms. They live on the seabed, in the earth’s crust, in glaciers, and in many other extreme

environments. During this simulated mission on the planet Mars, our Crew Executive Officer will

study the viability of two strains of extremophiles after exposition to MDRS environmental conditions

: Deinococcus Radiodurans and Cupriavidus Metallidurans. Each strain will be exposed outside for 8

days in anaerobic condition. Their viability will be compared to their unexposed analogues based on

CFUs (Colony-Forming-Units) analysis.

“We are what we eat” – Antoine de Barquin

The goal of his experiment is to understand the impact of specific nutrition and confinement on the intestinal flora of astronauts. To conduct this study, a sample of each crew member was taken before departure to perform an analysis of intestinal bacteria by targeted metagenomics. This analysis is performed at the LIMS MBnext laboratory which collaborates with our crew for this experiment. Antoine will monitor everything the crew eats, type of food, quantities, time of the day etc. He will start analysing the data during the mission and will conclude the analysis after the return on Earth. The crew will give “post-mission” samples. This way, Antoine will be able to compare and analyse how the team is affected by everyone’s microbiote.

Collaborator: LIMS MBnext Laboratory

Crew Biography

 

Crew 275 Mission Plan 12Feb2023

Crew 275 – ISAE-Supaero (France)

Crew Commander: Jeremy Rabineau
Executive Officer / Crew Engineer: Quentin Royer
Crew Journalist: Marie Delaroche
Health & Safety Officer: Corentin Senaux
Crew Botanist: Adrien Tison
Crew Scientist: Alice Chapiron
Crew Astronomer: Alexandre Vinas

The Crew 275, gathering 7 students from ISAE-Supaero (Toulouse, France), is planning to perform a wide range of scientific experiments and technology demonstrations during their mission at the MDRS. These activities will be performed based on the nine-year experience of ISAE-Supaero crews at the MDRS. For the first time, the mission will last a total of 4 weeks.

Physics

Two experiments from the French National Center of Scientific Research (CNRS) have been performed at the MDRS for several years already. We are planning to gather additional data for this season as well. These activities will require EVAs.

· LOAC (Light Optical Aerosol Counter): LOAC is an optical aerosol counter, measuring the concentrations of different particles in the air and classifying them by size.
Related EVAs: Two EVAs planned for the first week to install the device. Every two days, the batteries will have to be changed and the data will have to be collected. The latter procedures can be part of other EVAs.
External points of contact: Jean-Pierre Lebreton and Jean-Baptiste Renard, CNRS.
Point of contact within the crew: Alexandre Vinas.

· Mega-Ares: Mega-Ares is a sensor precisely measuring the electric field and the conductivity of the air. It is the little brother of Micro-Ares, the only payload of the Schiaparelli lander (ExoMars 2016).
Related EVAs: Performed simultaneously with the EVAs planned for LOAC. Two EVAs planned for the first week to install the device. Every two days, the batteries will have to be changed and the data will have to be collected. The latter procedures can be part of other EVAs.
External points of contact: Jean-Pierre Lebreton and Jean-Baptiste Renard, CNRS.
Point of contact within the crew: Alexandre Vinas.

Technology

Three technology demonstrations are planned, one of them being the continuation of last year’s mission of ISAE-Supaero (Crew 263). They are based on based on technologies developed by the French Space Agency (CNES) and its health subsidiary (MEDES), as well as a private company (Nucleus VR).

· AI4U: AI4U is an AI tool designed to help and assist astronauts in their daily tasks (environmental measurements, voice recognition, emergency procedures). The aim is to test this AI assistant in real or close-to-real scenarios.
Related EVAs: None.
External points of contact: Gregory Navarro and Laure Boyer, CNES.
Point of contact within the crew: Quentin Royer.

· Echofinder: Onboard the ISS, ultrasound scanners are teleoperated by trained specialists. As we travel further away from Earth, communication delays will increase and teleoperated devices will no longer be usable. The goal of Echofinder is to enable autonomous ultrasound acquisition sessions without any knowledge in medicine and any communication link with an experienced sonographer. The Echofinder tool uses augmented reality and an AI to help the operator capture usable imagery of the subject’s organs.
Related EVAs: None.
External point of contact: Aristée Thévenon, MEDES.
Point of contact within the crew: Marie Delaroche.

· Digital twins: Evaluation of a digital twin training method to help astronaut using hardware and better visualizing how to fix or use an object. This experiment will use a digital environment with a numerical 3D model of an object.
Related EVAs: None.
External point of contact: Aristée Thévenon, MEDES.
Point of contact within the crew: Marie Delaroche.

Human Factors

Three human factor experiments are planned for this season. They are the result of a collaboration with the Swedish Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), the French Military Institute of Biomedical Research (IRBA), and the University of Burgundy (France).

· KTHitecture: Measure of the stress of analog astronauts and of the influence of environmental parameters on the stress using Polar bands bracelets, sleep monitoring using Dreem headbands, questionnaires, evaluation of the position of the analog astronauts in the station, and environmental measurement (temperature, humidity, etc.).
Related EVAs: None.
External point of contact: Michail Magkos, KTH.
Point of contact within the crew: Corentin Senaux.

· ETERNITI: Study of the psycho-physio-cognitive functioning and of the benefits of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) in the context of Mars analog missions. taVNS consists in a non-invasive stimulation of the vagus nerve at the level of the ear. It is a very encouraging candidate as a countermeasure to mitigate the harmful effects of future interplanetary missions and improve individual performance. In the recent years, taVNS has indeed shown its potential to reduce symptoms, improve cognitive performance, and enhance recovery.
Related EVAs: No dedicated EVAs. However, this experiment will make use of EVAs planned for other experiments to evaluate their impact on the level of stress.
External point of contact: Barbara Le Roy, IRBA.
Point of contact within the crew: Jeremy Rabineau.

· Adapt Mars: Self-report questionnaires to explore some aspects linked to individual and social adaptation to isolated and confined extreme environments. The aim is to examine the social, emotional, occupational, and physical impact of these environments. Other objectives include: the impact on individual psychological adaptation factors (stress, recovery, defense mechanism, etc.) and interpersonal relationships (cohesion, leadership, etc.).
Related EVAs: None.
External points of contact: Michel Nicolas and Lou Perrot, University of Burgundy.
Point of contact within the crew: Corentin Senaux.

Botany

Two botany experiments are planned to take place at the Green Hab. They are designed with the support of researchers from ISAE-Supaero and NASA.

· Aquapony: The aim of this experiment is to test aquaponics systems inside the Green Hab and to evaluate their viability in Mars analog missions.
Related EVAs: None.
External point of contact: Nicolas Drougard, ISAE-Supaero.
Point of contact within the crew: Adrien Tison.

· Microgreens: The idea behind this activity is to grow crops of microgreens in the Green Hab. One of the main advantages of microgreens is that they grow quickly, meaning that four crops could be harvested in four weeks, with the possibility to include them in the food consumption of the crew. The focus will be put on the impact of a few conditions on how microgreens can grow in the Green Hab, including with water from the aquaponics systems.
Related EVAs: None.
External point of contact: Christina Johnson, NASA.
Point of contact within the crew: Adrien Tison.

Geology & Exploration

Two geology and exploration experiments are planned and will require dedicated EVAs. They have been prepared with scientists from CNRS and ISAE-Supaero. One of the experiments includes the use of a drone for which a license has been obtained by a crew member (Quentin Royer).

· MetMet: Test of material used to measure the magnetic susceptibility and electrical conductimetry of rocks to rapidly assess their type. This material is currently used to differentiate meteorites from terrestrial rocks.
Related EVAs: One EVA per week to collect samples.
External point of contact: Jerome Gattacceca, CNRS.
Point of contact within the crew: Alice Chapiron.

· Photogrametry: Test of the added value of having a 3D map of a terrain (mapped with an Anafi drone from Parrot) to prepare EVAs and facilitate exploration. These tests will include the localization and identification of specific objects of interest during EVAs, with and without prior familiarization with a 3D map of the terrain.
Related EVAs: A pilot EVA planned during the first week. Then three EVAs will be planned each week. For a given week, all EVAs will be performed at the same location (one for the 3D mapping and two for the exploration with or without the 3D mapping).
External point of contact: Raphaelle Roy, ISAE-Supaero.
Point of contact within the crew: Quentin Royer.

Biology

One biology experiment has been prepared with the university of Hawaii and will require dedicated EVAs.

· Biofinder: The aim of this experiment is to identify traces of life with a fluorescence technology instrument during EVA.
Related EVAs: One EVA per week to collect samples (in parallel with the MetMet EVAs).
External point of contact: Anupam Misra, University of Hawaii.
Point of contact within the crew: Alice Chapiron.

Astronomy

One astronomy project has already been prepared with Peter Detterline at the Mars Society.

· Asteroid characterization: The aim of this project is to measure the lightcurve, velocity, and rotation rate of pre-identified asteroids. It will make use of the C14 telescope in the robotic observatory at a frequency of two to three nights per week.
Related EVAs: None.
External point of contact: Peter Detterline, Mars Society.
Point of contact within the crew: Corentin Senaux.

Outreach

· France Televisions: Video documentary that will be part of the nightly news show on the channel France 3. Shooting is planned during week four (March 7th).
Related EVAs: No dedicated EVAs but the EVA planned during this day may be longer due to the presence of the journalist.
External point of contact: Keely Sullivan den Bergh, France Televisions.
Point of contact within the crew: Marie Delaroche.

· BBC: Video documentary. Shooting scheduled for one day at the end of week three (March 3rd or 4th), in addition to a few hours of filming without any interactions with the crew.
Related EVAs: No dedicated EVAs but the EVA planned during this day may be longer due to the presence of the journalist.
External point of contact: Nina Kojima, Partisan Media Limited.
Point of contact within the crew: Marie Delaroche.

Kshitij Mall: Commander (India)
Kshitij Mall is a Post-doctoral Research Associate at the Center for Integrated Systems in Aerospace, Purdue University. He obtained his Ph.D. and Masters degrees from the School of Aeronautics & Astronautics, Purdue University. He was a Post-doctoral Research Fellow in the department of Aerospace Engineering at Auburn University in 2019. Previously, he completed B. Tech. in Mechanical Engineering at JSSATE Noida, India and then worked for a year at Infosys Technologies Ltd. as a Computer Systems Engineer Trainee. His research interests lie in the areas of Optimal Control Theory, Atmospheric Flight Mechanics, Explainable Artificial Intelligence, and Human-Class Mars missions. He is a member of AIAA. His crew call sign is Chai.

Arly Black: Crew Scientist/Executive Officer (Canada)
Arly Black is a PhD Candidate in the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics at Purdue University, majoring in Astrodynamics. She works in the Space Information Dynamics Group, with a research focus on categorizing orbital debris in cislunar space. Earlier Ph.D. work involved research on passive, aerodynamically stable drag sail deorbit devices for the removal of debris from low-Earth orbits. She obtained her master’s degree from the same program at Purdue University with a major in Propulsion, and her thesis work involved the study of reaction kinetics of hypergolic propellants. Arly received her bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Queen’s University in Canada, and afterwards worked for three years as a Completions Field Engineer with Schlumberger, before pursuing her graduate education. Arly is an avid reader and a perpetual student. She enjoys hiking, skiing, cycling, traveling the world, playing with her German Shepherd Chloe, and making chocolate. Her crew call sign is Maple.

Adriana Brown: Crew Geologist (USA)
Adriana Brown is a recent graduate of Purdue University with a B.S. in Environmental Geoscience. Her undergraduate research focused on stable isotope geochemistry and a paleoclimate reconstruction of Death Valley. She is currently applying to graduate schools to study geochemistry to explore questions about deep time processes on Earth and their applications on other planets. In her free time, she enjoys cycling, hiking, cooking, and reading. Her crew call sign is Rocky.

Mason Kuhn: Crew Engineer (USA)
Mason Kuhn is a senior undergraduate student pursuing a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering at Purdue University. His primary interests within the field of Mechanical Engineering are Aeronautics and Automotives. In accordance with an interest in Aeronautics, Mason will be conducting research at MDRS using a Skydio 2 Drone for scouting, navigation, and search & rescue. Upon graduating from Purdue in May of 2023, he will move to Saginaw, Michigan for a full-time role as a Systems Integration Engineer for Nexteer Automotive. In addition, he has internship work experience as a design engineer and project manager. Mason is from Lockport, Illinois, has an interest in professional and college sports, and is also an avid golfer in his free time. He is extremely excited and prepared for the two-week Mars simulation filled with researching areas of interest, completing team projects, and taking in as much of the MDRS experience as possible. His crew call sign is Scout.

Kenneth Pritchard: Crew Journalist (USA)
Kenny Pritchard is a second-year master’s thesis student within the school of Aeronautics and Astronautics at Purdue University. His research lies in the area of autonomous space habitat design and decision making with the Resilient ExtraTerrestrial Habitats Institute (RETHi). He graduated with a BS in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering from Purdue University in December 2021. In his undergraduate career, he held extracurricular roles including Director of Activities for Purdue Space Day, National Director of Operations for Arnold Air Society, and several Air Force ROTC leadership positions. Having been commissioned through ROTC, Kenny is a second lieutenant with an assignment to attend USAF Undergraduate Pilot Training after his planned graduation in May 2022. His crew call sign is Hemingway.

Megan Rush: Health and Safety Officer (USA)
Megan is a senior Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering undergraduate student at Purdue University. She is a cadet in the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corp (ROTC) where she has held leadership positions that include Flight Commander, Special Events Coordinator, and Vice Wing Commander. After she graduates in December 2023, Megan will commission as a second lieutenant in the United States Air Force as a developmental engineer. She will stay at Purdue to pursue her master’s degree in aerospace engineering. Her research experience includes creating models of hand-held tools to 3D print and use in a remote environment. Bringing a 3D printer to Mars would be challenging but could be very advantageous. In her free time, Megan is a certified personal trainer and enjoys strength training and creating workouts for friends and clients. She is from Orlando, Florida where she spends time reading, fishing, and being with family at the beach and Disney. Her crew call sign is Xerox.

Madelyn Whitaker: Greenhab Officer (USA)
Madelyn Whitaker is an undergraduate student in biological engineering at Purdue Univeristy, concentrating in cellular and biomolecular engineering with minors in biology, biotechnology, and data driven agriculture. She is a member of ASGSR and Alpha Epsilon. Her research interests lie in the areas of plant physiology and stress responses, and plant and microbial symbiosis in closed inhabitation. During her stay at MDRS, she will be testing effects of grey water usage and Astrobiome application on plant yield, photosynthetic efficiency, and overall microbial diversity. She has previously completed research in organic waste repurposing, plant growth in lunar and Martian regolith, and other plant stress projects relating to astrobotany and interplanetary agriculture. Madelyn hopes to continue future doctoral work in the area of controlled environment agriculture, as well as biological and plant life support systems for lunar and Martian missions. Her crew call sign is Sprout.

Crew 272 – Purdue Redusters
Crew Commander: Kshitij Mall (India/USA)
Executive Officer/Chief Scientist: Ariel Black (Canada/USA)
Crew Engineer: Mason Kuhn (USA)
Crew Geologist: Adriana Brown (USA)
Health and Safety Officer: Megan Rush (USA)
Crew Journalist: Kenneth Pritchard (USA)
Green Hab Officer: Madelyn Whitaker (USA)

MDRS Crew 272 is a multidisciplinary group of engineers and scientists hailing from the cradle of astronauts, Purdue University, who are all passionate about Mars exploration. The crew’s priority will be to advance the state-of-the-art research in different fields of current interest pertaining to Martian missions including communications, search and rescue missions using drones, additive manufacturing, plant growth on Mars, and human factors. Below is a detailed summary of projects during the mission.

Title: Radio Direction Finding for Communication on Mars
Crew Member: Kshitij Mall
Objectives: The main objective is to expand upon the research conducted by Dr. Justin Mansell during Crew 186 rotation and improve upon the transmitter-receiver system to have better communication at Mars between astronauts on EVAs and their habitat. Additional intent is to use the existing MDRS HAM, if possible, to improve the communication at Mars.
Description: This project aims at looking at the improved transmission system comprising two Microfox 15 transmitters and Yagi Uda antenna receiver system. Idea is to place transmitters at two different spots, one at the hab and another at another safe location to help identify the roundabout latitude and longitude of a particular location using Yagi Uda antenna
Rationale: Mars doesn’t have a magnetic field for compass to work and won’t have a GPS system right away. For communication on Mars we’ll have to look at other options.
EVAs Required: One EVA to place the transmitter and then test the new two transmitter communication.

Title: Paleoclimate Reconstruction of the Near-MDRS Environment
Crew Member: Adriana Brown
Objectives: Field observation and sampling of inverted paleochannels, analysis of paleoflow indicators, and interpretation of changes in depositional environments near Kissing Camel Ridge and Candor Chasma.
Description: This project aims to begin a paleoclimate reconstruction of the environment near MDRS, with a specific focus on changing depositional environments and ancient fluvial processes and how these are reflected in the stratigraphy.
Rationale: Understanding ancient fluvial processes is integral to better understanding the climatic and habitability history of Mars. Many features near MDRS, especially inverted paleochannels, such as those proposed by Clarke and Stoker (2011), are excellent Martian analogs that can provide important information through sedimentary stratigraphy and structures.
EVAs Required: At least one to Candor Chasma and to Kissing Camel Ridge.

Title: Navigation, Scouting, and Search & Rescue Using a Drone
Crew Member: Mason Kuhn
Objectives: The navigational objective is to explore areas of interest and routes to them for safe passage on foot, by a rover, or both. The scouting objective is to find new areas of interest for the geologist and any other crew member who is looking for a specific area, formation, or other items. The objective of search and rescue will be to compare the time taken to locate a ‘lost’ astronaut using the drone’s technology and on foot.
Description: Navigational EVA’s will be conducted as needed and upon request by other crew members who are looking for an aerial view of the path they will take. Media will be collected using the drone camera and shared with the crew members. Scouting EVA’s will be conducted also as needed, and it is expected to scout for different formations for geology areas of interest. This will be done to investigate other areas that might not be planned to visit. While navigation and scouting are used more to help other crew members, S&R will be the main focus of this research with quantifiable data. Time trials will be conducted 2+ times (as time allows) and compared in order to prove which method of S&R is more efficient.
Rationale: Astronauts on Mars will experience dust and windstorms which could pose a risk to their lives, no matter whether they are out of the HAB or ‘safely’ inside of it. There are other possible weather-related risks, or an astronaut could possibly forget their way back to the HAB. In any of these scenarios and likely some other scenarios, search and rescue will be required to save the astronaut’s life.
EVAs Required: Minimum 2 S&R EVAs to collect data, Minimum 1 Navigational EVA (more if needed), Minimum 1 Scouting EVA (more if needed)

Title: The Effectiveness of 3D Printing in a Mars Analog Environment
Crew Member: Megan Rush
Objectives: Test to see if plastic 3D printed tools work just as well as metal tools in a remote environment where it can be hard to plan for events that may require the use of these tools.
Description: A 3D printer was brought to MDRS to print models of rock hammers, shovels, wrenches, screwdrivers, and other tools. These tools will be brought on a geological EVA and used in the field to see how well the plastic performs its intended job.
Rationale: It is hard to plan ahead for events in a remote environment. If a hammer on Mars breaks, and if there are no extras, then astronauts would have to wait a long time for a resupply, which is wasted time. Using a 3D printer in this environment would allow for unlimited extras at a lower cost and shorter time.
EVAs Required: At least one in conjunction with geological EVAs.

Title: Human Adaptation to the Mars Desert Research Station Environment
Crew Member: Arly Black
Objectives: Assess how humans adapt physically and mentally to confined, isolated, and extreme environments, and assess whether air quality in the hab and spacesuits can be correlated to astronaut performance.
Description: Research involves daily touch-based, computer administered cognitive performance tests, evaluating spatial orientation, vigilance, and mental workload. Additional research will study the physiology of participants before, after, and throughout the mission via a smart tracker FitBit device worn around the wrist. Participants will also be required to fill out daily personal survey about their perceived mood, health, sleep, workload, and crewmember conflicts to see how the mission is affecting perceived mental and physical states.
Rationale: Stressors such as high workload, sleep restriction, circadian misalignment, team dynamics, confinement, isolation, and extreme environments can threaten the ability of astronauts to sustain high levels of cognitive performance over prolonged periods of time. There are few data points about the physical and mental strain astronauts experience on real long-term space exploration missions. As the conditions analog crew members will face replicate those of off-world environments, this is a key study from which to gather information to inform future real-life missions.
EVAs Required: None

Title: Analysis of Plant Efficiency, Yield, Microbial Diversity with Application of Astrobiome Fertilization Cocktails in Daikon Radish
Crew Member: Madelyn Whitaker
Objectives: Validate main claims of Astrobiome performance in Martian analog, analyze photosynthetic efficiency of samples, effects of wilting on shelf life, gain data on plant performance from analog participants
Description: Test effects of applied concentration gradient on physical characteristics of Daikon radish (1) by applying recommended Astrobiome dose at a 2^n scale. Visually analyze effects of harvest, refrigeration on samples with and without fertilization (2). Gain data, crew testimony of performance of plants (3). Samples at the root, shoot, as well as the substrate, will be frozen in RNA-Later for transcriptomics and analysis.
Rationale: Astrobiome is a prospective fertilizer for use in closed environment agriculture for future lunar and Martian mission. This study aims to validate and quantify the claims of product performance in terms of increased yield, quality, and other characteristics on Daikon radish. Additional introduction of contamination into the experimental design allows for simulation of bacterial presence in closed inhabitation, and further analysis of the bacterial community in these plant systems can provide information on root and bacterial relationships in these systems. It would be beneficial how the microbiome interacts with the plant root system and contributes to overall growth of a model plant other than that with which it was tested; microgreens are often less intensive and more nutrient dense.
EVAs Required: None

Title: Smart Scheduling and Objective Prioritization on a Martian Mission
Crew Member: Kenny Pritchard
Objectives: Autonomously prioritize, schedule, and accomplish crew tasks. Respond to distractions with minimal disruption to the schedule. Qualify the implicit challenges of accomplishing science objectives among the habitat responsibilities and environmental hazards of Martian missions.
Description: This project is effectively a case study of our ability to complete objectives during our rotation. The understanding we gain could inform decisions related to scheduling and smart autonomous planning in future missions to MDRS or other Martian habs.
Rationale: While a wealth of knowledge and experience regarding crew scheduling has been developed on ongoing space missions, future Martian missions will face new challenges. The increased communication delay alone has the potential to cause activity interruptions to a mission where every minute counts. Martian crews will not have immediate access to the indispensable advice of Mission Control — they will need to operate with a degree of independence previously untested.
EVAs Required: None

Research

The Aerospace Corporation does not currently have a standing Institutional Review Board (IRB) for human-subject research. Aerospace has leveraged their Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) organization’s Project Safety Review (PSR) which accounts for any hazardous materials that may be encountered during a planned project. The crew members have completed identified training. The Aerospace crew has also received corporate concurrence from General Counsel, Human Resources, Office of Chief Financial Officer, and Corporate Communications with no noted concerns. The senior leadership of the Aerospace Civil Systems Group (CSG), including Sr. VP and General Manager of Human Exploration & Spaceflight (HESF), have concurred on the scope and application of research within this proposed mission plan, and agree it does not contain human-subject research, and that Aerospace crew members will abide by standard ethics practices. For any future analog missions that contain customer-sponsored activities, such activities will be reviewed by an IRB of the originating/owning institution. No crew health data will be collected regarding Crew 269 activities.

Notional EVA Plan

The EVA plan will be considered research led by the crew Executive Officer. This notional plan considers mission priorities, flight rules, and high-level activity durations. Crew 269 will first consult with MDRS Mission Control and MDRS protocols for planning the following day’s EVAs. The Crew 269 EVA plan provides 11 planned EVAs (on 9 mission days), sometimes with multiple objectives within a single EVA. Each EVA crew will stay together, even when there are multiple objectives on an EVA, and will maintain communications with the IVA crew. The EVA plan considers 1 built-in “rest” days and 1 built-in “back up” where the crew does not perform EVA activities; these serve as a backup for any rescheduling due to issues with prior EVAs, weather delays, etc. Actual targeted locations for EVA activities will be determined by the crew while on-site during the mission, in order to account for observations and feedback from crew members in mission planning.

Table 4 provides a sol-by-sol look at the nominal EVA and activity plan. On Sol 6, after retrieving the Mirror experiment, IVA crew will need to inspect the payload. A 2nd EVA will be required to re-deploy the payload. The balloon launch will occur on Sol 10, to give ample time for the crew to get comfortable on site, accomplish a number of objectives, and minimize the time between balloon launch and retrieval. Our final full day (Sol 12) at MDRS will be reserved as a “Media Day”. More information on or STEM outreach objectives can be found in section 9 of this document.

Table 4 Notional EVA Plan

Notional crew EVA assignments have been completed, accounting for each crew member conducting 5-6 EVAs over the course of the mission. Crew not assigned to EVA will be responsible for IVA (cap com) and recording notes when in communication with the crew. Table 5 was created to make sure the planned EVAs were distributed evenly including use of the MDRS electric vehicles “rovers”.

Table 5 Notional Crew EVA Assignments

Exploration efficiency will be a technical evaluation in conjunction with all crew inputs, recorded statistics, notes, and contributions. The IVA crew will be recording time stamps during EVA activities in order to understand planned versus actual for EVA activities. The IVA crew will act as a temp mission control or “cap com” for procedures and communications. Overall evaluation of the activity timeline, replanning activities, use of Aero support team, crew autonomy levels, and communication methodology influence on EVA will be considered.

No crew health data will be collected regarding EVAs.

Communication Methodology

Led by Barbara Braun, (developed by Braun’s middle schooler) the crew communication methodology will entail the crew will utilizing a discord server for “near real-time” experiment feedback from Aerospace mission support Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) on EVAs and activity replanning, as well as provide an opportunity for STEM outreach. The discord server will account for time/communication delays, with multiple private channels for crew to keep in communication with family, Aerospace mission support personnel, and teachers from around the United States. The discord server will allow the crew to feel connected to friends and family with a low-bandwidth SMS texting level of capability.

Project Phantom Demo

The Phantom Demonstration is a Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) exploration methodology led by the crew Technical Officer, Trevor Jahn (developed in conjunction with his Aerospace team personnel). Project Phantom will be a key highlight of our mission, combining 3D model generating technology, Virtual Reality (VR), and Augmented Reality (AR) for space-based application. The crew will collect imagery data via different photogrammetry techniques, which involves stitching together large collections of overlapping photographs to create 3D digital models. The crew will collect this imagery via camera-mounted rover, camera-mounted drone, and hand-held camera, at areas of interest. The 3D model of the operational environment will be used for EVA mission planning, in conjunction with AR activities during EVAs.

EVA Tool Demo

The EVA Tool Demonstration will be led by Kristine Ferrone and Alli Taylor as a continuation from the International Institute for Astronautical Sciences (IIAS) EVA 103 course, with research conducted in the July 2021 timeframe. For MDRS 269 tool demonstration will include radiation scanning and sample collection techniques. It may be important to survey the surface layer of regolith for radiation before excavating an area of interest. Advantages of local radiation mapping include production of higher resolution surveys as opposed to remote mapping, limited distortion of measurements by planetary atmospheres, and the ability of an astronaut to rake or dig within the regolith to survey beyond the immediate surface. The latter is particularly important to distinguish between radiation emitted by regolith activated by solar particle event (SPE) or galactic cosmic radiation (GCR) at ~cm depths, albedo (reflected) primary or secondary solar or galactic cosmic radiation, and native/naturally occurring radioisotope content within the regolith. EVAs should collect samples that can be further studied back on Earth. Potential samples at different size grains may be advantageous depending on the priorities of the sample collection activity. Crew may demo sifting of the sample for targeted grain size in attempt to provide beneficiation of sample before further processing (such as in ISRU use cases). If a sample is taken, the team should first photograph the area, and photograph the sample with a label, before bagging the sample. No crew health data will be collected regarding EVA tool demonstration.

Mirror Surface Coating Experiment

The Mirror Surface Coating Durability experiment, overseen at MDRS by Ashley Kowalski and Trevor Jahn, developed in conjunction with on-going research at Aerospace’s Physical Sciences Laboratory (PSL), will allow the crew to deploy a payload containing small mirrors with thin-film coatings, monitor mirror surface degradation under simulated accelerated environmental exposure, and periodically inspect the payload during the mission. Data from inspections and the final collection of the payload will return the payload to the PSL for further inspection post-mission. Mirror surfaces simulate delicate science instrumentation, as high-reflectivity Ag mirrors are widely used in space applications. However, exposure to environmental contaminants rapidly degrades optical performance, where corrosion results in reduced reflectivity and increased scatter. This degradation has serious implications on the mirror performance lifetime on planetary surfaces such as Mars. Payload data will be compared to control data, or laboratory simulated environments from prior experiments. No crew health data will be collected regarding deployment/collection/inspection of mirror experiment.

Athena/ HYFIT Exercise Operations

Operational evaluation led by Barbara Braun and Kristine Ferrone. Astronauts spend a significant amount of time completing mission tasks so finding time for feasible amounts of exercise is a priority. Astronauts are also in confined quarters so the space available for exercise is limited, therefore minimizing the size and mass of exercise equipment is necessary. Taking these considerations into account, the modified Athena protocol will allow for crew members to break their exercise into three 15-minute increments throughout the day. Crew will also be offered the ability to “choose their own adventure” from the following workouts:

• HyGear resistance bands (https://hygearfit.com/)

  • Not a paid endorsement, Aerospace and HYFIT established a memorandum of understanding (MOU)

  • Pre-choreographed workout options to follow via HYFIT app (pre-downloaded)

• Total Body Workout

  • Squats, lunges, pushups/shoulder tap, sit-ups/crunches, skater jumps, glute bridge, high knees, leg lifts, hovers, etc. in timed sets.

  • Benefit of aerobic exercise with no equipment needed

  • Pre-choreographed workout videos pre-downloaded as an option

• Yoga/meditation/stretching/other

  • Pre-choreographed workout videos pre-downloaded as an option

  • Good alternate to have on busy, stressful, or long EVA days

Anonymous evaluation and assessment of the style of workout chosen, and how it fit into the workday (or changes made such as fewer workouts) will be provided. No crew health data will be collected regarding the workout routine.

High Altitude Balloon

Led by Matthew Eby, the crew will explore EVA launch of a high-altitude balloon experiment to complement ground-based weather observations, or in response to a Martian atmospheric event (dust storm). This experiment will evaluate the technical ability of a suited 2-person crew to prepare and launch a weather balloon, followed by receipt of telemetered data to the habitat. Experiment factors include low surface wind, cloud ceiling minimums, precipitation. The crew will need procedures for safe handling of a helium bottle, which will be stored in a secured area during transit and prior to the event. The balloon will be exempt from permit due to size and will have regulation of “no undue hazard”. The crew will provide a pre-launch notification to the FAA traffic control and provide expected rise rate (1000 ft/min) and location (about 5 mi west of Hanksville). No crew health data will be collected regarding the deployment of the balloon.

STEM Outreach

The Aerospace MDRS 269 crew has a number of STEM outreach objectives for their inaugural mission:

• The Aerospace MDRS 269 crew will be featured on Aerospace’s The Space Policy Show (SPS) on November 17th leading up to the mission.

  • This event leverages the SPS audience from over 100 prior episodes

• The Aerospace MDRS 269 crew will be hosting a live Audience with Aerospace event during their time at MDRS on Friday December 9th (Sol 12, Media Day, not in simulation) on Zoom.us

  • This event leverages the Aerospace STEM email distribution list, with interest from throughout the United States

• The Aerospace MDRS 269 crew will have a Discord channel for registered STEM participants, where the crew can respond to questions asked by anyone who signs up to engage with the crew on the Discord server. The crew can respond to questions in their free time during the mission. The discord server will account for time delay to/from Mars!

• Aerospace will host a corporate videographer on our Media Day Dec. 9th to capture footage for post-mission production footage (a separate shoot schedule will be provided)

  • 1:1 Interviews

  • Staging a few key experiments

  • Group photos

• Aerospace will be coordinating with their social media team prior to the mission and providing content for socials throughout the mission.

Mapping to LEAG Analog Objectives

Our crew has taken an initial cut at how we think our mission activities could inform some of the published Lunar Exploration Analysis Group (LEAG) Analog Objectives for Artemis (AOA). Any contributions to these areas would be relevant to solving near term exploration challenges, as lunar operations will be considered an analog for future Mars missions. A more detailed look at how MDRS operations or Aerospace analog operations could contribute to these areas will be provided in a final mission report.

Table 6 Crew Activities Aligned to LEAG Analog Objectives

Crew 269 Activity Name	Summary	Requires EVA	Tie to the Lunar Exploration Analysis Group (LEAG) Analog Objectives for Artemis (AOA) Specific Action Team (SAT) report appendices
Notional EVA Plan and efficiency	-Record overhead vs utilization time spent, planned vs actual time allocation for activities, replanning of activities -Record notes for utilization of Aerospace mission support -Implement communications methodology (discord channels)	During all	A; Science support room (SSR) integration and structure K; Communications Architecture L; Crew autonomy
Phantom AR/VR	-Eval series of imagery collection techniques via multiple methods -Perform/send data processing for VR -Use of AR in EVA for navigation, site inspection	Yes	C; Instrumentation F; Imaging I; Documentation J; Advanced Technologies K; communications architecture L; crew autonomy N; Location/Navigation O; Test Design
EVA Tool Evaluation	-Demo conops for radiation tool -Demo sample collection conops	Yes	F; Imaging (TBD) G; Sampling (TBD) H; Tool and Tool/Sample/Payload Management
Mirror Surface Coating Experiment	-Payload deployment -Scientific inspection, monitoring, measurements	Yes	C; Instrumentation
Athena Exercise Protocol	-Conduct 15m x3 workouts in daily routine with HYFIT equipment	No	L; Crew autonomy
Space Weather Monitoring	-Sun spot counting on solar observatory	No
Atmospheric High-Altitude Balloon	– Balloon deployment on EVA	Yes

MDRS Crew 268
November 13-26, 2022

Name: Dr. Jennifer Hesterman
Colonel, US Air Force (retired)
Crew Title: Commander
Country: United States
Bio: Jenni is a retired Air Force colonel and counterterrorism expert. She has a doctorate in Higher
Education, MS degrees in Applied Behavioral Science and Military Operational Art and Science, and a BS
in Geography. She is an author, professor, public speaker and explorer who reached both the North and
South Poles.
Name: Elizabeth Balga
Crew Title: Health & Safety Officer
Country: United States
Bio: Elizabeth is an engineer specializing in spacecraft flight crew integration, test, and operations on
Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner Program. She holds a BS in Aerospace Engineering and an MS in aerospace
Astronautical Engineering. She has an Emergency Medical Technician certification, advanced and rescue
SCUBA certifications, and works part-time as a parabolic flight attendant for the Zero Gravity Corporation.
Name: Caitlyn Hubric
Crew Title: Crew Biologist & Crew Greenhab Officer
Country: United States
Research: Caitlyn is a student pursuing her bachelor’s degree in Astrobiology. She currently does
research in areas of chemical soil ecology and is working to help design the food
production/decomposition stage of a bioregenerative life support system for a colony. She plans to search
for microorganisms at MDRS that could potentially have plant growth promoting capabilities and could be
utilized in regolith based agriculture.
Name: Judith Marcos
Crew Title: Crew Engineer
Country: United States
Bio: Judith Marcos is a student still at the start of her engineering career. She is currently pursuing a
mechanical and civil engineering degree at MCC. In order to further develop her knowledge and
experience in engineering, Judith holds a position as an intern at the Tx Department of Transportation.
The previous year her team has also competed and placed in the 2022 Nasa MINDS competition.
Name: Jas Purewal
Crew Title: XO/Scientific Officer
Country: United Kingdom
Jas Purewal MSc Astrophysics. Senior research scientist working for a UK national lab. Co-founder and
Executive Director of The Analog Astronaut Community and Conference. In 2020, Jas built a low-fidelity
habitat and conducted her own analog mission in the UK.
Name: Izabela Shopova
Crew Title: Communication Officer

Country: Bulgaria (New Zealand, Australia)
Bio: Izabela is an engineer with 15 years experience in information management systems and process
optimisation, a popular writer of non-fiction books and a learning designer. She has a fascination with
extreme Mars-like environments and has participated in an Antarctic expedition in 2016, and traveled
through the Atacama desert in 2018. Izabela was a semifinalist for the first FMARS mission in 2014.
Strong supporter of the liberalisation of space, Izabela is working on developing an accessible interactive
learning experience for analog astronauts across the world.

November 13-26, 2022
Crew Commander: Jenni Hesterman (United States)
Executive Officer/Crew Scientist: Jas Purewal (United Kingdom)
Health and Safety Officer: Elizabeth Balga (United States)
Crew Biologist & Crew Greenhab Officer : Caitlyn Hubric (United States)
Crew Engineer: Judith Marcos (United States)
Crew Journalist: Izabela Shopova (Bulgaria)
MDRS Crew 268 is an all-woman crew from three countries. All crewmembers will be at MDRS for the first time.
Below is a detailed summary of planned projects during the mission.

Jenni Hesterman
Crew education regarding strategies to enhance knowledge of self and maximize success working in diverse groups in a remote, austere environment. Training topics include how to take and use the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, VARK Learning Preference Tool, and the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument. Training sessions will also cover dynamic subordinancy, the gifts of fear and intuition, and how to survive the unthinkable. Also will assist in the greenhab.

Jas Purewal
Quality improvement for future research to investigate using the PARO therapeutic robot to mitigate crew stress and feelings of isolation during analog space missions. Educational First aid training using VR. Emotion study of crew in collaboration with Alex Hoffman.

Elizabeth Balga
Gather knowledge on nominal and off-nominal crew operations during Mars habitat stay and surface EVAs. Plan and execute EVAs to support the crew’s science, engineering, exploration, and training objectives. Support Crew Biologist in field and Greenhab experiments. Post-mission, gather knowledge on medical infrastructure needs by assessing crewmember biometrics during habitat and EVA operations. As the HSO, provide real-time support and oversight to the crew throughout the simulation to ensure crewmember physical and mental health, as well as environmental and operational safety.

Caitlyn Hubric
Looking for microorganisms on EVA growing on roots and/or leaves of plants in desert conditions in search for a microorganism that helps with water stress/growing in regolith-like conditions . Also looking into the application of using edible decomposers to break down organic material while generating food for the crew.

Judith Marcos
My team participated in the 2022 NASA MINDS and submitted a 3D anchor prototype. I will be testing Anchor Atlas in various ways in order to find failure in material, design or in its limits/goals. From limited access while using it, its carry capacity and UV radiation effects on a variety of 3D filaments.

Izabela Shopova
Benefits of introducing probiotics and microgreens in the crew’s menu by the means of making yogurt from powdered milk and live lactobacteria Bacilicus Bulgaricus, and growing microgreens from seeds. Developing pre-mission and mission induction training for analog astronauts. A crew journalist will be responsible for the communication with mission support and develop video for the media.

Crew 265 – Mars Society

Crew Commander/Cartographer: Marc Levesque (United States)

Executive Officer/Crew Engineer: David Laude (United States)

Crew Engineer/Health and Safety Officer: Sergii Iakymov (Ukraine)

Crew Journalist: Sarah Treadwell (United States)

Mapping Technician: Benino Blanco (Mexico)

Mapping Technician: Isai Licea (United States)

MDRS Crew 265 is a diverse group of individuals selected from individual applications. Two members (Levesque and Laude) have been part of previous missions at MDRS, while all others will be at MDRS for the first time. The mission’s primary objectives will be to improve operations and media awareness of MDRS. Projects will include testing a new radio communications system, updating the EVA planning map, tracking energy consumption, testing station device batteries, and increasing social media presence. The crew’s daily priority will be to maintain all MDRS facilities, vehicles, and equipment in a safe and operable condition.

Below is a detailed summary of planned projects during the mission.

Radio Communications Project

Marc Levesque

The Mars Desert Research Station is situated in a secluded area surrounded by low hills. Radio communications between the Hab and EVA teams use small handheld radios on a UHF frequency of the General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) band. These handheld radios are limited to five watts of power and rely upon line-of-sight communications. Previous MDRS crews have noted communications issues between the Hab and EVA teams, however. Of significance is the loss of communications between the Hab and EVA teams when the latter have traveled into areas beyond hills that block transmissions and reception, a common issue with UHF frequencies and line-of-sight communications in such terrain.

This problem has been noted by Station Support personnel and other crews. In 2016 Bernard Dubb offered solutions to improve communications at MDRS using a more powerful radio system retaining the handheld GRMS radios but adding a more powerful base station radio inside the Hab with an outside antenna. An alternative solution was the installation of a small repeater system away from the Hab.

During MDRS 216, the crew identified a location through geospatial analysis for the installation of a small radio repeater to potentially extend the range of communications between the Hab and EVA teams. This location on North Ridge was reached on foot during an EVA to determine the feasibility for the installation of a temporary repeater at that site, as well as for any maintenance required during its period of operation.

During MDRS 265, a small repeater will be installed on the North Ridge. It will operate in cross-band mode that allows a UHF signal to be re-transmitted to a VHF signal and vice versa. This will permit the Hab to transmit line-of-sight to the repeater on the currently-used GMRS UHF channel. EVA teams will then use dual-band VHF/UHF handheld radios programmed to transmit to the repeater using a VHF frequency licensed to Western New Mexico University. Because these project radios will transmit on a VHF frequency to a repeater located on a high point, it is expected that EVA teams will be able to travel much farther while still remaining in radio communication with the Hab.

The project radios will include the currently-used GRMS UHF channel, providing the ability to talk directly with the Hab, rather than through the repeater if necessary. These radios will also use longer antennas than the current MDRS radios and can transmit up to five watts.

During MDRS 265, EVA teams will travel to sites normally visited by EVA teams and beyond. Teams will carry an existing MDRS radio and a project radio to test the signal strength and voice clarity of each with a Hab communications operator. These indices and location coordinates will be noted on a project map to capture the difference in communication between the two radios. The intent is to determine the value of a new communications system using a VHF frequency for enhancing crew safety during EVAs.

EVA Planning Map

Marc Levesque, Benino Blanco, and Isai Licea

Prior to entering sim, the crew cartographer and mapping technicians will meet with the Station Director to review and assess needed changes to the current EVA Planning Map. During sim, the mapping cadre and other crew members will then conduct several EVAs to collect or ground truth via GPS various features, points of interest, road conditions, and other desired changes to provide the needed edits and additions. This work will build upon the GIS files developed by Henrik Hargitai and others from 2006 to 2016 to create the current EVA map. To leverage time in the field, the mapping project EVAs will run concurrently with the radio communications EVAs that will capture radio signal strength and clarity. After a review of the collected data by the Station Director, a map will be generated post-mission and submitted for approval and final printing.

Smart Home Technologies for an Analog Mars Habitat

Sergii Iakymov

Space exploration is hard on systems, and all manned spacecraft are automated. Automated technologies do most of the routine procedures on their own and only notify crew and ground control if something is wrong. No doubt future habitats on Mars will be very smart to free up time for the crew to do research. Analog astronauts at MDRS also require extra time for research. That time can be gained by implementing Smart Home technologies that will take over some routine procedures.

The project goal is to implement Smart Home technologies during an analog simulation at MDRS. We will study how automated technologies can improve daily life at the station, how much time it will free for the crew, and how it will help ground control to collect data from the station.

For this engineering research, currently available Smart Home devices will be used. Main points of this approach include:

1) Analog simulation at MDRS is relatively short, up to two weeks. Therefore, simplified setup procedures are necessary.

2) The approach will not interfere with station construction.

3) In case of a malfunction, any device will be easily replaced from inventory.

4) There is no need to design new devices.

5) Minimizing system development time by using existing free tutorials.

6) Research will show how this system will improve analog simulation.

7) Using plug-and-play devices where possible.

8) In some cases, where plug-and-play devices cannot be used, permission to wire into the power circuit will be obtained.

The type of Smart Home devices to be used include a Raspberry Pi server, control terminal, temperature sensors, humidity sensors, air pressure sensors, door sensors, smart plugs, smart light control, and remote controls.

The proposed engineering research will have two main phases:

1) The first phase will observe daily crew routine and how different electrical equipment is being utilized. Every day meetings will be conducted to survey crew requirements for the Smart Home system. At the same time, a Smart Home server and environmental sensors will be installed and configured.

2) The second phase will install Smart Home technologies based upon crew recommendations. After installation, crew training will be conducted, and the devices turned on. During phase two, all systems will be monitored daily, and crew feedback logged.

At the end of the project, all Smart Home devices will be unplugged and collected. Later, a project report will be submitted to the Station Director.

Battery Testing

Dave Laude

The many portable devices at MDRS use batteries, all with finite life and various ages, resulting in some device failures for nearly every crew. For this project a battery analyzer will be used to test all suspected failed EVA suit and all operating radio batteries. All batteries installed in EVA suits will be tested in parallel by charging to full and then running the fans continuously, checking battery voltage at time intervals for up to four hours. Following the tests, labels will be attached to each radio battery and suspect EVA suit battery indicating a test serial number, date of test, battery capacity, and “good”, “fair” or “failed”. All results will be sent to mission support.

Social Media Presence

Sarah Treadwell

This project will document the MDRS experience in a journalistic style, conducting interviews and issuing daily reports. Of particular interest will be to look at the human condition, examining the mentalities and psyches throughout the course of the crew’s mission. The project will utilize modern social media methods to share the experience for promotional purposes and to educate the public via YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and others. A connection to Blue Marble Space platforms will also help promote coverage of the experience and connection between the organizations. Permission to be interviewed and filmed will be obtained from each crew member prior to project commencement.

Submitted by:

Marc Levesque

Crew 265 Commander