Craig Dooley has spent a good part of his life looking at the stars and dreaming of the day someone would set off through deep space and explore Mars. As an adult, Dooley’s personal passion has been translated into action. And for those efforts, he has been instrumental in earning a national award for an organization he leads. A Slidell resident, Dooley is the president of the Louisiana Mars Society, LAMS, a small organization of about 13 scientists and engineers. The group recently was honored by its national organization, the Mars Society, with the 2002 Outstanding Volunteer Award for Political Outreach, honoring the work done by Dooley and LAMS member Tom James of River Ridge to encourage Louisiana’s congressional delegation to support human exploration and settlement of Mars.