The crew of the Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station (FMARS) for the 2004 field season has been announced. The international crew, which consists of four Americans, one French Canadian, one Pole and one Hungarian, will operate the FMARS in a single rotation which will run from July 7 to August 4, 2004. During that time they will attempt to conduct a sustained program of field research in geology, palaeontology, and microbiology in Devon Island’s polar desert, while operating under many of the same constraints as an actual Mars exploration mission. By doing so, they will gain valuable insights to help design effective field exploration tactics for Mars.
May 26th, 2004
NASA-ESA Study Shows Mars Direct Affordable
A joint study conducted by NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) shows that a humans to Mars program based on the Mars Direct mission plan is affordable.
NASA costing models show that the Mars Direct plan could be implemented for a cost of $39.4 billion for all hardware development plus the first mission, with each follow-on mission costing an additional $7 billion, while ESA costing models show Mars Direct costs for development plus first mission as $26.6 billion, with each follow on mission costing $5.2 billion.
May 12th, 2004
Third Field Season has Completed!
The final Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) Field Season 3 rotation is now history! Read Crew 29’s Summary Reports, explore links to media coverage of various MDRS crews, and find out how to volunteer for the next field season…
May 10th, 2004
Space Exploration Alliance Founded
The Mars Society has joined with twelve other space advocacy organizations to form a Space Exploration Alliance to secure passage of the first year’s funding required to launch NASA’s new exploration initiative which aims at sending human explorers to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
April 10th, 2004
MDRS Crew 27 Mission Summary
Crew 27 was composed of members from three different countries: USA, England, and Peru. This international, intercultural and interdisciplinary diversity greatly enriched the crew. Crew 27’s rotation at MDRS was from March 27th – April 11th. The intent of this document is to provide a summary of the experiences and accomplishments by Crew 27.
March 31st, 2004
Mars Society Political Task Force Website
The purpose of the U.S. Political Task Force is to support the endeavor of The Mars Society to establish a human mission to Mars as the primary goal of the U.S. Space Program. This will be accomplished by means of an aggressive campaign of contact with our elected officials asking them to actively support the required technologies and legislation in support of this vision. The Political Task Force will mobilize and assist our membership and other space advocates with up-to-date information and the necessary tools for effective communication to accomplish this goal. Further, we will seek to act in ways that garner sufficient media and public support for the goal of sending humans to Mars.
February 16th, 2004
MarsBlog: Two-Planet Species
The core justification for [Bush’s] space program’s objectives is embodied in the idea that America will “extend human presence across the solar system.” This could be the charter for a new ‘spacefaring’ civilization. The ones we have here on Earth are either colliding with each other, collapsing from within, or doing both at the same time. Western civilization is finding ever more creative ways to be decadent, while major parts of Islamic civilization bubble over with envy, rage and hate. China, a civilization unto itself, has for the moment integrated a capitalistic bubble economy within a one-party communist political system, which probably will not last for long.
February 15th, 2004
Pioneers Anthem Plays – On MARS!
The Mars Society is proud to announce that the flight team at JPL selected the Mars Society’s anthem “The Pioneers of Mars” as wakeup music for Opportunity’s 20th sol (February 14th). Written by partners in life and song Karen Linsley and Lloyd Landa, “The Pioneers of Mars” was honored with the Mars Society’s first Rouget de Lisle award in 2000. Co-author Landa died unexpected of a heart attack days before the song’s debut at the Mars Society’s August 2000 Toronto conference, after which Karen exclaimed in tears, “Get to Mars. And when the notes of this song are heard on Martian soil, he will live again.”
February 13th, 2004
Exploring Mars in Northern Canada
Mars Society Canada in conjunction with Inuksuk High School in Iqaluit, Nunavut, have launched an intense space program for the students of Inuksuk. The program involves the integration of a space unit into the curriculum, a Mars human habitat design project, and to conclude, a videoconference with Canadian Space Agency astronaut Julie Payette on February 17, 2004 at Inuksuk High School.
February 12th, 2004
MDRS Log Book for February 11, 2004
Today’s postings from the Mars Desert Research Station.