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Mars Desert Research Station

From EverybodyWiki Bios & Wiki


The Mars Society's Mars Desert Research Station located near Hanksville, Utah.

The Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) is the largest and longest-running Mars surface research facility in the world and is one of two simulated Mars analog habitats owned and operated by the Mars Society.

The MDRS station was built in the early 2000's near Hanksville, Utah, in the western United States.[1] It is crewed by small teams of 6-8 people who carry out missions at the facility to conduct scientific research, typically for two weeks (although some crew visits have occasionally lasted for 2-3 months).[2]

The MDRS campus includes a two-story habitat (referred to as "the Hab"), a greenhouse (referred to as "the GreenHab"), the solar-related Musk Observatory, a robotic observatory, an engineering pod (referred to as "the RAM"), and a science building (referred to as "the Science Dome").

Background

The MDRS station is situated on the San Rafael Swell of Southern Utah,[3] located 11.63 kilometres (7.23 mi) by road northwest of Hanksville, Utah.[4] It is the second such analogue research station to be built by the Mars Society, following the Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station or FMARS[5] on Devon Island in Canada's high Arctic.

The third station, the European Mars Analog Research Station, or EuroMARS, was founded and built in early 2002. It was shipped to the UK in the mid-2000s in preparation for deployment to the selected research site (approximately N65° 46' 7.18" W16° 45' 30.50") which is located next to the Krafla Rift Volcano, about 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) northeast of the village of Myvatn, Iceland.[6]

The fourth station, the Australia Mars Analog Research Station is known as MARS Oz, is currently in the planning stages and it will be deployed to the selected research site (S 30° 18' 13.91" E 139° 26' 39.55") east of the Arkaroola Sanctuary, which is roughly 521 kilometres (324 mi) north of Adelaide, South Australia.[7]

The Mars Society launched the Mars Analog Research Station Project in order to develop key knowledge needed to prepare for the human exploration of Mars.[8] The project's goals are to develop field tactics based on environmental constraints (i.e., being required to work in spacesuits), test habitat design features and tools, and assess crew selection protocols.[9] Although much warmer than Mars, the desert location was selected because of its Mars-like terrain and appearance.

In the MDRS, crews simulate conditions as if they were living on Mars. Crew members must wear an analogue space suit simulator when completing tasks outside the Hab to simulate the protection they would need from the harsh Mars environment. Complete analogue space suit simulators include a helmet, jumpsuit, boots, gaiters, gloves, an air supply pack, water pack, and a radio. Hand-held radios mounted on the suits' helmets with externally mounted push-to-talk northeast witches are used to communicate with the Habitat and with fellow analogue Mars surface explorers on the same extra-vehicular activity (EVA). There is always one crew member in the Hab for safety reasons to act as Hab-Com.

Destinations for EVAs can be chosen from an established waypoint database, and attained either on foot, or by all-terrain vehicle.

MDRS is owned and operated by the Mars Society, which selects the crews and handles most of the administrative tasks. The Mars Society is an international, non-profit organization, with chapters worldwide, that is dedicated to convincing governments and the public of the benefits of Mars exploration through various projects such as M.A.R.S., the Mars Analogue Pressurized Rover Competition, and the ARCHIMEDES Mars balloon mission.

Students interested in participating in the project receive a $500 travel stipend from the Spaceward Bound Program run by NASA Ames Research Center.[10] The Spaceward Bound Program aims to train the next generation of space explorers by allowing students and teachers to participate in projects in extreme environments that can serve as simulations for the moon or Mars. The project has a manager who oversees maintenance and support services.

Research

Each crew establishes different scientific goals they hope to accomplish during their time at MDRS. The majority of biological research involves extremophiles. Bacteria and algae isolated from the surrounding desert are common subjects of study. These microorganisms have been studied for their DNA, their diversity, and the environments in which they thrive. For example, in a study for methanogens, researchers studied soil and vapor samples from five different desert environments in Utah, Idaho, and California in the United States, [[Canada, and Chile. Of these, five soil samples and three vapor samples from the vicinity of the MDRS were found to have signs of viable methanogens.[11][12]

Crews often study endoliths found in rocks around the Hab.[13] These species of bacteria are capable of living inside rocks and obtaining the energy they need by photosynthesizing the light that penetrates the rocks. These extreme organisms are a popular subject of research at MDRS for both geologists and biologists.[14]

Other experiments include a study of the effect of extra-vehicular activity (EVA) on the heart rates and blood pressures of crew members, a human-factors study that examines the correlation between cognitive ability and mood, and a study on how much a space suit inhibits dexterity in comparison to regular street clothes.

Crews

Crew 73 members in Space Suit Simulators

MDRS crews traditionally consist of six people who volunteer for one of the two-week shifts or crew rotations available during the northern hemisphere's winter months. The field season ends in the northern spring due to the desert heat. Crews pay their own transportation expenses to and from the designated assembly place from where they are transported to and from MDRS. As volunteers, the crews are not paid for their participation in a crew rotation at the station. The crews usually consist of a mix of scientists, astronomers, physicists, biologists, geologists, engineers, and the occasional journalist. Each crew member is usually assigned a role, such as: commander, executive officer, health and safety officer, crew biologist, crew geologist or chief engineer.

Crew commanders are responsible for the entire crew and operations. Their responsibilities include maintaining a structured stream of information from the crew to mission support, establishing the agenda for each day (EVAs, maintenance, cooking, cleaning, etc.), and holding morning and evening meetings with all crew members. The executive officer's duty is to act as the second in command during the mission, and to act as the commander in the event the commander is incapacitated or unavailable. The crew geologist and crew biologist work together to establish and accomplish the scientific goals of the mission, which include developing the geology and biology goals for the mission as well as planning field EVAs and subsequent laboratory work to achieve those goals. Both the crew geologist and crew biologist work with the remote science team (RST) during all stages of the mission. The Chief Engineer is responsible for maintaining all systems necessary for routine Hab operations. These include the power, water, ATV and GreenHab systems.[15]

As of February 2017,175 crews have served rotations at MDRS over a period of sixteen years.[16]

The Research Station

MDRS
Crew 73 meets with writer Laurie Schmidt upstairs in the Hab.

The research station consists of three buildings: the Habitat, the Greenhab, the Musk Mars Desert Observatory and a remotely located Engineering Support Equipment Area.

Habitat

The analogue Mars Lander Habitat is a two-story cylinder that measures about 10 metres (33 ft) in diameter, and is a crew's combined home and place of work during a Mars surface exploration simulation. On the first floor, there are two simulated airlocks, a shower and toilet, an EVA Preparation room for storage and maintenance of the simulated space suits and their associated equipment, and a combined science lab and engineering work area. The laboratory is shared between the crew geologist and the crew biologist and includes an autoclave, analytical balance, microscope, and a stock of chemicals and reagents for conducting biochemical tests. On the second floor are six very small private crew staterooms with bunks and a small reading desk, a common dining and entertainment area, a dedicated communications station and a galley or kitchen equipped with a gas stove, refrigerator, microwave, oven and a sink for meal preparations. Above the six crew staterooms is a Loft which contains the internal freshwater storage tank and equipment storage space. At the peak of the HAB's dome-shaped roof is an access hatch to permit maintenance access to the satellite antenna and weather monitoring instruments.[citation needed]

Power is supplied by 12 rechargeable 24-volt batteries located under the Hab which can provide electrical power for up to twelve hours. In addition to the batteries are two 5 kilowatts (6.7 hp) electricity generators named "Casper" and "Wendy". Power from the generators is channeled through a Xantrex inverter, which sends the power either to the battery banks to recharge them or via a panel with 19 circuit breakers, to the HAB electrical distribution system.

Water is supplied to the Hab via a potable water tank located 100 feet (30 m) away in the Engineering Support Equipment Area. The tank is a plastic storage container with a 450-U.S.-gallon (1,700 L; 370 imp gal) capacity (8 days worth of water at 6 U.S. gallons (23 L; 5.0 imp gal) per person per day). Water must be manually carried or pumped via a hose from the potable water tank to the HAB's internal tank, which holds about 60 U.S. gallons (230 L; 50 imp gal). The water is then gravity fed into a pressure pump that distributes the freshwater to the rest of the HAB, including a water heater. The water used to flush toilets is greywater. This is wastewater that has run down the sink and shower drains in the HAB and then through the greywater system out of the GreenHab. Water is rationed and monitored to minimize inefficiency and waste in the system.

The Hab is also equipped with an internet connection and several webcams so that the public can view the ongoing mission.[17]

GreenHab

The GreenHab is a greenhouse used for growing crops and plant research. The original Gary Fisher GreenHab, retrofitted in 2009 from a closed loop water recycling center to a functional greenhouse, was destroyed by fire in December 2014,[18] and replaced in September 2015 after an Indiegogo campaign raised $12,540 to rebuild it.

Originally the rebuilt GreenHab was planned as a geodesic dome, however, once the pad and frame were in place, there appeared to be no way to make it wind and winter-tight, so it was completed as the new Science Dome. The new Greenhab is a 12-foot by 24 foot transparent building that is climate and light controlled. Plants grown in the Greenhab are mostly herbs, greens, radishes, tomatoes, and other vegetables.

Musk Mars Desert Observatory

File:Musk Observatory.jpg
The Musk Mars Desert Observatory

The Musk Mars Desert Observatory houses a 28-centimetre (11 in) Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope, donated by Celestron.[citation needed] The telescope is capable of being operated remotely, and is accessible to amateur and professional astronomers via the internet. The observatory's other sponsors include Le Sueur Manufacturing Inc., which provided the Astro-Pier on which the telescope is mounted; Software Bisque, which provided TheSky software; Vince Lanzetta of East Coast Observatories; Adirondack Video Astronomy; High Point Scientific; Technical Innovations; and the Lehigh Valley Amateur Astronomical Association.

The addition of the Musk Mars Desert Observatory provides research opportunities that were not available before, not only to the crew, but local teachers and students. It also encourages more public involvement as students and teachers are invited to interact with the crew and to use the observatory as a learning tool.[opinion]

Engineering tasks are completed in the repair and assembly module, a retrofitted Chinook helicopter fuel compartment designed for tool storage, and work spaces for engineering projects and repair of station instruments. It was moved to the campus in October 2017 and became fully operational in November 2018.[citation needed]

Other

North of the GreenHAB is the underground septic tank and its outflow field. This area is a "No Drive - Foot Traffic Only Zone" as there is no record of where exactly the septic tank is buried. East of the GreenHab is an omnidirectional Jovian radio telescope.

MDRS is the site of the annual University Rover Challenge,[19] the first of which was held on June 2, 2007.

The Flag of Mars appears on a couple of the buildings, as does the Flag of the United States.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Home". Mars Desert Research Station. 2017-10-07. Retrieved 2022-10-09.
  2. ↑ "Meet the Crews Preparing for Human Life on Mars". 2018-05-04. Archived from the original on 2018-10-17. Retrieved 2018-10-16. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  3. ↑ Horton, Michael (January 18, 2009). "Mars Desert Research Station Simulates Mars Like Base". TechFragments.com. Archived from the original on February 5, 2010. Retrieved February 16, 2010. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  4. ↑ Gregory, Hugh; Graham, Paul (March 2007). "wp20070331.xls". MDRS-Navigation-Waypoints-Data-Base.
  5. ↑ "FMARS Location". fmars.marssociety.org. Archived from the original on June 23, 2011. Retrieved February 21, 2011. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  6. ↑ "EuroMars". european-mars-analog-research-station.co.tv/. Archived from the original on March 6, 2016. Retrieved February 21, 2011. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  7. ↑ "OzMars" (PDF). 8th AMEC Conf Proceedings Pages 17-18. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 18, 2011. Retrieved February 21, 2011. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  8. ↑ "Mars Desert Research Station: Project Background". MarsSociety.org. Archived from the original on December 14, 2013. Retrieved February 16, 2010. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  9. ↑ Kaku, Michio (2018). The Future of Humanity: Terraforming Mars, Interstellar Travel, Immortality, and Our Destiny Beyond Earth. Doubleday, a division of Penguin Random House. p. 85. ISBN 9780385542760. The organizers of the MDRS try to make the experience as realistic as possible and use these sessions as a way to test the psychological dimension of being isolated on Mars for extended periods with relative strangers. Search this book on
  10. ↑ Conrad, Linda (November 2007). "Spaceward Bound!". NASA.gov. Archived from the original on February 16, 2010. Retrieved February 16, 2010. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  11. ↑ Moran, Mark; Miller, Joseph D; Kral, Tim; Scott, Dave (November 2005). "Desert methane: Implications for life detection on Mars". Icarus. 178 (1): 277–280. Bibcode:2005Icar..178..277M. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2005.06.008.
  12. ↑ Young, Kelly; Chandler, David L (December 7, 2005). "Extreme bugs back idea of life on Mars". New Scientist. Archived from the original on December 24, 2013. Retrieved September 4, 2017. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  13. ↑ Direito, Susana O. L.; Ehrenfreund, Pascale; Marees, Andries; Staats, Martijn; Foing, Bernard; Röling, Wilfred F. M. (2011-07-01). "A wide variety of putative extremophiles and large beta-diversity at the Mars Desert Research Station (Utah)". International Journal of Astrobiology. 10 (3): 191–207. Bibcode:2011IJAsB..10..191D. doi:10.1017/S1473550411000012. Unknown parameter |s2cid= ignored (help)
  14. ↑ "Research Summaries". MarsSociety.org. Archived from the original on December 14, 2013. Retrieved February 16, 2010. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  15. ↑ "MDRS Mission Rules". mdrs.marssociety.org. Archived from the original on July 10, 2012. Retrieved February 21, 2011. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  16. ↑ "MDRS 2011". MDRS2011.com. Archived from the original on March 19, 2011. Retrieved February 21, 2011. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  17. ↑ "MDRS Web Cams". FreeMars.org. Archived from the original on April 12, 2011. Retrieved February 21, 2011. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  18. ↑ "MDRS GreenHab Destroyed by Fire". Mars Society. 30 December 2014. Archived from the original on 6 February 2015. Retrieved 31 December 2014. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  19. ↑ "University Rover Challenge". urc.marssociety.org. Archived from the original on May 20, 2018. Retrieved February 21, 2011. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)

External links

Coordinates: 38°24′23.25″N 110°47′30.85″W / 38.4064583°N 110.7919028°W / 38.4064583; -110.7919028

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