Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station
Encyclopedia
The Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station (FMARS) is the first of two simulated Mars
habitats (or Mars Analog Research Stations) established and maintained by the Mars Society
.
, a Mars analog environment and polar desert
, approximately 165 kilometres (102.5 mi) north east of the hamlet of Resolute
in Nunavut
, Canada
. The station is situated on Haynes Ridge, overlooking the Haughton impact crater
, a 23 kilometres (14.3 mi) diameter crater formed approximately 39 million years ago (late Eocene
). The location is approximately 1609 km (999.8 mi) from the Geographic North Pole
and approximately 1287 km (799.7 mi) from the Magnetic North Pole
.
FMARS is the first research station of its kind to be built, completed in the summer of 2000.
Operated by the non-profit Mars Society, the station's mission is to help develop key knowledge needed to prepare for human Mars exploration, and to inspire the public by making real the vision of human exploration of Mars. The society uses the station to conduct geological and biological exploration under conditions similar to those found on Mars, to develop field tactics based on those explorations, to test habitat design features, tools, and technologies, and to assess crew selection protocols.
The project's final cost was US$1.3 million, raised through sponsorships with major companies. Flashline.com, an internet business, donated $175,000 and was granted the right to affix its name to the project. Other major sponsors included the Kirsch Foundation
, the Foundation for the International Non-governmental Development of Space (FINDS) and the Discovery Channel
(which purchased exclusive English-language TV rights to the station's activities for the first two years).
The FMARS project is one of four stations originally planned by the Mars Society as part of the Mars Analog Research Station Program. The Mars Desert Research Station
(MDRS
) began operation in 2002 in southern Utah
. Stations to be built in Europe (European Mars Analog Research Station
/ EuroMARS
) and Australia (Australia Mars Analog Research Station
/ MARS-Oz
) have not progressed beyond the planning stages.
in April 1998. The station was officially selected as the Mars Society's first project at the society's Founding Convention in August 1998.
The station was designed by architect Kurt Micheels and design engineer Wayne Cassalls in coordination with Robert Zubrin
and numerous Mars Society volunteers.
Kurt Micheels and Robert Zubrin conducted a scouting expedition to Devon Island as part of the 1999 field season of NASA's Haughton Mars Project (HMP), in order to gain information needed to plan operations and to determine an optimum site for station construction. An appropriate site was selected on a ridge overlooking the Haughton crater, which was named Haynes Ridge by Robert Zubrin in honor of the late Professor Robert Haynes
of York University
, a founding member of the Mars Society and seminal thinker on issues concerning the terraforming of Mars
. Following this scouting expedition Kurt Micheels was selected as the station's project manager.
The station's structure was fabricated between January 2000 and June 2000 by Infrastructures Composites International (Infracomp) under the direction of John Kunz, using a unique type of fiberglass honeycomb construction technology. The Mars Society provided Infracomp additional manpower from Mesa Fiberglass, Pioneer Astronautics and the Rocky Mountain Mars Society Chapter in order to meet the deadline for station deployment. The station's components were transported by truck to Moffett Field, California and loaded onto three C-130 aircraft operated by the U.S. Marine Corps 4th Air Delivery Battalion. The first C-130 departed Moffett Field headed for the arctic on July 1, 2000.
On July 3, 2000 the three C-130s, Kurt Micheels, John Kunz and a paid team of construction workers were in Resolute. The construction team traveled to Devon Island via Twin Otters on July 4. On July 5 the Marines conducted five successful paradrops of station components. A sixth paradrop was also successful on July 8.
The seventh and final paradrop, conducted on July 8, was unsuccessful. The parachute separated from the payload at an altitude of 1000 feet. The payload contained a crane for use in constructing the station, a trailer intended to transport the station sections from their landing locations to the construction site and the fiberglass floors for the structure. All were completely destroyed.
On July 12, Kurt Micheels and the construction crew left Devon Island and returned to Resolute, unable to find a way to continue station construction. Micheels later resigned as project manager on July 15.
The Mars Society engaged the services of Aziz Kheraj, the owner of Resolute's South Camp Inn. He flew to Devon Island on July 12 and assessed the situation. He would go on to provide critical support, equipment and materials that allowed construction of the station to proceed.
Frank Schubert, a Mars Society member who was a homebuilder by trade, had been sent to Resolute following the initial team. It was originally intended that he focus on the interior build-out of the station, but instead played a key role in erecting the structure and was appointed by Robert Zubrin as replacement project manager. He spent several days developing a new construction plan and was joined in Resolute by Zubrin on July 15. John Kunz also agreed to remain and assist the construction effort. Zubrin and Schubert flew to Devon Island later in the day on July 15. John Kunz flew back to Devon Island on July 16.
On July 17 parts were obtained from Resolute that were used to construct a crude replacement trailer. Enlisting the help of volunteers from HMP and members of a Japanese TV crew, six of the wall segments were transported from their landing location within the crater to the construction site.
The remainder of the habitat's components were transported to the construction site on July 18 and July 19. The existing volunteers were assisted by Joe Amarualuk and several Inuit high school students who also volunteered to help.
Matt Smola, the foreman of Frank Schubert's construction company in Denver, arrived on Devon Island on July 20 and assisted with station construction.
The station's wall sections were raised to vertical and connected to each other July 20 through July 22. The floors of the station were constructed out of wood and assembled on July 23 and July 24. The dome roof of the station was assembled July 24, 25 and 26th. This completed the exterior construction of the station.
Individuals from HMP, the Discovery Channel film team and a number of journalists on-site assisted with the interior build-out of the station, which was only partial completed. Finishing touches of the interior build-out would occur the following year.
A red, green and blue Martian tricolor flag was raised on the 28th atop the station.
An inauguration ceremony took place at 9PM on the 28th. Every human being on the island attended. This included approximately fifty scientists, Inuit
, and journalists. Several individuals spoke. Robert Zubrin gave the concluding remarks and dedicated the station to those whose cause it will ultimately serve, a people who are yet to be, the pioneers of Mars. The station was christened by smashing a bottle of Canadian champagne against it.
A symbolic first crew occupied the station the night of the 28th and during the day on the 29th. It consisted of Pascal Lee, Marc Boucher, Frank Schubert, Charles Cockell
, Bob Nesson and Robert Zubrin.
Frank Schubert, Matt Smola and Robert Zubrin left Devon Island on the afternoon of the 29th.
A shakedown crew then occupied the station for four days. It was commanded by Carol Stoker, and included Larry Lemke, Bill Clancey, Darlene Lim, Marc Boucher and Bob Nesson. The crew used a prototype Mars space suit supplied by Hamilton Sundstrand
to conduct several EVAs, communications were established with the Mission Support group in Denver, and a list of items for correction, installation or improvement were identified with the habitat and its systems. This crew left Devon Island on August 4.
A much more detailed account of the establishment of the station can be found in the book "Mars on Earth: The Adventures of Space Pioneers in the High Arctic" by Robert Zubrin.
s (ATVs
).
During the formal Mars simulation period of each expedition, it is required that any outside work be done while wearing a simulated spacesuit and that all communications are conducted by radio. Space suited crew members use a simulated airlock depress/repress procedure upon each exit and entry to the habitat. Communications between the station and off-island researchers are subject to a time delay (typically 20 minutes) which mimics that of actual radio traffic between Earth and Mars. A satellite phone is kept on-site for use in emergencies.
Due to limited visibility of crew members wearing simulated spacesuits, all work outside the station is conducted with one crew member "out-of-sim". It is the responsibility of this crew member be on look out for, and to protect the crew from, polar bears. This crew member is typically armed with a pump-action shotgun loaded with slugs
. The crew also carries bear deterrent devices known as bear bangers. No polar bears have yet been encountered by the crew of an FMARS expedition, although signs of their presence on the island are regularly seen, and at least one encounter has occurred with participants in the HMP.
Crew members are also required to write periodic reports to document conducted research, to advise on the status of engineering systems, and to capture details related to other aspects of operations. There are four reports that are typically generated, these being the Commander's Report, a Science Report, an Engineering Report and a Narrative Report. The crew transmits these reports to a Mission Support team (typically located in Colorado).
FMARS Crew 1, with six personnel, occupied the station from July 7, 2001 through the evening of July 10, 2001.
FMARS Crew 2, with six personnel, occupied the station from the evening of July 10, 2001 through the evening of July 17, 2001.
FMARS Crew 3, with seven personnel, occupied the station from the evening of July 17, 2001 through the morning of July 28, 2001.
FMARS Crew 4, with six personnel, occupied the station for five days.
The crew operated under full Mars simulation constraints between July 11 and July 24. In addition to conducting a systematic program of field geology and microbiology under simulated Mars mission conditions, the crew worked successfully with researchers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab to take the farthest-north ground-truth measurements ever obtained for the MISR instrument on the Terra Earth-observing satellite.
The crew operated under full Mars simulation constraints between July 10 and July 29.
The crew conducted an experiment which tracked their cognitive performance throughout the mission.
The crew operated under full Mars simulation constraints for 100 days, ending on August 21, 2007. This quadrupled the previous record for in-situ Mars mission simulations. They also operated on the Martian 'sol' for over a month, to evaluate the effects on crew psychophysiology or mission operations.
The crew conducted data collection related to a significant number of scientific studies during the course of the mission.
Near the end of the mission, the crew spoke with astronaut Clayton Anderson
, who was at that time in orbit aboard the International Space Station
.
Logistical support and research authorization for the mission was provided by the Polar Continental Shelf Project.
The crew operated under full Mars simulation constraints between July 14 and July 26. During the course of the simulation, the crew completed 16 EVAs in 43.5 hrs, traveling a distance of 128 km. This translates into a cumulative in-sim crew time of 106 man-hours and a distance of 323 km. The crew's efforts included a number of firsts for simulated Mars explorers in a Mars analog environment, including the testing of new technologies and equipment for use in robotic aerial survey
ing, in-situ resource utilization
(ISRU
), geophysical measurement
, medical laser treatment
, image geotagging
, path planning and analysis
, and public communications.
Start of the simulation was delayed until July 14 due to a large number of maintenance tasks and facility upgrades which could only be completed out of sim. These included construction of new secondary containment areas for fuel storage, changes to the generator shed to improve safety and functionality, installation of a SmartAsh incinerator
and a grey water sump
, refit and reconditioning of the simulated space suits, as well as general organization and clean-up within, under, and in the general vicinity of the station. This maintenance ensured full compliance with environmental regulations and improved both operational and aesthetic elements of the station.
EVAs by Crew 1 included the first pedestrian and motorized EVAs while wearing simulated space suits. Crew 1 also deployed weather-logging instruments along the western edge of Haynes Ridge.
Crew 2 deployed a geophone flute
, provided by the Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris
to produce three-dimensional maps of the subsurface. A similar instrument could one day be used on Mars to search for underground water or ice. Rock samples collected on Haynes Ridge during EVA were analyzed in the habitat's lab, and photographs were obtained of cyanobacteria found within them. The crew deployed cosmic ray
dosimeters near Trinity Lake and Breccia Hill. The crew also completed questionnaires provided by the University of Quebec at Hull
(UQAH) and NASA Johnson Space Center to aid human-factors
research.
Crew 3 deployed a dust magnetic properties instrument provided by the Niels Bohr Institute
. This instrument is similar to that used on the Mars Pathfinder
mission. The crew performed a psychology experiment for the human-factors research group at NASA Johnson Space Center. They conducted a pre-recorded audio question and answer session with visitors at the Kennedy Space Center Visitors Complex, where the society's Mars Desert Research Station was on display. The crew also tested in the field three telerobots
, Stumpy, Jan and Titan.
Crew 4 continued to test the three telerobots (Stumpy, Jan and Titan) during multiple EVAs.
Crew 5 tested a two-person ATV designed by Purdue University
.
A Terra/MISR reflectance spectrometer
provided by the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
(JPL) was used to take ground truth reflectance spectra of landforms on Devon Island, to compare with measurements taken by a similar device (MISR
) on board the earth orbiting Terra satellite. These spectra were collected by the crew during multiple EVAs, and were the farthest-north ground-truth measurements ever taken for the MISR instrument. This was an important demonstration of combined human/robot exploration operations that will need to be done on Mars.
Systematic sampling and characterization of extremophile bacteria
from the local environment was conducted, utilizing equipment provided from several sources including Dartmouth College
, an epifluorescent microscope
sponsored by the Zeiss Company and a molecular laboratory lent by MJ Research.
"In situ" samples were collected by the crew during EVA. These are rock samples that are not broken away from the large rock formations of their origin and are therefore free from modern biological or weathering action. The samples were collected to assist in testing a life-detection experiment called MASSE that was being developed by the Geophysical Department of the Carnegie Institute.
Records were collected of rock-size distribution (in which the fraction of ground covered at each location by sand
, granule
s, pebble
s, cobble
s, small boulder
s, and large boulders is estimated) in order to provide a quantitative estimate of the roughness of the ground to compare with coloration on Landsat satellite
images.
Additionally, the crew hosted for a short period two journalists from Russian National Television (NTV) who collected footage of the station and its crew during the simulation.
The biodiversity study, led by Dr. Shannon Rupert, involved nine sites along streams ranging from first to third order. This survey was also conducted at each of the Mars Society's Analog Research Stations, including the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) in Utah and the planning site at the Australian Arkaroola desert.
Dr. Akos Kereszturi took geological surveys for early characterization of terrain for the Exomars project. The crew tested an optical lens developed in Hungary called the Micro-Telescopium while on multiple EVAs. The crew found that the lens could be used for 8-15x magnification of objects while the astronaut was in the field, with the lens being fixed on the outside of helmet.
Other experiments included a Geophysical analysis of Haughton Crater led by Dr. Louise Wynn which answered key questions on the physical characteristics of the 20-million year old meteor impactor. Błażej Błażejowski studied microfossils in crater soil deposits. A logistics study led by Dr. Jason Held found a method of tracking crew consumption by learning the crew's operations tempo. The crew's engineer, Judd Reed, conducted experiments on image detection in a robotic fish-eye camera, of a design highly relevant to modern Mars rovers.
Crew member Joan Roch was interviewed by a number French-language media channels, including four times live for television (TVA Network of Quebec), six times for radios (Radio-Canada four times, Radio France Bleu Poitou, CISM 89,3FM Montreal) and three times for newspapers (Journal de Montreal, Metro Montreal, Centre-Presse).
, (39 minutes longer than the 24 hour Earth day), for over a month, to evaluate the effects on crew psychophysiology
or mission operations.
The crew completed the AstroPCI personality inventory, the NEO-Personality Inventory by Costa and McCrae, as well as an online questionnaire battery dealing with stress, coping and group functioning on five occasion throughout the mission (pre and monthly). The tests were designed to investigate sources of interpersonal stress and strategies to cope. The results were analyzed and published in a paper by Sheryl Bishop and several of the crew members.
The crew conducted data collection related to a significant number of scientific studies during the course of the mission. These included:
The crew also took part in a number of media and outreach events. A documentary team from Les Productions Vic Pelletier, Quebec visited the station for three days. Photographer Christian Lamontagne took pictures for their web-based program. The crew participated in a live interactive Mars Ed event with the NASA Ames Academy, for which their PCSP Principal Investigator Chris McKay gave an on-site introduction at Ames.
Following the mission, several crew members met with Dr. Gary Goodyear, Member of the Canadian Parliament and Chair of the Canadian Space Caucus, to discuss the F-XI LDM mission & the future of space exploration in Canada.
, where aerial footage of these features with correlated GPS track information was captured for analysis, aiding later site sampling by crew geologists.
Several GPS units including a Trimble GeoXM, helped the crew navigate on a long‐distance EVA to the Gemini Hills, an extensive deposit of hydrothermal breccia
created by the Haughton meteor impact. The primary objective was to locate and sample a gypsum
deposit at this site. Gypsum is a hydrated calcium sulfate
mineral which is 20% water and is found in abundance on Earth and at many locations on Mars. Used to make plaster of Paris, sheetrock, cement
, and other building materials, this white mineral will be an important resource for Mars industry. The crew returned to the Hab with samples from the gypsum deposit, crushed and heated them, and recovered pure liquid water and plaster of Paris. This ISRU demonstration was a first for a Mars simulation.
Seven of the sixteen FMARS EVAs were devoted to two geophysical experiments. One project was to install Devon Island’s first seismometer
, a Trillium Compact provided by Nanometrics. The crew scouted deployment locations and installed the equipment while fully in‐sim, a first for Mars analog research. Seismic stations similar to this will provide important understanding of the interior of planets including Mars, particularly the deep crust
, mantle
, and core
. The second geophysical project tested how effectively human explorers in space suits could deploy low frequency electromagnetic survey equipment, a TEM47‐PROTEM provided by Geonics Limited, to search for groundwater
beneath Haynes Ridge near the hab location. Future human Mars explorers may conduct similar surveys in their search for life and resources to support human settlement.
The crew conducted and were subjects in a research study using a Class IV High Power Laser therapy device
provided by Lighthouse Technical Innovation, Inc. Crew members received treatment on focused areas before and after each EVA. The laser therapy is effective due to the penetration of coherent laser light into the tissues causing deep heating and local vasodilation
. The additional blood supply provided by the dilated vessels can serve many functions, most notably preparation of the muscles for physical exertion and accelerated healing of muscle soreness, strain, or pain from past injuries. The laser therapy at the FMARS Hab was effective in relieving symptoms caused by physical exertion and was concurrent with the quick healing of minor injuries, recovery from an illness, and the complete lack of muscle pulls or extended soreness.
The Omega Envoy Project, a team vying for the Google Lunar X PRIZE
, provided a prototype lunar rover for testing during the FMARS 2009 mission. The rover was assembled and tested prior to the mission by 4Frontiers Corporation
interns, in coordination with the Florida Space Grant Consortium and NASA’s Exploration Systems Mission Directorate. Outfitted with a communications and video package designed in collaboration with the University of Central Florida
DARPA team, the rover was continuously operated via the internet from the team’s headquarters in Orlando, Florida. This demonstration proved key technologies and provided essential teleoperation
al experience related to communicating with and controlling the rover from a remote location. It provided a deeper understanding of the complexities to be encountered in lunar rover operation.
For all FMARS 2009 EVAs, the crew wore a Garmin Forerunner
combined GPS and heart rate monitor
system to gather concurrent geographic and physiological data. Crew members also captured geotagged photos and videos using Coolpix P6000 GPS‐enabled cameras, donated by Nikon
. These technologies allowed them to easily combine ground and UAV GPS tracks, heart rate data, and photo information within the geographic context of Google Earth
to produce visuals for display on the FMARS website.
The crew also gathered data useful for the evolution of MIT’s Mission Planner Software, which may be used by future astronauts to generate safe and efficient EVA traverses.
Social media outlets like Twitter
, Facebook
, YouTube
, and Picasa Web Albums
also helped the FMARS crew share its activities with the interested public. Some crew members also maintained blogs that garnered substantial followings. At least 25 stories featuring FMARS 2009 have been published, showing media interest in the expedition.
Thanks in large part to The Mars Society volunteers serving on the Mission Support team (in Colorado, Florida, Texas, Washington, and Australia), the FMARS website received a major overhaul this year, helping the crew to organize, manage, and release to the interested public the volumes of generated information. Mission Support posted crew reports, photos and video files to the website, and also assisted in troubleshooting technical problems as they arose. The crew also benefited from the expertise of an international team of physicians who provided telemedicine
support.
In coordination with Southern Methodist University
(SMU
), Florida Space Grant Consortium (FSGC) and the Georgia Space Grant Consortium (GSGC), FMARS crew members conducted four live video webcasts with students groups. These sessions included the SMU Talented & Gifted Program, NASA Kennedy Space Center
Interns, NASA Digital Learning Network via Georgia Tech, and Gardendale Magnet Elementary School in Florida. Students, educators and interns in attendance gave the FMARS crew high praise for providing this glimpse of life in a simulated Mars habitat.
Presentations
Presentations
Presentations
architecture. On the first floor there are two airlock
s, a shower and toilet, a room for the space suit
s, and a combined lab and work area. On the second floor are six crew rooms with bunks, a common area, and a kitchen equipped with a gas stove, refrigerator, microwave, oven and a sink. There is also a loft area accessed by ladder from the second floor which provides storage space and can accommodate a bunk for a seventh crew member.
, Flashline.com, the Kirsch Foundation
, the Foundation for the International Non-governmental Development of Space (FINDS) and the Discovery Channel
.
, the Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris
, the Niels Bohr Institute
and Purdue University
.
, Met One Instruments, NASA JPL, the Zeiss Company, MJ Research and the Geophysical Department of the Carnegie Institute
.
, Polar Continental Shelf Project, Greenleaf Corporation, NASA Spaceward Bound, Mars Society Canada, the Canadian Space Agency, Wataire Industries Inc., Aerogrow, COM DEV, McNally Strumstick
, University of Colorado Book Store, The Mac Shack, Solutions, Government of Quebec
, and Strider Knives
.
, 4Frontiers Corporation
, Florida Space Grant Consortium, NASA
, Florida’s Space Coast
, Georgia Space Grant Consortium, Prioria Robotics, AUVSI, Procerus Technologies, Nikon
, Lighthouse Technical Innovations, Nanometrics, Geonics Limited, Del Mar College, First Air
, E. Barry Stott, MIT Manned Vehicle Laboratory, The Omega Envoy Project, and Tom Jennings Productions.
2001 Expedition
2003 Expedition
2005 Expedition
2007 Expedition
2009 Expedition
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
habitats (or Mars Analog Research Stations) established and maintained by the Mars Society
Mars Society
The Mars Society is an international space advocacy non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the human exploration and settlement of the planet Mars. It was founded by Robert Zubrin and others in 1998 and attracted the support of notable science fiction writers and filmmakers, including Kim...
.
Background
The station is located on Devon IslandDevon Island
Devon Island , claimed to be the largest uninhabited island on Earth, is located in Baffin Bay, Qikiqtaaluk Region, Nunavut, Canada. It is one of the larger members of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, the second-largest of the Queen Elizabeth Islands, Canada's sixth largest island, and the 27th...
, a Mars analog environment and polar desert
Polar desert
Polar deserts are areas with annual precipitation less than 250 millimeters and a mean temperature during the warmest month of less than 10°C and in the coldest month has a mean temperature of 56degress Polar deserts on Earth cover nearly 5 million square kilometers and are mostly hard bedrock or...
, approximately 165 kilometres (102.5 mi) north east of the hamlet of Resolute
Resolute, Nunavut
Resolute or Resolute Bay is a small Inuit hamlet on Cornwallis Island in Nunavut, Canada. It is situated at the northern end of Resolute Bay and the Northwest Passage and is part of the Qikiqtaaluk Region....
in Nunavut
Nunavut
Nunavut is the largest and newest federal territory of Canada; it was separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999, via the Nunavut Act and the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement Act, though the actual boundaries had been established in 1993...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The station is situated on Haynes Ridge, overlooking the Haughton impact crater
Haughton impact crater
Haughton impact crater is located on Devon Island, Nunavut in far northern Canada. It is about in diameter and formed about 39 million years ago . The impacting object is estimated to have been approximately in diameter. Devon Island itself is composed of Paleozoic shale and siltstone overlying...
, a 23 kilometres (14.3 mi) diameter crater formed approximately 39 million years ago (late Eocene
Eocene
The Eocene Epoch, lasting from about 56 to 34 million years ago , is a major division of the geologic timescale and the second epoch of the Paleogene Period in the Cenozoic Era. The Eocene spans the time from the end of the Palaeocene Epoch to the beginning of the Oligocene Epoch. The start of the...
). The location is approximately 1609 km (999.8 mi) from the Geographic North Pole
North Pole
The North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is, subject to the caveats explained below, defined as the point in the northern hemisphere where the Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface...
and approximately 1287 km (799.7 mi) from the Magnetic North Pole
North Magnetic Pole
The Earth's North Magnetic Pole is the point on the surface of the Northern Hemisphere at which the Earth's magnetic field points vertically downwards . Though geographically in the north, it is, by the direction of the magnetic field lines, physically the south pole of the Earth's magnetic field...
.
FMARS is the first research station of its kind to be built, completed in the summer of 2000.
Operated by the non-profit Mars Society, the station's mission is to help develop key knowledge needed to prepare for human Mars exploration, and to inspire the public by making real the vision of human exploration of Mars. The society uses the station to conduct geological and biological exploration under conditions similar to those found on Mars, to develop field tactics based on those explorations, to test habitat design features, tools, and technologies, and to assess crew selection protocols.
The project's final cost was US$1.3 million, raised through sponsorships with major companies. Flashline.com, an internet business, donated $175,000 and was granted the right to affix its name to the project. Other major sponsors included the Kirsch Foundation
Steve Kirsch
Steven Todd Kirsch is an American serial entrepreneur who has started six companies: Mouse Systems, Frame Technology, Infoseek, Propel, Abaca, and OneID. He invented and owns a patent on an early version of the optical mouse. After bringing multiple successful startup companies through IPO and...
, the Foundation for the International Non-governmental Development of Space (FINDS) and the Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
(which purchased exclusive English-language TV rights to the station's activities for the first two years).
The FMARS project is one of four stations originally planned by the Mars Society as part of the Mars Analog Research Station Program. The Mars Desert Research Station
Mars Desert Research Station
The Mars Desert Research Station is the second of four planned simulated Mars surface exploration habitats owned and operated by the Mars Society.-Background:...
(MDRS
Mars Desert Research Station
The Mars Desert Research Station is the second of four planned simulated Mars surface exploration habitats owned and operated by the Mars Society.-Background:...
) began operation in 2002 in southern Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
. Stations to be built in Europe (European Mars Analog Research Station
European Mars Analog Research Station
The European Mars Analogue Research Station is the third in the Mars Society's Analogue Research Stations.The unit is primarily funded by the United Kingdom, with the Euro-MARS science programme operated by a consortium of European Mars Society Chapters comprising the UK, France, The Netherlands,...
/ EuroMARS
European Mars Analog Research Station
The European Mars Analogue Research Station is the third in the Mars Society's Analogue Research Stations.The unit is primarily funded by the United Kingdom, with the Euro-MARS science programme operated by a consortium of European Mars Society Chapters comprising the UK, France, The Netherlands,...
) and Australia (Australia Mars Analog Research Station
Australia Mars Analog Research Station
The Australia Mars Analog Research Station is a project being planned by the Mars Society to conduct geological exploration under constraints similar to those found on Mars, to develop field tactics based on those explorations, to test habitat design features and tools, and to assess crew...
/ MARS-Oz
Australia Mars Analog Research Station
The Australia Mars Analog Research Station is a project being planned by the Mars Society to conduct geological exploration under constraints similar to those found on Mars, to develop field tactics based on those explorations, to test habitat design features and tools, and to assess crew...
) have not progressed beyond the planning stages.
Establishment of the Station
Establishment of a human Mars exploration analog research station on Devon Island was first proposed by Pascal LeePascal Lee
Pascal Lee is co-founder and chairman of the Mars Institute, a planetary scientist at the SETI Institute, and the Principal Investigator of the Haughton-Mars Project at NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, California...
in April 1998. The station was officially selected as the Mars Society's first project at the society's Founding Convention in August 1998.
The station was designed by architect Kurt Micheels and design engineer Wayne Cassalls in coordination with Robert Zubrin
Robert Zubrin
Robert Zubrin is an American aerospace engineer and author, best known for his advocacy of the manned exploration of Mars. He was the driving force behind Mars Direct—a proposal intended to produce significant reductions in the cost and complexity of such a mission...
and numerous Mars Society volunteers.
Kurt Micheels and Robert Zubrin conducted a scouting expedition to Devon Island as part of the 1999 field season of NASA's Haughton Mars Project (HMP), in order to gain information needed to plan operations and to determine an optimum site for station construction. An appropriate site was selected on a ridge overlooking the Haughton crater, which was named Haynes Ridge by Robert Zubrin in honor of the late Professor Robert Haynes
Robert Haynes
Robert Hall Haynes, OC, FRSC was a Canadian geneticist and biophysicist. He was the Distinguished Research Professor in the Department of Biology at York University...
of York University
York University
York University is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's third-largest university, Ontario's second-largest graduate school, and Canada's leading interdisciplinary university....
, a founding member of the Mars Society and seminal thinker on issues concerning the terraforming of Mars
Terraforming of Mars
The terraforming of Mars is the hypothetical process by which the climate, surface, and known properties of Mars would be deliberately changed with the goal of making it habitable by humans and other terrestrial life, thus providing the possibility of safe and sustainable colonization of large...
. Following this scouting expedition Kurt Micheels was selected as the station's project manager.
The station's structure was fabricated between January 2000 and June 2000 by Infrastructures Composites International (Infracomp) under the direction of John Kunz, using a unique type of fiberglass honeycomb construction technology. The Mars Society provided Infracomp additional manpower from Mesa Fiberglass, Pioneer Astronautics and the Rocky Mountain Mars Society Chapter in order to meet the deadline for station deployment. The station's components were transported by truck to Moffett Field, California and loaded onto three C-130 aircraft operated by the U.S. Marine Corps 4th Air Delivery Battalion. The first C-130 departed Moffett Field headed for the arctic on July 1, 2000.
On July 3, 2000 the three C-130s, Kurt Micheels, John Kunz and a paid team of construction workers were in Resolute. The construction team traveled to Devon Island via Twin Otters on July 4. On July 5 the Marines conducted five successful paradrops of station components. A sixth paradrop was also successful on July 8.
The seventh and final paradrop, conducted on July 8, was unsuccessful. The parachute separated from the payload at an altitude of 1000 feet. The payload contained a crane for use in constructing the station, a trailer intended to transport the station sections from their landing locations to the construction site and the fiberglass floors for the structure. All were completely destroyed.
On July 12, Kurt Micheels and the construction crew left Devon Island and returned to Resolute, unable to find a way to continue station construction. Micheels later resigned as project manager on July 15.
The Mars Society engaged the services of Aziz Kheraj, the owner of Resolute's South Camp Inn. He flew to Devon Island on July 12 and assessed the situation. He would go on to provide critical support, equipment and materials that allowed construction of the station to proceed.
Frank Schubert, a Mars Society member who was a homebuilder by trade, had been sent to Resolute following the initial team. It was originally intended that he focus on the interior build-out of the station, but instead played a key role in erecting the structure and was appointed by Robert Zubrin as replacement project manager. He spent several days developing a new construction plan and was joined in Resolute by Zubrin on July 15. John Kunz also agreed to remain and assist the construction effort. Zubrin and Schubert flew to Devon Island later in the day on July 15. John Kunz flew back to Devon Island on July 16.
On July 17 parts were obtained from Resolute that were used to construct a crude replacement trailer. Enlisting the help of volunteers from HMP and members of a Japanese TV crew, six of the wall segments were transported from their landing location within the crater to the construction site.
The remainder of the habitat's components were transported to the construction site on July 18 and July 19. The existing volunteers were assisted by Joe Amarualuk and several Inuit high school students who also volunteered to help.
Matt Smola, the foreman of Frank Schubert's construction company in Denver, arrived on Devon Island on July 20 and assisted with station construction.
The station's wall sections were raised to vertical and connected to each other July 20 through July 22. The floors of the station were constructed out of wood and assembled on July 23 and July 24. The dome roof of the station was assembled July 24, 25 and 26th. This completed the exterior construction of the station.
Individuals from HMP, the Discovery Channel film team and a number of journalists on-site assisted with the interior build-out of the station, which was only partial completed. Finishing touches of the interior build-out would occur the following year.
A red, green and blue Martian tricolor flag was raised on the 28th atop the station.
An inauguration ceremony took place at 9PM on the 28th. Every human being on the island attended. This included approximately fifty scientists, Inuit
Inuit
The Inuit are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic regions of Canada , Denmark , Russia and the United States . Inuit means “the people” in the Inuktitut language...
, and journalists. Several individuals spoke. Robert Zubrin gave the concluding remarks and dedicated the station to those whose cause it will ultimately serve, a people who are yet to be, the pioneers of Mars. The station was christened by smashing a bottle of Canadian champagne against it.
A symbolic first crew occupied the station the night of the 28th and during the day on the 29th. It consisted of Pascal Lee, Marc Boucher, Frank Schubert, Charles Cockell
Charles S. Cockell
Charles S. Cockell is Professor of Geomicrobiology with the Open University. Prior to this, he was a microbiologist with the British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge, UK...
, Bob Nesson and Robert Zubrin.
Frank Schubert, Matt Smola and Robert Zubrin left Devon Island on the afternoon of the 29th.
A shakedown crew then occupied the station for four days. It was commanded by Carol Stoker, and included Larry Lemke, Bill Clancey, Darlene Lim, Marc Boucher and Bob Nesson. The crew used a prototype Mars space suit supplied by Hamilton Sundstrand
Hamilton Sundstrand
Hamilton Sundstrand, is a global corporation that manufactures and supports aerospace and industrial products for worldwide markets. It was formed from the merger of Hamilton Standard and Sundstrand Corporation in 1999. A subsidiary of United Technologies Corporation, HS is headquartered in Windsor...
to conduct several EVAs, communications were established with the Mission Support group in Denver, and a list of items for correction, installation or improvement were identified with the habitat and its systems. This crew left Devon Island on August 4.
A much more detailed account of the establishment of the station can be found in the book "Mars on Earth: The Adventures of Space Pioneers in the High Arctic" by Robert Zubrin.
Operations
The Mars Society sends researchers to live and work at the station typically for one month during the arctic summer. Each of these expeditions consists of a crew of between 6 and 7 individuals. Typically 1 to 2 months prior to departing for the Canadian Arctic, the crew gathers for an initial face-to-face meeting and training session in Colorado. Departing for the arctic, the crew travels by commercial airline to Resolute. There they spend a few days at the South Camp Inn, organizing their supplies and equipment and conducting some final training while waiting for clear weather. They then board Twin Otter aircraft for the final leg of the journey. These aircraft land on a dirt airstrip located on Devon Island near the station. The primary means of crew transportation while on the island is by All-Terrain VehicleAll-terrain vehicle
An all-terrain vehicle , also known as a quad, quad bike, three wheeler, or four wheeler, is defined by the American National Standards Institute as a vehicle that travels on low pressure tires, with a seat that is straddled by the operator, along with handlebars for steering control...
s (ATVs
All-terrain vehicle
An all-terrain vehicle , also known as a quad, quad bike, three wheeler, or four wheeler, is defined by the American National Standards Institute as a vehicle that travels on low pressure tires, with a seat that is straddled by the operator, along with handlebars for steering control...
).
During the formal Mars simulation period of each expedition, it is required that any outside work be done while wearing a simulated spacesuit and that all communications are conducted by radio. Space suited crew members use a simulated airlock depress/repress procedure upon each exit and entry to the habitat. Communications between the station and off-island researchers are subject to a time delay (typically 20 minutes) which mimics that of actual radio traffic between Earth and Mars. A satellite phone is kept on-site for use in emergencies.
Due to limited visibility of crew members wearing simulated spacesuits, all work outside the station is conducted with one crew member "out-of-sim". It is the responsibility of this crew member be on look out for, and to protect the crew from, polar bears. This crew member is typically armed with a pump-action shotgun loaded with slugs
Shotgun slug
A shotgun slug is a heavy lead projectile, that may have pre-cut rifling, intended for use in a shotgun and often used for hunting large game. The first effective shotgun slug was introduced by Wilhelm Brenneke in 1898, and his design remains in use today...
. The crew also carries bear deterrent devices known as bear bangers. No polar bears have yet been encountered by the crew of an FMARS expedition, although signs of their presence on the island are regularly seen, and at least one encounter has occurred with participants in the HMP.
Crew members are also required to write periodic reports to document conducted research, to advise on the status of engineering systems, and to capture details related to other aspects of operations. There are four reports that are typically generated, these being the Commander's Report, a Science Report, an Engineering Report and a Narrative Report. The crew transmits these reports to a Mission Support team (typically located in Colorado).
Timeline of Operations
In the first field season during the summer of 2001, six separate crews of five to seven people occupied the station and began work. From 2002-2009, six crews occupied the remote outpost.2001
An advanced team was sent to Devon Island in April 2001 to check on the condition of the hab after the winter and to finish building out the interior. It consisted of Frank Schubert, Matt Smola, Len Smola, Greg Mungas, Pascal Lee and Joe Amarualik. The team spent one week working within the station and preparing it for the 2001 simulation field season.FMARS Crew 1, with six personnel, occupied the station from July 7, 2001 through the evening of July 10, 2001.
FMARS Crew 2, with six personnel, occupied the station from the evening of July 10, 2001 through the evening of July 17, 2001.
FMARS Crew 3, with seven personnel, occupied the station from the evening of July 17, 2001 through the morning of July 28, 2001.
FMARS Crew 4, with six personnel, occupied the station for five days.
2002
FMARS Crew 7, with seven personnel, occupied the station from July 9, 2002 through July 26, 2002.The crew operated under full Mars simulation constraints between July 11 and July 24. In addition to conducting a systematic program of field geology and microbiology under simulated Mars mission conditions, the crew worked successfully with researchers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab to take the farthest-north ground-truth measurements ever obtained for the MISR instrument on the Terra Earth-observing satellite.
2003
FMARS Crew 8, with seven personnel, occupied the station from July 7, 2003 through July 30, 2003.The crew operated under full Mars simulation constraints between July 10 and July 29.
The crew conducted an experiment which tracked their cognitive performance throughout the mission.
2007
The primary FMARS Crew 11 consisted of seven personnel and one alternate crew-member. The station was prepared for the crew arrival by an advance field engineering team consisting of Paul Graham, coordinator of the Mars Society's engineering team, along with the FMARS Crew 11 Chief Engineer James Harris, and several workers from the community of Resolute. Later the advance team was joined by Matt Bamsey, with Paul and the other workers leaving shortly before the main crew's arrival.The crew operated under full Mars simulation constraints for 100 days, ending on August 21, 2007. This quadrupled the previous record for in-situ Mars mission simulations. They also operated on the Martian 'sol' for over a month, to evaluate the effects on crew psychophysiology or mission operations.
The crew conducted data collection related to a significant number of scientific studies during the course of the mission.
Near the end of the mission, the crew spoke with astronaut Clayton Anderson
Clayton Anderson
Clayton Conrad Anderson is an American engineer and a NASA astronaut. Launched on STS-117, he replaced Sunita Williams on June 10, 2007 as a member of the ISS Expedition 15 crew.-Education:...
, who was at that time in orbit aboard the International Space Station
International Space Station
The International Space Station is a habitable, artificial satellite in low Earth orbit. The ISS follows the Salyut, Almaz, Cosmos, Skylab, and Mir space stations, as the 11th space station launched, not including the Genesis I and II prototypes...
.
Logistical support and research authorization for the mission was provided by the Polar Continental Shelf Project.
2009
FMARS Crew 12, with six personnel, occupied the station from July 2, 2009 through July 28, 2009.The crew operated under full Mars simulation constraints between July 14 and July 26. During the course of the simulation, the crew completed 16 EVAs in 43.5 hrs, traveling a distance of 128 km. This translates into a cumulative in-sim crew time of 106 man-hours and a distance of 323 km. The crew's efforts included a number of firsts for simulated Mars explorers in a Mars analog environment, including the testing of new technologies and equipment for use in robotic aerial survey
Aerial survey
Aerial survey is a geomatics method of collecting information by using aerial photography, LiDAR or from remote sensing imagery using other bands of the electromagnetic spectrum, such as infrared, gamma, or ultraviolet. It can also refer to the chart or map made by analysing a region from the air...
ing, in-situ resource utilization
In-Situ Resource Utilization
In space exploration, in-situ resource utilization describes the proposed use of resources found or manufactured on other astronomical objects to further the goals of a space mission....
(ISRU
In-Situ Resource Utilization
In space exploration, in-situ resource utilization describes the proposed use of resources found or manufactured on other astronomical objects to further the goals of a space mission....
), geophysical measurement
Geophysics
Geophysics is the physics of the Earth and its environment in space; also the study of the Earth using quantitative physical methods. The term geophysics sometimes refers only to the geological applications: Earth's shape; its gravitational and magnetic fields; its internal structure and...
, medical laser treatment
Laser medicine
Laser medicine is the use of various types of lasers in medical diagnosis, treatment, or therapy. Types of lasers used in medicine include in principle any laser design, especially:* CO2 lasers* diode lasers* dye lasers* excimer lasers* fiber lasers...
, image geotagging
GeoTagging
Geotagging is the process of adding geographical identification metadata to various media such as a geotagged photograph or video, websites, SMS messages, QR Codes or RSS feeds and is a form of geospatial metadata...
, path planning and analysis
Motion planning
Motion planning is a term used in robotics for the process of detailing a task into discrete motions....
, and public communications.
Start of the simulation was delayed until July 14 due to a large number of maintenance tasks and facility upgrades which could only be completed out of sim. These included construction of new secondary containment areas for fuel storage, changes to the generator shed to improve safety and functionality, installation of a SmartAsh incinerator
Incineration
Incineration is a waste treatment process that involves the combustion of organic substances contained in waste materials. Incineration and other high temperature waste treatment systems are described as "thermal treatment". Incineration of waste materials converts the waste into ash, flue gas, and...
and a grey water sump
Sump
A sump is a low space that collects any often-undesirable liquids such as water or chemicals. A sump can also be an infiltration basin used to manage surface runoff water and recharge underground aquifers....
, refit and reconditioning of the simulated space suits, as well as general organization and clean-up within, under, and in the general vicinity of the station. This maintenance ensured full compliance with environmental regulations and improved both operational and aesthetic elements of the station.
Research and Accomplishments
Each crew establishes research and education / outreach objectives which they strive to accomplish during their time at FMARS.2001
The crews in 2001 were the first to conduct operations under full Mars simulation constraints, including the use of simulated Mars space suits.EVAs by Crew 1 included the first pedestrian and motorized EVAs while wearing simulated space suits. Crew 1 also deployed weather-logging instruments along the western edge of Haynes Ridge.
Crew 2 deployed a geophone flute
Geophone
The term geophone derives from the Greek word "geo" meaning "earth" and "phone" meaning "sound".A geophone is a device which converts ground movement into voltage, which may be recorded at a recording station...
, provided by the Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris
Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris
The Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris is a French governmental, non-profit research and higher education establishment located in Paris, dedicated to the study of earth and planetary sciences by combining observations, laboratory analysis and construction of conceptual analogical and...
to produce three-dimensional maps of the subsurface. A similar instrument could one day be used on Mars to search for underground water or ice. Rock samples collected on Haynes Ridge during EVA were analyzed in the habitat's lab, and photographs were obtained of cyanobacteria found within them. The crew deployed cosmic ray
Cosmic ray
Cosmic rays are energetic charged subatomic particles, originating from outer space. They may produce secondary particles that penetrate the Earth's atmosphere and surface. The term ray is historical as cosmic rays were thought to be electromagnetic radiation...
dosimeters near Trinity Lake and Breccia Hill. The crew also completed questionnaires provided by the University of Quebec at Hull
Université du Québec
The University of Quebec is a system of ten provincially-run public universities in Quebec, Canada. Its headquarters are in Quebec City. The university coordinates university programs for more than 87,000 students. It offers more than 300 programs...
(UQAH) and NASA Johnson Space Center to aid human-factors
Human factors
Human factors science or human factors technologies is a multidisciplinary field incorporating contributions from psychology, engineering, industrial design, statistics, operations research and anthropometry...
research.
Crew 3 deployed a dust magnetic properties instrument provided by the Niels Bohr Institute
Niels Bohr Institute
The Niels Bohr Institute is a research institute of the University of Copenhagen. The research of the institute spans astronomy, geophysics, nanotechnology, particle physics, quantum mechanics and biophysics....
. This instrument is similar to that used on the Mars Pathfinder
Mars Pathfinder
Mars Pathfinder was an American spacecraft that landed a base station with roving probe on Mars in 1997. It consisted of a lander, renamed the Carl Sagan Memorial Station, and a lightweight wheeled robotic rover named Sojourner.Launched on December 4, 1996 by NASA aboard a Delta II booster a...
mission. The crew performed a psychology experiment for the human-factors research group at NASA Johnson Space Center. They conducted a pre-recorded audio question and answer session with visitors at the Kennedy Space Center Visitors Complex, where the society's Mars Desert Research Station was on display. The crew also tested in the field three telerobots
Telerobotics
Telerobotics is the area of robotics concerned with the control of robots from a distance, chiefly using wireless connections , "tethered" connections, or the Internet...
, Stumpy, Jan and Titan.
Crew 4 continued to test the three telerobots (Stumpy, Jan and Titan) during multiple EVAs.
Crew 5 tested a two-person ATV designed by Purdue University
Purdue University
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
.
2002
The crew deployed a weather station on Haynes Ridge which had been donated to the Mars Society by Met One Instruments. The weather station provided data on wind direction and speed, barometric pressure, humidity and temperature.A Terra/MISR reflectance spectrometer
Spectrometer
A spectrometer is an instrument used to measure properties of light over a specific portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, typically used in spectroscopic analysis to identify materials. The variable measured is most often the light's intensity but could also, for instance, be the polarization...
provided by the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Jet Propulsion Laboratory is a federally funded research and development center and NASA field center located in the San Gabriel Valley area of Los Angeles County, California, United States. The facility is headquartered in the city of Pasadena on the border of La Cañada Flintridge and Pasadena...
(JPL) was used to take ground truth reflectance spectra of landforms on Devon Island, to compare with measurements taken by a similar device (MISR
MISR
The Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer is a scientific instrument on the Terra satellite launched by NASA on December 18, 1999. This device is designed to measure the intensity of solar radiation reflected by the Earth system in various directions and spectral bands; it became operational in...
) on board the earth orbiting Terra satellite. These spectra were collected by the crew during multiple EVAs, and were the farthest-north ground-truth measurements ever taken for the MISR instrument. This was an important demonstration of combined human/robot exploration operations that will need to be done on Mars.
Systematic sampling and characterization of extremophile bacteria
Extremophile
An extremophile is an organism that thrives in physically or geochemically extreme conditions that are detrimental to most life on Earth. In contrast, organisms that live in more moderate environments may be termed mesophiles or neutrophiles...
from the local environment was conducted, utilizing equipment provided from several sources including Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
, an epifluorescent microscope
Fluorescence microscope
A fluorescence microscope is an optical microscope used to study properties of organic or inorganic substances using the phenomena of fluorescence and phosphorescence instead of, or in addition to, reflection and absorption...
sponsored by the Zeiss Company and a molecular laboratory lent by MJ Research.
"In situ" samples were collected by the crew during EVA. These are rock samples that are not broken away from the large rock formations of their origin and are therefore free from modern biological or weathering action. The samples were collected to assist in testing a life-detection experiment called MASSE that was being developed by the Geophysical Department of the Carnegie Institute.
Records were collected of rock-size distribution (in which the fraction of ground covered at each location by sand
Sand
Sand is a naturally occurring granular material composed of finely divided rock and mineral particles.The composition of sand is highly variable, depending on the local rock sources and conditions, but the most common constituent of sand in inland continental settings and non-tropical coastal...
, granule
Granule (geology)
A granule is a clast of rock with a particle size of 2 to 4 millimetres based on the Krumbein phi scale of sedimentology. Granules are generally considered to be larger than sand and smaller than pebbles . A rock made predominantly of granules is termed a conglomerate....
s, pebble
Pebble
A pebble is a clast of rock with a particle size of 4 to 64 millimetres based on the Krumbein phi scale of sedimentology. Pebbles are generally considered to be larger than granules and smaller than cobbles . A rock made predominantly of pebbles is termed a conglomerate...
s, cobble
Cobble (geology)
A cobble is a clast of rock with a particle size of to based on the Krumbein phi scale of sedimentology. Cobbles are generally considered to be larger than pebbles and smaller than boulders . A rock made predominantly of cobbles is termed a conglomerate....
s, small boulder
Boulder
In geology, a boulder is a rock with grain size of usually no less than 256 mm diameter. While a boulder may be small enough to move or roll manually, others are extremely massive....
s, and large boulders is estimated) in order to provide a quantitative estimate of the roughness of the ground to compare with coloration on Landsat satellite
Landsat program
The Landsat program is the longest running enterprise for acquisition of satellite imagery of Earth. On July 26, 1972 the Earth Resources Technology Satellite was launched. This was eventually renamed to Landsat. The most recent, Landsat 7, was launched on April 15, 1999. The instruments on the...
images.
Additionally, the crew hosted for a short period two journalists from Russian National Television (NTV) who collected footage of the station and its crew during the simulation.
2003
The crew conducted an experiment which tracked their cognitive performance throughout the mission. The results were analyzed and published in a paper by Jan Osburg and Walter Sipes.2004
Experiments in 2004 primarily focused on an in-depth biodiversity survey of the arctic desert and geological/geophysical study of the Haughton Crater area. Logistics and engineering experiments were also conducted.The biodiversity study, led by Dr. Shannon Rupert, involved nine sites along streams ranging from first to third order. This survey was also conducted at each of the Mars Society's Analog Research Stations, including the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) in Utah and the planning site at the Australian Arkaroola desert.
Dr. Akos Kereszturi took geological surveys for early characterization of terrain for the Exomars project. The crew tested an optical lens developed in Hungary called the Micro-Telescopium while on multiple EVAs. The crew found that the lens could be used for 8-15x magnification of objects while the astronaut was in the field, with the lens being fixed on the outside of helmet.
Other experiments included a Geophysical analysis of Haughton Crater led by Dr. Louise Wynn which answered key questions on the physical characteristics of the 20-million year old meteor impactor. Błażej Błażejowski studied microfossils in crater soil deposits. A logistics study led by Dr. Jason Held found a method of tracking crew consumption by learning the crew's operations tempo. The crew's engineer, Judd Reed, conducted experiments on image detection in a robotic fish-eye camera, of a design highly relevant to modern Mars rovers.
Crew member Joan Roch was interviewed by a number French-language media channels, including four times live for television (TVA Network of Quebec), six times for radios (Radio-Canada four times, Radio France Bleu Poitou, CISM 89,3FM Montreal) and three times for newspapers (Journal de Montreal, Metro Montreal, Centre-Presse).
2005
The crew was visited on Devon Island for several days by noted columnist John Tierney, who wrote an op ed piece about the expedition entitled "Over the Moon" which appeared in the New York Times.2007
The crew conducted a long duration mission, lasting four months total. This quadrupled the previous record for in-situ Mars mission simulations. They also operated on the Martian 'sol'Timekeeping on Mars
Various schemes have been used or proposed to keep track of time and date on the planet Mars independently of Earth time and calendars.Mars has an axial tilt and a rotation period similar to those of Earth. Thus it experiences seasons of spring, summer, autumn and winter much like Earth, and its...
, (39 minutes longer than the 24 hour Earth day), for over a month, to evaluate the effects on crew psychophysiology
Psychophysiology
Psychophysiology is the branch of psychology that is concerned with the physiological bases of psychological processes. While psychophysiology was a general broad field of research in the 1960s and 1970s, it has now become quite specialized, and has branched into subspecializations...
or mission operations.
The crew completed the AstroPCI personality inventory, the NEO-Personality Inventory by Costa and McCrae, as well as an online questionnaire battery dealing with stress, coping and group functioning on five occasion throughout the mission (pre and monthly). The tests were designed to investigate sources of interpersonal stress and strategies to cope. The results were analyzed and published in a paper by Sheryl Bishop and several of the crew members.
The crew conducted data collection related to a significant number of scientific studies during the course of the mission. These included:
- Biological properties of the active layer above the permafrost
- Microbial community comparison within the active layer above the permafrost
- Diversification of microbial activity in different snow types on Devon Island
- Effects of an asynchronous online collaboration tool on knowledge building and science return on a Mars simulation mission
- The role of geologic parameters in predicting bioload above the permafrost, while varying depth, location, and soil type, through the spring thaw transition
- Transient hydrothermal systems of the Haughton impact structure, Devon Island, Canada: Implications for the development of biological habitats
- Tracing the relative contribution of basement and carbonate lithologies in the Haughton crater impactites
- Permafrost landform development over the winter-to-summer transition: Characterization of evolving physical conditions of a polygon field in the Canadian High Arctic
- Observing the "Weeping Cliffs" phenomenon near Haughton Crater as an analogue for Mars
- Regolith landform mapping of Haughton Crater as an analogue for Mars
- Mars Radiation Environment Modeling (MarsREM)
- Measure and evaluation of support intervention based on distance communication technologies and of physical training on relevance, feasibility and perceived efficacy
- Analysis of group dynamics-perception of situational factors (heterogeneous and international) and its impact on crew interaction and perception of behavior and performance of crew members
- Analysis of station environment habitability, of crew cognitive performance and changes in group dynamics
- CASPER: The use of cardiac autonomic activity as a surrogate marker for sleep in a space analog environment
- Human factors research as part of a space analogue mission on Devon Island
- Seasonal variation of Chironomidae in the ponds of the Canadian High Arctic as a paleoclimatic indicator
- Seasonal variation of the ponds on Devon Island, Nunavut, Canadian High Arctic
- Metrics of a long duration polar expedition: An analogue for human Moon-Mars exploration
- Moon and Mars crew water utilization study conducted at the Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station
- Martian sol influence on sleep stability and mental performance during a long duration analogue exploration mission
The crew also took part in a number of media and outreach events. A documentary team from Les Productions Vic Pelletier, Quebec visited the station for three days. Photographer Christian Lamontagne took pictures for their web-based program. The crew participated in a live interactive Mars Ed event with the NASA Ames Academy, for which their PCSP Principal Investigator Chris McKay gave an on-site introduction at Ames.
Following the mission, several crew members met with Dr. Gary Goodyear, Member of the Canadian Parliament and Chair of the Canadian Space Caucus, to discuss the F-XI LDM mission & the future of space exploration in Canada.
2009
The crew flew the Maveric unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) six times over Devon Island. Four of these flights were conducted in‐sim for the first time ever, supporting the idea that human Mars explorers could launch, operate and recover a UAV while encumbered by a spacesuit. This capability expanded the crew's field of view and the rate at which they could survey surrounding terrain. The Maveric UAV was deployed at the sites of several hydrothermal pipesBreccia pipe
A breccia pipe, also referred to as a chimney, is a mass of breccia, often in an irregular and cylindrical shape. When exposed at the surface, a breccia pipe may appear as an iron-stained knob, from several feet to several hundred feet in diameter. Breccia pipes may or may not be silicified...
, where aerial footage of these features with correlated GPS track information was captured for analysis, aiding later site sampling by crew geologists.
Several GPS units including a Trimble GeoXM, helped the crew navigate on a long‐distance EVA to the Gemini Hills, an extensive deposit of hydrothermal breccia
Breccia
Breccia is a rock composed of broken fragments of minerals or rock cemented together by a fine-grained matrix, that can be either similar to or different from the composition of the fragments....
created by the Haughton meteor impact. The primary objective was to locate and sample a gypsum
Gypsum
Gypsum is a very soft sulfate mineral composed of calcium sulfate dihydrate, with the chemical formula CaSO4·2H2O. It is found in alabaster, a decorative stone used in Ancient Egypt. It is the second softest mineral on the Mohs Hardness Scale...
deposit at this site. Gypsum is a hydrated calcium sulfate
Calcium sulfate
Calcium sulfate is a common laboratory and industrial chemical. In the form of γ-anhydrite , it is used as a desiccant. It is also used as a coagulant in products like tofu. In the natural state, unrefined calcium sulfate is a translucent, crystalline white rock...
mineral which is 20% water and is found in abundance on Earth and at many locations on Mars. Used to make plaster of Paris, sheetrock, cement
Cement
In the most general sense of the word, a cement is a binder, a substance that sets and hardens independently, and can bind other materials together. The word "cement" traces to the Romans, who used the term opus caementicium to describe masonry resembling modern concrete that was made from crushed...
, and other building materials, this white mineral will be an important resource for Mars industry. The crew returned to the Hab with samples from the gypsum deposit, crushed and heated them, and recovered pure liquid water and plaster of Paris. This ISRU demonstration was a first for a Mars simulation.
Seven of the sixteen FMARS EVAs were devoted to two geophysical experiments. One project was to install Devon Island’s first seismometer
Seismometer
Seismometers are instruments that measure motions of the ground, including those of seismic waves generated by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and other seismic sources...
, a Trillium Compact provided by Nanometrics. The crew scouted deployment locations and installed the equipment while fully in‐sim, a first for Mars analog research. Seismic stations similar to this will provide important understanding of the interior of planets including Mars, particularly the deep crust
Crust (geology)
In geology, the crust is the outermost solid shell of a rocky planet or natural satellite, which is chemically distinct from the underlying mantle...
, mantle
Mantle (geology)
The mantle is a part of a terrestrial planet or other rocky body large enough to have differentiation by density. The interior of the Earth, similar to the other terrestrial planets, is chemically divided into layers. The mantle is a highly viscous layer between the crust and the outer core....
, and core
Inner core
The inner core of the Earth, its innermost hottest part as detected by seismological studies, is a primarily solid ball about in radius, or about 70% that of the Moon...
. The second geophysical project tested how effectively human explorers in space suits could deploy low frequency electromagnetic survey equipment, a TEM47‐PROTEM provided by Geonics Limited, to search for groundwater
Groundwater
Groundwater is water located beneath the ground surface in soil pore spaces and in the fractures of rock formations. A unit of rock or an unconsolidated deposit is called an aquifer when it can yield a usable quantity of water. The depth at which soil pore spaces or fractures and voids in rock...
beneath Haynes Ridge near the hab location. Future human Mars explorers may conduct similar surveys in their search for life and resources to support human settlement.
The crew conducted and were subjects in a research study using a Class IV High Power Laser therapy device
Laser medicine
Laser medicine is the use of various types of lasers in medical diagnosis, treatment, or therapy. Types of lasers used in medicine include in principle any laser design, especially:* CO2 lasers* diode lasers* dye lasers* excimer lasers* fiber lasers...
provided by Lighthouse Technical Innovation, Inc. Crew members received treatment on focused areas before and after each EVA. The laser therapy is effective due to the penetration of coherent laser light into the tissues causing deep heating and local vasodilation
Vasodilation
Vasodilation refers to the widening of blood vessels resulting from relaxation of smooth muscle cells within the vessel walls, particularly in the large arteries, smaller arterioles and large veins. The process is essentially the opposite of vasoconstriction, or the narrowing of blood vessels. When...
. The additional blood supply provided by the dilated vessels can serve many functions, most notably preparation of the muscles for physical exertion and accelerated healing of muscle soreness, strain, or pain from past injuries. The laser therapy at the FMARS Hab was effective in relieving symptoms caused by physical exertion and was concurrent with the quick healing of minor injuries, recovery from an illness, and the complete lack of muscle pulls or extended soreness.
The Omega Envoy Project, a team vying for the Google Lunar X PRIZE
Google Lunar X Prize
The Google Lunar X PRIZE, abbreviated GLXP, sometimes referred to as Moon 2.0, is a space competition organized by the X Prize Foundation, and sponsored by Google. It was announced at the Wired Nextfest on 13 September 2007...
, provided a prototype lunar rover for testing during the FMARS 2009 mission. The rover was assembled and tested prior to the mission by 4Frontiers Corporation
4Frontiers Corporation
- Organization :The company is presently headquartered in New Port Richey, Florida, and has three employees. The majority of work is completed by contractors, consultants, and interns...
interns, in coordination with the Florida Space Grant Consortium and NASA’s Exploration Systems Mission Directorate. Outfitted with a communications and video package designed in collaboration with the University of Central Florida
University of Central Florida
The University of Central Florida, commonly referred to as UCF, is a metropolitan public research university located in Orlando, Florida, United States...
DARPA team, the rover was continuously operated via the internet from the team’s headquarters in Orlando, Florida. This demonstration proved key technologies and provided essential teleoperation
Teleoperation
Teleoperation indicates operation of a machine at a distance. It is similar in meaning to the phrase "remote control" but is usually encountered in research, academic and technical environments...
al experience related to communicating with and controlling the rover from a remote location. It provided a deeper understanding of the complexities to be encountered in lunar rover operation.
For all FMARS 2009 EVAs, the crew wore a Garmin Forerunner
Garmin Forerunner
The Garmin Forerunner series is a selection of sport watches produced by Garmin. Most models use the Global Positioning System , and are targeted at road runners and triathletes...
combined GPS and heart rate monitor
Heart rate monitor
A heart rate monitor is a personal monitoring device which allows a subject to measure his or her heart rate in real time or record his or her heart rate for later study...
system to gather concurrent geographic and physiological data. Crew members also captured geotagged photos and videos using Coolpix P6000 GPS‐enabled cameras, donated by Nikon
Nikon
, also known as just Nikon, is a multinational corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, specializing in optics and imaging. Its products include cameras, binoculars, microscopes, measurement instruments, and the steppers used in the photolithography steps of semiconductor fabrication, of which...
. These technologies allowed them to easily combine ground and UAV GPS tracks, heart rate data, and photo information within the geographic context of Google Earth
Google Earth
Google Earth is a virtual globe, map and geographical information program that was originally called EarthViewer 3D, and was created by Keyhole, Inc, a Central Intelligence Agency funded company acquired by Google in 2004 . It maps the Earth by the superimposition of images obtained from satellite...
to produce visuals for display on the FMARS website.
The crew also gathered data useful for the evolution of MIT’s Mission Planner Software, which may be used by future astronauts to generate safe and efficient EVA traverses.
Social media outlets like Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
, YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
, and Picasa Web Albums
Picasa
Picasa is an image organizer and image viewer for organizing and editing digital photos, plus an integrated photo-sharing website, originally created by Idealab in 2002 and owned by Google since 2004. "Picasa" is a blend of the name of Spanish painter Pablo Picasso, the phrase mi casa for "my...
also helped the FMARS crew share its activities with the interested public. Some crew members also maintained blogs that garnered substantial followings. At least 25 stories featuring FMARS 2009 have been published, showing media interest in the expedition.
Thanks in large part to The Mars Society volunteers serving on the Mission Support team (in Colorado, Florida, Texas, Washington, and Australia), the FMARS website received a major overhaul this year, helping the crew to organize, manage, and release to the interested public the volumes of generated information. Mission Support posted crew reports, photos and video files to the website, and also assisted in troubleshooting technical problems as they arose. The crew also benefited from the expertise of an international team of physicians who provided telemedicine
Telemedicine
Telemedicine is the use of telecommunication and information technologies in order to provide clinical health care at a distance. It helps eliminate distance barriers and can improve access to medical services that would often not be consistently available in distant rural communities...
support.
In coordination with Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University is a private university in Dallas, Texas, United States. Founded in 1911 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, SMU operates campuses in Dallas, Plano, and Taos, New Mexico. SMU is owned by the South Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church...
(SMU
Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University is a private university in Dallas, Texas, United States. Founded in 1911 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, SMU operates campuses in Dallas, Plano, and Taos, New Mexico. SMU is owned by the South Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church...
), Florida Space Grant Consortium (FSGC) and the Georgia Space Grant Consortium (GSGC), FMARS crew members conducted four live video webcasts with students groups. These sessions included the SMU Talented & Gifted Program, NASA Kennedy Space Center
Kennedy Space Center
The John F. Kennedy Space Center is the NASA installation that has been the launch site for every United States human space flight since 1968. Although such flights are currently on hiatus, KSC continues to manage and operate unmanned rocket launch facilities for America's civilian space program...
Interns, NASA Digital Learning Network via Georgia Tech, and Gardendale Magnet Elementary School in Florida. Students, educators and interns in attendance gave the FMARS crew high praise for providing this glimpse of life in a simulated Mars habitat.
2001
- Vladimir Pletser, Philippe Lognonne, Michel Diament, Véronique Dehant. "http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6V1N-4T6KF89-1&_user=10&_coverDate=02%2F28%2F2009&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=gateway&_origin=gateway&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_searchStrId=1676799785&_rerunOrigin=google&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=33ad1c0c3931d5c4910d624d1a552227&searchtype=aSubsurface water detection on Mars by astronauts using a seismic refraction method: Tests during a manned Mars mission simulation]", ActaAstronautica64(2009)457–466.
- Alain Souchier. "http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6V1N-4XHC69N-1&_user=10&_coverDate=07%2F31%2F2010&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=gateway&_origin=gateway&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_searchStrId=1676800721&_rerunOrigin=google&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=77731edc820b0746c2b8db370ac21ad5&searchtype=aPrivate ground infrastructures for space exploration missions simulations]", ActaAstronautica66(2010)1580–1592.
- Clancey, William J. "Simulating "Mars on Earth" - A Report from FMARS Phase 2", In: On to Mars, Colonizing a New World, edited by Zubrin, RM, and Crossman, F. Apogee Books.
Presentations
- Vladimir Pletser, Philippe Lognonne, Michel Diament, Véronique Dehant, Pascal Lee, and Robert Zubrin. "Subsurface Water Detection on Mars by Active Seismology: Simulation at the Mars Society Arctic Research Station", Conference on the Geophysical Detection of Water on Mars, 2001.
- Robert Zubrin. "The Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station: Dispatches from the First Year's Mission Simulation", AIAA 2002-0993 40th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting and Exhibit, Reno, NV. January 14-17, 2002.
- Vladimir Pletser, Robert Zubrin, K. Quinn. "Simulation of Martian EVA at the Mars Society Arctic Research Station", Presented to World Space Congress, Houston, TX. October, 2002.
2003
- Jan Osburg and Walter Sipes. "Mars Analog Station Cognitive Testing (MASCOT): Results of First Field Season", SAE-2004-01-2586.
- Robert Zubrin. "Mars on Earth", Tarcher Penguin, New York, 2003.
Presentations
- Jan Osburg. "Crew Experience at the ‘Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station’ during the 2003 Field Season", Proceedings of the 34th International Conference on Environmental Systems, Colorado Springs, CO, USA, July 2004, SAE-04ICES-31.
- Cockell, C.S., Lim, D.S.S., Braham, S, Lee, P., Clancey, B., "Exobiological protocol and laboratory for the human exploration of Mars: Lessons from a polar impact crater", Journal of the British Interplanetary Society, Vol 56, Num 3-4, pp. 74-86, 2003.
- W.J. Clancey. "Principles for integrating Mars Analog Science, Operations, and Technology Research", Workshop on analog sites and facilities for the human exploration of the moon and Mars, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO. May 21-23, 2003
2004
- Held, J., Wynn, L., Reed, J., and R. Wang, "Supply requirement prediction during long duration space missions using Bayesian estimation", International Journal of Logistics, Vol 10, Num 4, pp. 351–366, 2007.
- Wynn, L., Held, J., Kereszturi, A. and Reed, J., "The Geophysical Study Of An Earth Impact Crater As An Analogue For Studying Martian Impact Craters", published in "On To Mars 2", edited by Zubrin, RM, and Crossman, F. Collector's Guide Publishing Inc. 2006 ed
- S. Sklar and S. Rupert. "A Field Methodology Approach Between an Earth Based Remote Science Team and a Planetary-Based Field Crew", AAS 06-260, Mars Analog Research, Edited by Jonathan Clarke, Univelt, San Diego, 2006.
2007
- M. Bamsey, A. Berinstain, S. Auclair, M. Battler, K. Binsted, K. Bywaters, J. Harris, R. Kobrick, C. McKay. "http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6V3S-4VF56YY-7&_user=10&_coverDate=04/15/2009&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=search&_origin=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=bda5c100b2e7fcb25df9e05211990118&searchtype=aFour-month Moon and Mars crew water utilization study conducted at the Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station, Devon Island, Nunavut]", Advances in Space Research 43 (2009) 1256–1274.
- Binstead, K., Kobrick, R.L., Ogiofa, M., Bishop, S., Lapierre, J. (2010) http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6V6T-4YWS6B3-1&_user=10&_coverDate=06%2F30%2F2010&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=gateway&_origin=gateway&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_searchStrId=1676808141&_rerunOrigin=google&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=6f9cf83be2a4fe78512825b71de57aa5&searchtype=aHuman factors research as part of a Mars exploration analogue mission on Devon Island], Planetary and Space Science, v58 (7-8), p 994-1006.
- Bishop, S.L, Kobrick, R., Battler, M., Binsted, K. (2010). FMARS 2007: Stress and coping in an arctic Mars simulation, Acta Astronautica, v 66(9-10), p 1353-1367. doi:10.1016/j.actaastro.2009.11.008.
Presentations
- Sheryl L. Bishop, Ryan Kobrick, Melissa Battler and Kim Binsted. FMARS 2007: Stress and Coping in an Arctic Mars Simulation, 59th IAC Congress, Glasgow, Scotland, 29 September – 3 October 2008.
2009
- Shiro, B., J. Palaia, and K. Ferrone (2009). Use of Web 2.0 Technologies for Public Outreach on a Simulated Mars Mission, Eos Trans. AGU, 90(52), Fall Meet. Suppl., Abstract ED11A-0565, San Francisco, CA, USA.
2010
- Shiro, B. and C. Stoker (2010). Iterative Science Strategy on Analog Geophysical EVAs, NASA Lunar Science Forum 2010, 20-22 July, Moffett Field, CA, USA.
- Ferrone, K., S. Cusack, C. Garvin, V. W. Kramer, J. Palaia, and B. Shiro (2010). Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station (FMARS) 2009 Crew Perspectives, AIAA paper 2010-2258, In: Proceedings of the AIAA SpaceOps 2010 Conference, 25–30 April, Huntsville, AL, USA.
- Shiro, B. (May 13, 2010) In Situ Exploration by Humans in Mars Analog Environments. UND 997 Symposium.
- Shiro, B. and K. Ferrone (2010). In Situ Exploration by Humans in Mars Analog Environments, In: Proceedings of the 41st Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, 1–5 March, Abstract 2052, Houston, TX, USA.
Additional Publications Which Reference Work Done at FMARS
- O. Sindiy, K. Ezra, D. DeLaurentis, B. Caldwell, T. McVittie, and K. Simpson (2010) Analogues Supporting Design of Lunar Command, Control, Communication, and Information Architectures. Journal of Aerospace Computing, Information, and Communication.
- O. Sindiy, K. Ezra, D. DeLaurentis, B. Caldwell, K. Simpson, and T. McVittie. (2009) Use of Analogous Projects for Trade Space Analysis for Lunar Command, Control, Communication, and Information Architectures. AIAA Infotech@Aerospace Conference, Seattle, WA.
Crew 1 (2001)
- Pascal LeePascal LeePascal Lee is co-founder and chairman of the Mars Institute, a planetary scientist at the SETI Institute, and the Principal Investigator of the Haughton-Mars Project at NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, California...
- Commander - Sam Burbank - Film Maker
- Charles CockellCharles S. CockellCharles S. Cockell is Professor of Geomicrobiology with the Open University. Prior to this, he was a microbiologist with the British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge, UK...
- Biologist - Rainer Effenhauser - Medical Officer
- Darlene Lim - Geologist
- Frank Schubert - Engineer
Crew 2 (2001)
- Robert ZubrinRobert ZubrinRobert Zubrin is an American aerospace engineer and author, best known for his advocacy of the manned exploration of Mars. He was the driving force behind Mars Direct—a proposal intended to produce significant reductions in the cost and complexity of such a mission...
- Commander - Steve Braham - Engineer
- Bill Clancey - Cognitive Scientist
- Charles CockellCharles S. CockellCharles S. Cockell is Professor of Geomicrobiology with the Open University. Prior to this, he was a microbiologist with the British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge, UK...
- Vladimir Pletser
- Katy Quinn
Crew 3 (2001)
- Robert ZubrinRobert ZubrinRobert Zubrin is an American aerospace engineer and author, best known for his advocacy of the manned exploration of Mars. He was the driving force behind Mars Direct—a proposal intended to produce significant reductions in the cost and complexity of such a mission...
- Commander - John Blitch - Robotics Expert
- Brent Bos - Planetary Scientist
- Steve Braham - Engineer
- Cathrine Frandsen - Physicist & Planetary Scientist
- Charles Frankel - Geologist
- Christine Jayarajah - Chemist
Crew 4 (2001)
- Pascal LeePascal LeePascal Lee is co-founder and chairman of the Mars Institute, a planetary scientist at the SETI Institute, and the Principal Investigator of the Haughton-Mars Project at NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, California...
- John Blitch - Robotics Expert
- Charles CockellCharles S. CockellCharles S. Cockell is Professor of Geomicrobiology with the Open University. Prior to this, he was a microbiologist with the British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge, UK...
- Larry Lemke
- Peter SmithPeter Smith (scientist)Peter H. Smith is a Senior Research Scientist at the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory of the University of Arizona, where he holds the inaugural Thomas R. Brown Distinguished Chair in Integrative Science...
- Carol Stoker
Crew 5 (2001)
- Pascal LeePascal LeePascal Lee is co-founder and chairman of the Mars Institute, a planetary scientist at the SETI Institute, and the Principal Investigator of the Haughton-Mars Project at NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, California...
- Charles CockellCharles S. CockellCharles S. Cockell is Professor of Geomicrobiology with the Open University. Prior to this, he was a microbiologist with the British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge, UK...
- Kelly Snook
- Jaret Matthews
- Samson Ootoovak
Crew 6 (2001)
- Pascal LeePascal LeePascal Lee is co-founder and chairman of the Mars Institute, a planetary scientist at the SETI Institute, and the Principal Investigator of the Haughton-Mars Project at NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, California...
- Charles CockellCharles S. CockellCharles S. Cockell is Professor of Geomicrobiology with the Open University. Prior to this, he was a microbiologist with the British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge, UK...
- Tamarack Czarnik
- Rocky Persaud
- George James
- Eric Tilenius
Crew 7 (2002)
- Robert ZubrinRobert ZubrinRobert Zubrin is an American aerospace engineer and author, best known for his advocacy of the manned exploration of Mars. He was the driving force behind Mars Direct—a proposal intended to produce significant reductions in the cost and complexity of such a mission...
- Commander - Nell Beedle - Executive Officer and Geologist
- K. Mark Caviezel - Engineer
- Frank Eckardt - Geologist
- Shannon Hinsa - Environmental Microbiologist
- Markus Landgraf - Physicist
- Emily MacDonald - Astrophysicist
Crew 8 (2003)
- Steven McDaniel - Commander and Chief Biologist
- Jody Tinsley - Executive Officer and Geologist
- Ella Carlsson - Chief Engineer
- April Childress - Logistician and Public Affairs Officer
- Peter Hong Ung Lee - Medical Officer and Biologist
- Jan Osburg - Safety Officer, Communications System Engineer, Navigator and Human Factors Researcher
- Digby Tarvin - Engineer and IT Specialist
Crew 9 (2004)
- Jason Held - Commander
- Blajez Blazejowski - Paleontologist
- Akos Kereszturi - Geologist
- Judd Reed - Engineer
- Joan Roch - Journalist
- Shannon Rupert - Biologist
- Louise Wynn - Planetary Geology, Health and Safety Officer (HSO), and Journalist
Crew 10 (2005) "Crew Greenleaf"
- Judd Reed - Commander and Engineer
- Tiffany Vora - Executive Officer, Health and Safety Officer (HSO) and Molecular Biologist
- Anthony Kendall - Engineer and Hydrogeologist
- Stacy Sklar - Geologist
- Tiziana Trabucchi - Paleontologist
- Andy Wegner - Analytical Chemist
Crew 11 (2007) "F-XI LDM (FMARS 11 Long Duration Mission)"
- Melissa Battler - Commander
- Matt Bamsey - Executive Officer and Engineer
- Simon Auclair - Geologist
- Kim Binstead - Interdisciplinary Scientist
- Kathryn Bywaters - Biologist
- James Harris - Chief Engineer
- Ryan L. Kobrick - Crew Engineer and Human Factors Researcher
- Emily Colvin - Crew Alternate and Engineer
- Paul Graham - Advance Team Chief Engineer
Crew 12 (2009)
- Vernon Kramer - Commander & Chief Geologist
- Joseph E. Palaia, IV - Executive Officer and Engineer
- Stacy Cusack - EVA Coordinator & Geologist
- Kristine Ferrone - Interdisciplinary Scientist
- Christy Garvin - Medical Officer
- Brian Shiro - Geophysicist
- Bios for FMARS Crew 12
Campus
The campus currently consists of two buildings, the habitat and the generator shack.Habitat
The habitat, commonly referred to as "the Hab", is a 7.7 metres (25.3 ft) tall cylinder that measures 8.3 metres (27.2 ft) in diameter and is used as the living area during simulation. Its basic size and design is based on the Mars DirectMars Direct
Mars Direct is a proposal for a manned mission to Mars. Proponents of the scheme have claimed it to be both cost-effective and that it can be conducted with current technology. It was originally detailed in a research paper by NASA engineers Robert Zubrin and David Baker in 1990, and later expanded...
architecture. On the first floor there are two airlock
Airlock
An airlock is a device which permits the passage of people and objects between a pressure vessel and its surroundings while minimizing the change of pressure in the vessel and loss of air from it...
s, a shower and toilet, a room for the space suit
Space suit
A space suit is a garment worn to keep an astronaut alive in the harsh environment of outer space. Space suits are often worn inside spacecraft as a safety precaution in case of loss of cabin pressure, and are necessary for extra-vehicular activity , work done outside spacecraft...
s, and a combined lab and work area. On the second floor are six crew rooms with bunks, a common area, and a kitchen equipped with a gas stove, refrigerator, microwave, oven and a sink. There is also a loft area accessed by ladder from the second floor which provides storage space and can accommodate a bunk for a seventh crew member.
Generator Shack
The generator shack is a small wooden structure located to the east of the habitat. It houses two diesel generators (primary and backup) which alternately provide power for the habitat.Other
Also on the campus is a greywater sump, a SmartAsh incinerator, secondary containment areas for storage of barrels of gasoline, diesel fuel and waste oil, and a satellite dish that provides the station's internet connection.Sponsors
Each FMARS expedition is funded by the Mars Society, and through contributions of equipment, materials and support from various donors and sponsors.Establishment of the Station
The station was made possible due to contributions from a number of organizations, including the Mars SocietyMars Society
The Mars Society is an international space advocacy non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the human exploration and settlement of the planet Mars. It was founded by Robert Zubrin and others in 1998 and attracted the support of notable science fiction writers and filmmakers, including Kim...
, Flashline.com, the Kirsch Foundation
Steve Kirsch
Steven Todd Kirsch is an American serial entrepreneur who has started six companies: Mouse Systems, Frame Technology, Infoseek, Propel, Abaca, and OneID. He invented and owns a patent on an early version of the optical mouse. After bringing multiple successful startup companies through IPO and...
, the Foundation for the International Non-governmental Development of Space (FINDS) and the Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
.
2001 Expedition
FMARS sponsors in 2001 included the Mars SocietyMars Society
The Mars Society is an international space advocacy non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the human exploration and settlement of the planet Mars. It was founded by Robert Zubrin and others in 1998 and attracted the support of notable science fiction writers and filmmakers, including Kim...
, the Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris
Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris
The Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris is a French governmental, non-profit research and higher education establishment located in Paris, dedicated to the study of earth and planetary sciences by combining observations, laboratory analysis and construction of conceptual analogical and...
, the Niels Bohr Institute
Niels Bohr Institute
The Niels Bohr Institute is a research institute of the University of Copenhagen. The research of the institute spans astronomy, geophysics, nanotechnology, particle physics, quantum mechanics and biophysics....
and Purdue University
Purdue University
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
.
2002 Expedition
FMARS sponsors in 2002 included the Mars SocietyMars Society
The Mars Society is an international space advocacy non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the human exploration and settlement of the planet Mars. It was founded by Robert Zubrin and others in 1998 and attracted the support of notable science fiction writers and filmmakers, including Kim...
, Met One Instruments, NASA JPL, the Zeiss Company, MJ Research and the Geophysical Department of the Carnegie Institute
Carnegie Institute
Carnegie Institute can refer to:*Carnegie Institute, operator of the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania*Carnegie Institution for Science , Washington, D.C....
.
2007 Expedition
FMARS sponsors in 2007 included the Mars SocietyMars Society
The Mars Society is an international space advocacy non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the human exploration and settlement of the planet Mars. It was founded by Robert Zubrin and others in 1998 and attracted the support of notable science fiction writers and filmmakers, including Kim...
, Polar Continental Shelf Project, Greenleaf Corporation, NASA Spaceward Bound, Mars Society Canada, the Canadian Space Agency, Wataire Industries Inc., Aerogrow, COM DEV, McNally Strumstick
Dulcitar
Dulcitar is one of a great many names used to describe a necked lute instrument with diatonic fretting, based on the Appalachian dulcimer.Other names used for this instrument include:*Walkabout dulcimer *Strumstick...
, University of Colorado Book Store, The Mac Shack, Solutions, Government of Quebec
Government of Quebec
The Government of Quebec refers to the provincial government of the province of Quebec. Its powers and structure are set out in the Constitution Act, 1867....
, and Strider Knives
Strider Knives
Strider Knives, Inc. is a custom and production knifemaking facility headed by Mick Strider and Duane Dwyer based in San Marcos, California.-Materials and design:...
.
2009 Expedition
FMARS sponsors in 2009 included the Mars SocietyMars Society
The Mars Society is an international space advocacy non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the human exploration and settlement of the planet Mars. It was founded by Robert Zubrin and others in 1998 and attracted the support of notable science fiction writers and filmmakers, including Kim...
, 4Frontiers Corporation
4Frontiers Corporation
- Organization :The company is presently headquartered in New Port Richey, Florida, and has three employees. The majority of work is completed by contractors, consultants, and interns...
, Florida Space Grant Consortium, NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
, Florida’s Space Coast
Space Coast
The Space Coast is a region in the U.S. state of Florida around Kennedy Space Center , where NASA launched space shuttles until the last one on July 8th, 2011 at 11:29am; and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, site of unmanned civilian and military space launches...
, Georgia Space Grant Consortium, Prioria Robotics, AUVSI, Procerus Technologies, Nikon
Nikon
, also known as just Nikon, is a multinational corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, specializing in optics and imaging. Its products include cameras, binoculars, microscopes, measurement instruments, and the steppers used in the photolithography steps of semiconductor fabrication, of which...
, Lighthouse Technical Innovations, Nanometrics, Geonics Limited, Del Mar College, First Air
First Air
Bradley Air Services Limited, operating as First Air, is an airline headquartered in Kanata, Ontario, Canada. It operates services to 30 communities in Nunavut, Nunavik, and the Northwest Territories. The majority of its fleet is available for charters worldwide...
, E. Barry Stott, MIT Manned Vehicle Laboratory, The Omega Envoy Project, and Tom Jennings Productions.
See also
- Colonization of MarsColonization of MarsThe colonization of Mars by humans is the focus of speculation and serious study because the surface conditions and availability of water on Mars make it arguably the most hospitable planet in the solar system other than Earth...
- Exploration of MarsExploration of MarsThe exploration of Mars has been an important part of the space exploration programs of the Soviet Union, the United States, Europe, and Japan. Dozens of robotic spacecraft, including orbiters, landers, and rovers, have been launched toward Mars since the 1960s...
- Flag of Mars
- Haughton-Mars ProjectHaughton-Mars ProjectThe Haughton–Mars Project is an international interdisciplinary field research project being carried out near the Haughton impact crater on Canada's northern Devon Island. human-centered computing studies are aimed at determining how human explorers might live and work on other planetary...
- Life on MarsLife on MarsScientists have long speculated about the possibility of life on Mars owing to the planet's proximity and similarity to Earth. Fictional Martians have been a recurring feature of popular entertainment of the 20th and 21st centuries, but it remains an open question whether life currently exists on...
- Manned mission to MarsManned mission to MarsA manned mission to Mars has been the subject of science fiction, engineering, and scientific proposals throughout the 20th century and into the 21st century...
- MARS-500MARS-500Mars-500 was an international multi-part isolation experiment simulating a manned flight to Mars. The experiment's facility was located at the Russian Academy of Sciences' Institute of Biomedical Problems in Moscow, Russia. A total of 640 experiment days were scheduled between 2007 and 2011,...
- Mars Desert Research StationMars Desert Research StationThe Mars Desert Research Station is the second of four planned simulated Mars surface exploration habitats owned and operated by the Mars Society.-Background:...
- Mars DirectMars DirectMars Direct is a proposal for a manned mission to Mars. Proponents of the scheme have claimed it to be both cost-effective and that it can be conducted with current technology. It was originally detailed in a research paper by NASA engineers Robert Zubrin and David Baker in 1990, and later expanded...
- Mars to StayMars to StayMars to Stay missions propose astronauts sent to Mars for the first time should stay there indefinitely, both to reduce cost and to ensure permanent settlement of Mars. Among many notable Mars to Stay advocates, former Apollo astronaut Buzz Aldrin has been particularly outspoken, suggesting in...
- Space colonizationSpace colonizationSpace colonization is the concept of permanent human habitation outside of Earth. Although hypothetical at the present time, there are many proposals and speculations about the first space colony...
- Space scienceSpace scienceThe term space science may mean:* The study of issues specifically related to space travel and space exploration, including space medicine.* Science performed in outer space ....
- Timekeeping on MarsTimekeeping on MarsVarious schemes have been used or proposed to keep track of time and date on the planet Mars independently of Earth time and calendars.Mars has an axial tilt and a rotation period similar to those of Earth. Thus it experiences seasons of spring, summer, autumn and winter much like Earth, and its...
External links
- Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station (FMARS)
- Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS)
- The Mars Society
- Mars Society Facebook Page
- Report from the International Space University
- About the Mars Analog Research Program
- CBC News article
- BBC News article
2001 Expedition
2003 Expedition
- Website of Crew 8 Member Jan Osburg
- MSNBC Reports from Embedded Journalist and Crew 8 Member April Childress
- FMARS 2003 Video "A Stepping Stone to Mars"
2005 Expedition
- FMARS Flickr Album from Crew 10 Member Anthony Kendall
- Anthonares - Blog of Crew 10 Member Anthony Kendall
2007 Expedition
- FMARS 2007 Crew - YouTube Channel
- Blog of Crew 11 Member James Harris
- Mars ho! - Blog of Crew 11 Member Kim Binsted
2009 Expedition