MARS Project Overview

Mars Analogue Research Stations (MARS) are laboratories for learning how to live and work on another planet. Each is a prototype of a habitat that will land humans on Mars and serve as their main base for months of exploration in the harsh Martian environment. Such a habitat represents a key element in current human Mars mission planing. Each "hab" is an 8-metre diameter structure mounted on landing struts and containing 2 or 3 decks of living and working space. Peripheral external structures, some inflatable, may be appended to the hab as well.

Each station will serve as a field centre for up to 6 crew members from a range of disciplines - geologists, astrobiologists, engineers, mechanics, physicians, etc. They will live and work for weeks to months at a time in relative isolation in a location where some environmental conditions, geologic features, biological attributes or combinations thereof approximate in some way those thought to exist on Mars, either at present or earlier in that planet's history. Studying such sites will lead us to new insights into the nature and evolution of Mars, the Earth, and life.

In addition to providing scientific insight into our neighbouring world, such analogue environments offer unprecedented opportunities to carry out field research in a variety of key scientific and engineering disciplines that will help prepare humans for the exploration of Mars. Such research is vitally necessary. It is one thing to walk around a factory test area in a new spacesuit prototype and show that a wearer can pick up a wrench, it is entirely another to subject that same suit to months of testing in field conditions.

Similarly, by studying crews operating in facilities that closely mimic those our astronauts will have to live and work aboard for 2 years at a time, we can better understand and anticipate the problems and difficulties that are bound to be revealed when small groups work in close proximity to one another over extended periods.

Finally, when considering the effectiveness of a human mission to Mars as a whole, it is clear that there is an operations design problem of considerable complexity to be solved. Such a mission will involve diverse players with different capabilities, strengths and weaknesses. Operations will include people working both inside and outside the habitat, astronauts working on short-range EVAs relatively close to the habitat and those undertaking missions that will carry them away from base for several days at a time aboard pressurised vehicles. Operations will also include liaison issues between teams and the need to communicate with and involve the experts left back at mission control. By exploring all of these factors here on Earth, before we send our people to Mars, we dramatically increase the opportunities for worthwhile, successful and above all safe human operations on Mars.

Current plans call for the MARS project to operate on a rolling basis at 4 locations around the world. It is planned to operate each unit for a minimum of five years, with a series of mutually-compatible research activities undertaken at each station that will enable the Mars Society and its partners to undertake the widest possible research and development in preparation for human missions to Mars.
Aims and Goals

The Mars Society has identified three prime goals to be met by the MARS Programme:

• Each station will serve as an effective test bed for field operations studies in prepa ration for human missions to Mars. As such, each will help develop and allow tests of key habitat design features, field exploration strategies, tools, technologies, and crew selection protocols that will enable and help optimise the productive exploration of Mars by humans. In order to achieve this, each station must be a realistic and adaptable habitat.