Sol One (Teresa Hislop, Crew 217 Journalist, reporting from the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS):
Today we learned how to be Martians. It’s simple really. Stay inside. Suit up when going outside. Or die.
We are the 217th crew to occupy MDRS and the first cadre of NASA Spaceward Bound UT (NSBU) teachers. NSBU is the result of a NASA grant, written to give UT teachers (and vicariously their students) a Mars-like experience. We are NSBU pioneers.
MDRS is one of only two permanent Mars simulation stations in the world; the other one is in the Arctic. It is the only station that allows analog astronauts to do independent research. Today, Sol One, was our last day on Earth; Tuesday through Thursday we will engage in a full simulation (sim) experience. While in sim, water is limited--550 gallons per 2 week mission-- but energy is not. There are regulations--like no TP in the toilets and no exiting the habitat (Hab) without space suits-- and responsibilities--like submitting nightly reports and getting COM approval for all excursions. The sun will come up tomorrow...ON MARS!!!
On November 19, I read the following email.
Spaceward Bound Utah is a 5-day workshop at the Mars Desert Research Station in Hanksville, Utah where K-12 teachers from Utah will be able to experience what living on Mars might be like in the future. The Mars Desert Research Station is a research facility that has been developed to simulate an early research base on Mars. The campus includes a mock spacecraft designed to land on Mars and which is the living quarters for the crews when they are on site. There is also an engineering bay, a greenhouse, a fully equipped science laboratory and two observatories on campus. Electric vehicles and spacesuits designed to mimic what we would have on Mars are available for crews to explore the landscape surrounding the station, which is a true geologic Mars analog. The focus will be on in situ experiences that can be replicated in a classroom and allow all students to conduct activities and experiments that will be done on Mars.
We are looking for eight enthusiastic teachers interested in living and working under the same operational constraints that would be encountered while living and working on Mars, while participating in a workshop led by a master teacher who has developed a semester long Mission to Mars Science elective that is offered to all seventh and eighth grade students at her public school.
On a whim, I applied.
On November 20, I received an invitation to join the crew.
On December 9, I found myself at the Mars Desert Research Station with five other teachers (1 from Connecticut, 2 from Colorado, and two from UT) and an MDRS scientist (Washington State) and her intern (from Peru). Honestly, going into the experience I was certain it would be a much better experience to tell about than to live. Eight complete strangers, living 24/7 in tight quarters for five days…. Yikes! Certainly there would be at least one annoying person. Certainly there would be times when I was counting the time until I could go home. Certainly….NOT!
Not all certainties are certain. The people I lived on Mars with for a week were fabulous. In fact, I could not have chosen better people if I were to have hand picked them. They were gracious, generous, intelligent, hard working, sharing and ….. old! All but two of the teachers were older than I.
Though I knew we were only simulating a Mars experience, living in the Hab and going on missions seemed amazingly realistic. Honestly, living in the Hab felt like living in a space station. And suiting up, driving a Rover, using radios for communication and walking around in spacesuits felt like we were on a different planet. I learned so much!
{NOTE: For a complete report on our experience go to http://mdrs.marssociety.org/]
Today we learned how to be Martians. It’s simple really. Stay inside. Suit up when going outside. Or die.
We are the 217th crew to occupy MDRS and the first cadre of NASA Spaceward Bound UT (NSBU) teachers. NSBU is the result of a NASA grant, written to give UT teachers (and vicariously their students) a Mars-like experience. We are NSBU pioneers.
MDRS is one of only two permanent Mars simulation stations in the world; the other one is in the Arctic. It is the only station that allows analog astronauts to do independent research. Today, Sol One, was our last day on Earth; Tuesday through Thursday we will engage in a full simulation (sim) experience. While in sim, water is limited--550 gallons per 2 week mission-- but energy is not. There are regulations--like no TP in the toilets and no exiting the habitat (Hab) without space suits-- and responsibilities--like submitting nightly reports and getting COM approval for all excursions. The sun will come up tomorrow...ON MARS!!!
On November 19, I read the following email.
Spaceward Bound Utah is a 5-day workshop at the Mars Desert Research Station in Hanksville, Utah where K-12 teachers from Utah will be able to experience what living on Mars might be like in the future. The Mars Desert Research Station is a research facility that has been developed to simulate an early research base on Mars. The campus includes a mock spacecraft designed to land on Mars and which is the living quarters for the crews when they are on site. There is also an engineering bay, a greenhouse, a fully equipped science laboratory and two observatories on campus. Electric vehicles and spacesuits designed to mimic what we would have on Mars are available for crews to explore the landscape surrounding the station, which is a true geologic Mars analog. The focus will be on in situ experiences that can be replicated in a classroom and allow all students to conduct activities and experiments that will be done on Mars.
We are looking for eight enthusiastic teachers interested in living and working under the same operational constraints that would be encountered while living and working on Mars, while participating in a workshop led by a master teacher who has developed a semester long Mission to Mars Science elective that is offered to all seventh and eighth grade students at her public school.
On a whim, I applied.
On November 20, I received an invitation to join the crew.
On December 9, I found myself at the Mars Desert Research Station with five other teachers (1 from Connecticut, 2 from Colorado, and two from UT) and an MDRS scientist (Washington State) and her intern (from Peru). Honestly, going into the experience I was certain it would be a much better experience to tell about than to live. Eight complete strangers, living 24/7 in tight quarters for five days…. Yikes! Certainly there would be at least one annoying person. Certainly there would be times when I was counting the time until I could go home. Certainly….NOT!
Not all certainties are certain. The people I lived on Mars with for a week were fabulous. In fact, I could not have chosen better people if I were to have hand picked them. They were gracious, generous, intelligent, hard working, sharing and ….. old! All but two of the teachers were older than I.
Though I knew we were only simulating a Mars experience, living in the Hab and going on missions seemed amazingly realistic. Honestly, living in the Hab felt like living in a space station. And suiting up, driving a Rover, using radios for communication and walking around in spacesuits felt like we were on a different planet. I learned so much!
- Freeze dried food tastes amazingly good. The reconstituted broccoli, cauliflower, and chicken tasted like the real thing. And freeze dried blueberries are REALLY, REALLY good.
- Having the oxygen on when wearing a space suit is important. On our first excursion my air was not on and it was not good.
- I was the only crew member who did not exceed the 2 minute shower restriction. Of course, I was also the only crew member who did not shower. [I was in full camping mode.]
- It is possible to live harmoniously with 7 complete strangers 24/7 in a space smaller than most living rooms for five days.
- There are TONS (figuratively and probably literally too...) of exciting, rigorous, academically rich Mars-related science activities that I can do with my students. Maybe I could even create a Mission to Mars class at OPA....?!?!?!
{NOTE: For a complete report on our experience go to http://mdrs.marssociety.org/]
Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS)
 View out the window of the Hab  A Sim Selfie |  My bedroom |
Inside the Hab
Outside the Hab
 The greenhouse has veggies, flowers, .... |  ...and herbs. |
The science dome (lab)
 Using a mortar to grind rock samples |  Pouring petri baggies |
I love blueberries!
Four members of Crew 217 ready to head out.
In the airlock....5 minutes to pressurize...
Does anyone else find it ironic that 911 was headed out on a mission in the Rover?
 Being on Mars puts a star in my eye! |  Collecting samples to take back to the lab |
A beautiful day on "Mars"
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