[title Crew biographies, photos and mission patch – March 17th]
Prachi.jpgPrachi Dutta, Greenhab Officer
Fascinated by space, Prachi developed a strong passion for human exploration early on. She joined MDRS 319 as GreenHab Officer and is excited to use this analog mission as an opportunity to further deepen this passion. With a strong interest in both research and engineering, Prachi aims to work in bioastronautics and human factors engineering. Throughout the mission, she will be responsible for monitoring plant health, conducting experiments related to food production, and contributing to research on sustainable life-support systems for long-duration missions.
Jesús E. Meléndez Gil, Crew Engineer
As an aspiring astronaut from the small island of Puerto Rico, Jesús has always dreamed of being one of the first humans to visit Mars. Having the opportunity to simulate his dream, he jumped at the chance to visit MDRS as part of Crew 309. Using his experience as Chemical Engineering PhD student at CU Boulder, Jesús will be participating as Crew Engineer for this analog mission. He will be responsible for maintaining all habitat systems in working order and assisting the crew with any technical issues that may arise. With his curiosity and sense of humor, he is determined on making this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity a joyful and memorable weeklong experience for the whole crew.
Priyanka Vasu, Health and Safety Officer
Priyanka is a first-year master’s student in the department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences at the University of Colorado, Boulder, focusing on Bioastronautics. With a drive to venture further and beyond, her work entails understanding the harsh environment of space and its physiological and psychological impacts on humans. As the Medic/Health Safety Officer of Crew 312 onboard the MDRS habitat, she will ensure the safety of the crew and will work on an autonomous delivery drone for medical supplies, thereby steering Crew 312 through a successful completion of the mission.
Lydia Rader, Science Officer
Lydia Rader received her dual PhD in behavioral genetics and neuroscience from University of Colorado Boulder. Her research centers around genetic and environmental risk factors of chronic pain and its overlap with mental health traits. She runs a science communication nonprofit called Knowing Neurons.
Louisa Smith – Co-Commander A
Louisa received her PhD in cognitive neuroscience at the University of Colorado Boulder. Her research uses both MRI and behavioral methods to understand how individuals flexibly and adaptively engage cognitive control. In particular, she seeks to elucidate the cognitive and neural mechanisms underlying individual differences in cognitive flexibility.
Caroline Austin, Co-Commander B
Caroline is a 3rd year PhD student at the University of Colorado Boulder studying Aerospace Engineering Sciences with a focus in Bioastronautics. Her PhD research primarily focuses on spatial orientation and characterizing vestibular analogs for gravity transitions. She is also a Pathways Intern at NASA Glenn Research Center where she models human performance risks for Lunar and Martian missions like those conducted at MDRS. Caroline previously visited the MDRS as part of a space medicine course and hopes to use her prior experience to help lead her team through a successful week-long mission on Mars.