Category: Mission Plan

Mars Desert Research Station
Mission Plan
Crew 328
Jan 25 2026 – Feb 7 2026

Crew Members
Commander: Mariló Torres Soto
Crew Engineer and HSO: Aaron Tener
Crew Scientist: Jahnavi Dangeti
Green Hub Officer: Rebeca Gonçalves
Crew Journalist: Tom Bickmore

General Mission Plan
We represent the first generation of Martian colonists. In the preceding years, through a series of unmanned missions, an army of machines and robots have landed on the Martian surface and constructed a life-support habitat, equipping it with the necessary elements and devices to make human life possible there.

Our crew was recruited to establish a settlement on the Red Planet, and, after a long and arduous journey, they are finally safe in the aforementioned facilities.

The pilot commander has successfully completed the first part of the mission, the journey, and now remains in command with the objective of protecting the valuable team of scientists, coordinating communications with Earth, and making operational and safety decisions.

The chief engineer and medical officer will improve the technical conditions in the module and monitor the health of their colleagues; the chief scientist will conduct research with bacteria to create a future breathable atmosphere; the Green Hub officer will initiate the production of food and vegetables in extraterrestrial soil; and finally, the crew journalist will conduct global outreach to raise awareness of the importance of space exploration for the future of humanity.

Main Objectives
– Replicate the same routines and limitations of a hypothetical crew on Mars through daily schedules.
– Perform research in the fields of engineering, astrobiology, geology and communications on the Red Planet.
– Keep the maximum level of fidelity and realism during the simulation, so that the results of the experiments are as reliable as possible.
– Develop emergency procedures and safety protocols.
– Analyze the interaction and coexistence of the group from a neuropsychological point of view.

Crew Projects
As this is a team of professionals, the studies to be conducted do not include titles, descriptions, or methodology.

The astrobiologist will compare the growth of tomato and radish seeds that have been on the International Space Station, subjected to radiation and microgravity, with that of other standard seeds from Earth.

The chief scientist will investigate, at a chemical level, certain types of bacteria found in minerals from the area and will also analyze the effect of the extreme desert environment on the skin of the astronauts in an effort to better protect the epidermis.

The chief engineer objective is to implement the functionality of the station’s systems and devices through improvement proposals and, at the same time, address any health needs of the group and conduct periodic checkups, especially before and after EVAs.

Finally, and no less important, the crew journalist will conduct online broadcasts, media connections, and mass outreach events to gauge the response of young people and learn about their concerns regarding Mars.

As for EVAs, after the first two training sessions for the entire crew, they will proceed successively along these lines: commander assessment and exploration, sample collection, audiovisual documentation, organic and chemical checks, and emergency plan drills.

Leadership Structure, Roles and Responsibilities
Crew Commander – With five successful analogous missions completed and extensive experience as a pilot and aerospace safety specialist, she is ultimately responsible for the expedition, coordinating daily operations and schedules, serving as the main point of contact with Mission Support, making overall decisions, and overseeing the progress of the simulation while prioritizing complete immersion in the performance. The purpose of her participation is to continue her training for future collaborations as a commercial/private astronaut.

Crew Engineer and HSO – Due to an understanding of the safety and emergency procedures, he acts as an Subcommander/Executive Officer, taking over command in the case the Commander is indisposed or otherwise unreachable.

Crew Scientist – In the unlikely case both the CC and HSO are indisposed, leadership role will fall to her, considering her skills and abilities acquired in two previous analog missions.

For EVAs: An effort will be made to place the Commander or HSO on each EVA and that person will take a leadership role for the EVA. Either the commander or the HSO will always remain in charge at the station during EVAs. Neither of them will ever leave the habitat at the same time. They take the role of mission leader and assume leader responsibilities for EVA’s at all times.

Responsibilities for Each Role
Crew Commander focused on tasks related to research and reporting, handling the daily Sol Summary reports and primary point of contact for Mission Support.

Engineer and Health and Safety Officer is the commander’s right-hand man and her trusted support person. As an aerospace engineer, his advice and recommendations are essential and vital. Monitor physical and mental health of crew and report on all health and safety issues as they arise. Ensure First Aid kits, fire extinguishers, fire blankets and other safety devices are in proper working order. Also, monitoring and maintenance of access tunnels., ensuring all communications equipment is working properly prior to EVAs and charging properly post EVAs. Maintenance and cleaning of RAM. Handling of daily operations report.

Green Hab Officer is leading the main and central research of this mission. Monitoring of plant growth in Green Hab as outlined by Green Hab coordinator Ben Greaves, and also the maintenance and cleaning of Green Hab. Of course handling of daily Green Hab reports. She receives assistance from the other crew members in her work if she requests it.

Crew Journalist tracking of daily activities performed by crew members at the station and on EVA. Gathering and cataloguing of all pictures taken by crew members throughout the day and, at the same time, handling of daily Journalist reports.

Crew Scientist maintenance and cleaning of Science Dome ensuring proper use and storage of equipment in the Science Dome. Handling of EVA requests when applicable.

Expected Deliverables
All crew members are expected to perform daily tasks that pertain to the research projects that were accepted. They will strive to make significant progress to be reported at the mid mission mark and have data generation and collection finished by the end of mission date. Data analysis and final reporting can happen post mission.

Crew Performance
Crew members are expected to improve on aspects of daily mission life, such as EVA prep and daily report writing. They will build a daily routine that is a healthy balance between work and relaxation in order to avoid excess stress and burn out while maintaining productivity.

Risk Management and Safety Protocols
The crew is thoroughly familiar with the emergency procedures in case of medical emergencies, fire, power outage and comms failure.

Through briefings and debriefings, the commander ensures the full commitment of the entire team to safety, especially during EVAs.

There is constant monitoring and observation of preventive measures and cautious and prudent actions in order to avoid incidents and accidents.

The MDRS manual is frequently consulted by everyone.

Any health concerns due to environmental factors, such as dehydration, heat exhaustion, extreme cold or others, will take priority over sim.

[title Crew biographies, photos and mission patch – November 4th]

Jen Carver-Hunter

Jen Carver-Hunter is a 5th grade teacher at a Title 1 School in Salt Lake City, Utah. Carver-Hunter is the crew commander for the Spaceward Bound Utah program at the Mars Desert Research Station. She is also an alumni member of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum’s Teacher Innovator Institute and a current member of Space Center Houston’s SEEC Crew.

Alexander Rowe

Alex is a Digital Learning Coach from Salt Lake City School District. He has been in education for 18 years, in many capacities. When the opportunity to be a part of this experience arose, his inner child was ecstatic. He has dreamt of space travel since he was in elementary school.

Jake Paszko

My name is Jake Paszko. I am a 6th grade science teacher. I enjoy most things that get me outside from photographing wildlife to trail running. I look forward to sharing what I experience at the Mars Desert Research Station.

Dianea Phillips

Dianea Phillips is a lifelong learner and an informal educator from Montreal, Quebec, Canada. She is the education director of the Montreal Aviation Museum, a youth life coach, an entrepreneur, and the owner of STEM/STEAM programs known as Science Yourself! No G’s About It. She is a longtime presenter at JSCH and the SEEC Conference and is a member of the SEEC Crew. She works as a global educator, crossing our little blue marble to bring STEM/STEAM education to underserved communities. Her motto! Dream it! Design it! Manifest it! Get it done!

Yishan Lee

Yishan Lee is an 8th grade Earth & Space Sciences teacher from Queens, New York! She loves rocks, board games, reptiles, and traveling. Her mission as an educator is to make science accessible to all students and inspire them to be curious about the world that we live in.

Parker Ellison

I’m a 6th grade science teacher who’s been teaching for 14 years in Salt Lake City. My life apart from teaching is my wife Tori and my two cats.

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[title Crew biographies, photos and mission patch – November 4th]

Jen Carver-Hunter

Jen Carver-Hunter is a 5th grade teacher at a Title 1 School in Salt Lake City, Utah. Carver-Hunter is the crew commander for the Spaceward Bound Utah program at the Mars Desert Research Station. She is also an alumni member of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum’s Teacher Innovator Institute and a current member of Space Center Houston’s SEEC Crew.

Alexander Rowe

Alex is a Digital Learning Coach from Salt Lake City School District. He has been in education for 18 years, in many capacities. When the opportunity to be a part of this experience arose, his inner child was ecstatic. He has dreamt of space travel since he was in elementary school.

Jake Paszko

My name is Jake Paszko. I am a 6th grade science teacher. I enjoy most things that get me outside from photographing wildlife to trail running. I look forward to sharing what I experience at the Mars Desert Research Station.

Dianea Phillips

Dianea Phillips is a lifelong learner and an informal educator from Montreal, Quebec, Canada. She is the education director of the Montreal Aviation Museum, a youth life coach, an entrepreneur, and the owner of STEM/STEAM programs known as Science Yourself! No G’s About It. She is a longtime presenter at JSCH and the SEEC Conference and is a member of the SEEC Crew. She works as a global educator, crossing our little blue marble to bring STEM/STEAM education to underserved communities. Her motto! Dream it! Design it! Manifest it! Get it done!

Yishan Lee

Yishan Lee is an 8th grade Earth & Space Sciences teacher from Queens, New York! She loves rocks, board games, reptiles, and traveling. Her mission as an educator is to make science accessible to all students and inspire them to be curious about the world that we live in.

Parker Ellison

I’m a 6th grade science teacher who’s been teaching for 14 years in Salt Lake City. My life apart from teaching is my wife Tori and my two cats.

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Report title: Mission Plan
Crew #: 322
Position: Experimental Team
Report prepared by: Erin Richardson

Mission Plan:

Our mission objective is to conduct a full-scale Martian analog designed to study decision making under conflicting information in isolated, confined, and extreme environments. This week, we have a diverse, highly skilled, international crew of 6 staying in the habitat. During their stay, the crew will conduct a total of 12 EVAs. The crew will conduct at most 3 EVAs per day, where no crew member ever participates in more than one EVA per day. Throughout the week, the crew members will visit different EVA sites and complete missions with unique objectives, tasks, and tools. Beyond the EVAs, the crew will complete an ultrasound cardiac imaging task, train on Mars-relevant tasks in virtual reality, and conduct a study on space nutrition and supplementation via the GreenHab. We are looking forward to a busy, exciting, and productive week ahead!

The mission plan for Crew-303 follows below, showing the crew roles, projects, and EVA schedule.

Crew Composition:
Commander: Michael Andrews
Executive Officer: Sydney Phillips
Health and Safety Officer: Eli Henry
Crew Engineer: Aditya Kothari
Crew Artist: Sabrina Thompson
Crew Journalist: Aidan Westerland
Crew Astronomer: Vikram Kothari

Mission Projects:
Flight suit demonstration: Artist Thompson and XO Phillips have a demonstration suit (made of FR material) for functionality and durability.
Day-in-the-LIfe Content: Artist Thompson will be collecting footage and interviews of team members for STEM outreach.
Rover assembly and operation: Engineer Kothari will be assembling a small remote controlled rover at the station and will be deploying it on an EVA.
Astronomy: Astronomer Kothari has a research plan to capture a light curve of Algol during its primary eclipse on 11/24.
Drone/Timelapse Photos: Journalist Westerland and HSO Henry will be using a drone during EVAs and a tripod camera at night to capture additional footage.
3D Scanning: CO Andrews will be collecting rock samples and creating digital twins of them so they can be collecting without disturbing the environment.

EVA High-Level Plan:
11/23: two EVA teams will both visit Marble Ritual and Robert’s Rock Garden for EVA familiarization and rover familiarization.
11/24: two EVA teams will visit either Green Mars View or Somerville Overlook to gain experience in long-distance comms and longer duration EVAs
11/25: two EVA teams will choose a final mission that complements finishing their objectives: Sea of Shells, Candor Chasma, or Hab Ridge.

Idris Stevenson, Crew Engineer
Hometown: Menlo Park, CA
Studying: B.S. in Mechanical Engineering
Hobbies: Backpacking, rocketry, equestrianism
Why MDRS? I am excited about the opportunities that a high-fidelity simulation offers for both personal development and conducting high-impact research projects.
Researching: My project explores the use of raspberry pi and a sensor suite to measure weather patterns around the HAB to improve information availability to astronauts plannings EVAs and monitoring the safety of their environment.

Katharina Guth, Health and Safety Officer
Hometown: Santa Cruz, CA
Studying: B.S. in Aeronautics and Astronautics Engineering; Minor Global Engineering
Hobbies: Latin & Ballroom Dance, rock climbing, skiing, traveling and learning languages
Why MDRS? I am participating in MDRS to align my personal goal of contributing to future human space exploration with research that advances our understanding of crew operations and communication systems in mars-analog environments.
Researching: My research investigates the efficiency of crew communication system by conducting terrain-dependent signal mapping to better understand how local geography affects communication performance.

Vindhya Ganti, Green Hab Officer
Hometown: Mason, OH
Studying: B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Minor in Global Engineering
Hobbies: Tennis
Why MDRS? This is an immersive experience that’ll help me learn more about how Mars vehicles work, and how they’re optimized for the rough terrain.
Researching: I’m creating a rover with Daria Bardus, capable of recognizing its environment while collecting soil samples.

Keegan Chavez, Crew Commander
Hometown: Albuquerque, NM
Studying: M.S. in Electrical Engineering
Hobbies: Soccer and cycling
Why MDRS? I have the ultimate goal of becoming an astronaut and MDRS is the perfect opportunity to develop the skills and discipline necessary to perform an actual space mission.
Researching: I will be studying the effects of low gravity on seed germination. I will also be assisting on the rover and RF communications projects

Ben Huber, Crew Scientist
Hometown: Janesville, WI
Studying: B.S. in Aeronautics and Astronautics Engineering
Hobbies: Soccer, geology, basketball, reading
Why MDRS? I wanted to push myself out of my comfort zone, and MDRS is a perfect way to do this in a learning environment. MDRS is a great way to learn if I want to become an astronaut in the future.
Researching: My research is in-situ construction of starch based bricks with Martian materials.

Armand Destin, Crew Biologist
Hometown: Damascus, MD
Studying: B.S. Biological Engineering, Minor Biotechnology
Hobbies: Taekwondo, soccer, Legos
Why MDRS? I have had an aspiration for space exploration since I was a kid. MDRS is a unique way to apply my technical and professional experience in an isolated and extreme environment.
Researching: My research integrates humans with systems to assist astronauts with decision-making and risk assessment to optimize human performance.

Daria Bardus, Crew Journalist
Hometown: Worthington, OH
Studying: B.S. in Aeronautics and Astronautics Engineering
Hobbies: Reading, building models, and trying different cafes
Why MDRS? This is a great opportunity to learn what it would be like living with limited resources, and how to complete mission goals in unideal Conditions.
Researching: I am Creating a rover with Vindhya Ganti with the Goal of collecting soil samples with navigation capabilities.

Mars Desert Research Station
Mission Plan
Crew 326 – Gaia
Dec 28th, 2025 – Jan 10th, 2026

Crew Members:
Commander Keegan Chavez
Crew Scientist: Benjamin Huber
Crew Engineer: Idris Stevenson
Health and Safety Officer: Katharina Guth
Green Hab Officer: Vindhya Ganti
Crew Journalist: Daria Bardus
Crew Biologist: Armand Destin

Mission Plan:
The twin “Aether” (325) and “Gaia” (326) missions are the tenth and eleventh all-Purdue crew at MDRS. The enthusiasm and interest raised by the previous experiences of Purdue students and alumni at the station, the numerous high-quality research projects carried on at MDRS, as well as Purdue’s honored tradition in the field of space exploration, granted us once again two back-to-back rotations.

Crew 326 will perform various research tasks, including engineering projects on RF communications, autonomous rover sample collection and navigation, in-situ resource utilization, environmental sensing, and low gravity seed germination. Some of the experiments will be performed inside the MDRS modules, while others require Extra Vehicular Activities (EVA), thus adding realistic difficulties to the task. As usual, the combination of excursions and life inside the habitat will provide crew members with the opportunity to both work on their research and identify potential difficulties of working with space suits and living in close quarters in a small habitat.

The main objectives of the Gaia analog Martian mission are:

• Keeping the highest level of fidelity and realism in the simulation. Earth analogs cannot reproduce Martian gravity and atmosphere, but the crew will keep every other aspect into consideration. This includes safety and research protocols, definition of roles and daily schedule, EVA protocols (and limitations), communication protocols, fruitful collaboration with the program director and mission support, and adaptation to limited resources and environmental difficulties.
• Performing research in the fields of engineering, biology, communications, autonomy, and geology on Mars.
• Continuing the fruitful collaboration of Purdue crews with the MDRS program.
• Following the mission, supporting MDRS with useful results for future crews.

Crew Projects:

Title: Autonomous Mars Rover for Geological Sample Collection
Author(s): Vindhya Ganti
Objectives: Train an image-based navigation system on local landmarks to allow a rover to navigate autonomously
Description: The goal of this project is to develop a rover capable of harnessing navigational targets, ideally in the form of images captured of the local geography, to gather localization information. Using this information, the robot should be able to adapt its autonomous path to optimally reach a target destination. In the autonomous path, the rover will move other attachments, like an arm to collect samples. This work is in collaboration with Daria Bardus, with an emphasis on developing an imaging pipeline.
Rationale: If this rover can harness imaging for navigation, we would have a fallback mechanism for localization that will not be affected by the rocky terrain of Mars. This will ensure greater consistency, along with checkpoint verification to hone accuracy in path movement. This would enable the crew to gather more samples and conduct additional research on Mars’ terrain within a single mission.
EVAs: 6; 1-2 EVAs to gather images of local landmarks, 1 EVA to test basic functionality of rover hardware and software, 1-2 EVAs to return to sites where images were taken and test the rover’s ability to navigate autonomously, 1 extra EVA is included for Crew member Daria Bardus to test rover’s sample collection ability on different regolith

Title: Dust Storm Detection
Author(s): Idris Stevenson
Objectives: Install environmental sensors to give crews early warnings on incoming dust storms and other hazardous weather
Description: A suite of sensors will be assembled on site and deployed in the Martain environment in areas surround the Hab. Many environmental factors are influenced by incoming weather patterns, including temperature and humidity, which will be measured in this study to determine their behavior before storms hit. By the end of the mission, all sensors will be collected and the data will be compared to weather data gathered while at the station.
Rationale: Dust storms on Mars can last for weeks, covering extremely large portions of the Martian surface. Detecting storm formation early helps astronauts and engineers plan for dust storm ramifications, including decreased solar panel power output, when it would be safe to perform EVAs, and when there would be periods of increased maintenance needs
EVAs: 6; 3 EVAs to place sensors in the environment, 3 EVAs to retrieve sensors

Title: Utilization of In-Situ Materials for Construction
Author(s): Benjamin Huber
Objectives: Gather materials from the surface of Mars to make bricks for construction and testing the strength of those bricks
Description: In this research, the experimenters will collect surrounding surface materials and create a concrete that will be able to withstand the harsh conditions of Mars. The geologically similar landscape of the Utah desert and the limited water given to the MDRS team makes the perfect circumstances to accurately reflect the viability of creating concrete on Mars. The materials gathered at the site will be made into bricks, different mineral compositions from different locations will be collected to find the strongest brick formula. To figure out which brick formula is strongest, each of the bricks will then be stress tested to gauge how well they can endure the environment of Mars.
Rationale: If concrete could be created on Mars, this will give future explorers on Mars the ability to construct structures without any materials from Earth. This will enable the colonization of Mars by improving the ability to create infrastructure and protect colonizers from the planet’s harsh environment.
EVAs: 4; 4 EVAs to gather different types of surface samples

Title: Terrain-Dependent RF Signal Propagation Mapping
Author(s): Katharina Guth
Objectives: Begin to create an RF signal strength map of the area surrounding the Hab
Description: The goal of this project is to investigate how Martian surface features, including rock formations, slopes, depressions, and habitat features, affect radio frequency (RF) signal strength and coverage during surface operations. Using a transmitter-receiver pair, this project will measure and map signal propagation across different terrain types. Data will be collected during multiple EVAs, with signal strength, GPS position, and environmental conditions recorded at each measurement point. The resulting dataset will be used to generate a terrain-dependent coverage map, influencing future communication network design.
Rationale: Reliable communication is essential to EVA safety, mission success, and crew coordination. Terrain irregularities can significantly disrupt line-of[1]sight communication and reduce signal reliability. By studying how environmental features influence signal behavior in a Mars analog setting, this project will guide communication infrastructure design for crewed surface missions.
EVAs: 4-5; all EVAs will be used to gather RF signal strengths level in areas of interest, we do not expect to be able to map the entire region but will give as many EVAs to this project as we can and is safe to map as much as possible

Title: Crew-Centric Interface for Performance Optimization at MDRS
Author(s): Armand Destin
Objectives: Develop a platform to allow teams to perform risk assessment in an efficient and effective manner
Description: This research proposes the development and preliminary validation of a quantitative framework design in case of a contingency event. It will act as a decision-support tool, providing crews with a data-driven assessment of risk and mission performance value in real time. This research aims to develop a model to assess mission success based upon realistic EVA scenarios. Collected data from the crew’s decisions and the model’s output are then evaluated through a debrief and analysis.
Rationale: For future long-duration missions to Mars, astronaut crews will operate with unprecedented autonomy, facing complex challenges far from the comfortability of Earth-based mission control. The ability to make rapid, accurate, and justifiable decisions during critical operations, such as Extravehicular Activities is important to crew safety, science, and mission success.
EVAs: 4; 4 EVAs with a different scenario for crews to handle on each

Title: Autonomous Mars Rover for Geological Sample Collection
Author(s): Daria Bardus
Objectives:
Description: The goal of this project is to develop a rover capable of reaching locations on Mars that are inaccessible to humans through EVAs, collect samples, and safely return them to the HAB. The rover will use imaging and recognition to locate where it is using landmarks created by the crew then collect a dirt sample and bring back to the HAB. This work is conducted in collaboration with Vindhya Ganti, whose research emphasizes imaging and recognition, while the complementary focus is on terrain traversal and sample collection
Rationale: If this rover can be utilized to collect samples for the crew geologist, then less EVAs will be needed. By using this rover for sample collection, life support resources can be allocated to other EVAs. This rover also has the potential of going farther than the crew members could travel. This would enable the crew to gather more samples and conduct additional research on Mars’ terrain within a single mission.
EVAs: 4, 4 EVAs to test rover’s ability to gather samples on different terrains, this project will also be supported by the efforts of the autonomous Mars rover navigation project

Title: Simulated Microgravity Germination: A Proof-of-Concept for Bioregenerative Life Support Systems (BLSS)
Author(s): Keegan Chavez
Objectives: Investigate Plant Growth in Simulated Microgravity
Description: This project is a continuation of the work done by Saranya Ravva on Crew 325. This experiment investigates how short-term exposure to simulated microgravity influences the germination and early growth of plants. Using a custom-built rotational positioning machine (RPM), seeds will experience continuous multi-axis rotation to nullify the net gravity vector—mimicking conditions of microgravity during space transit. After one week, treated seeds will be transferred to the Green Hab at MDRS for comparison with control samples germinated under Earth gravity.
Rationale: Long-duration missions to Mars require sustainable bioregenerative life support systems (BLSS) for food, oxygen, and waste recycling. Studying how plants initiate growth under microgravity analogs provides insights into seed resilience, cellular adaptation, and nutrient uptake mechanisms during space transit. This project models a Mars mission scenario where seeds are grown in microgravity en route to Mars and later cultivated under Martian gravity.
EVAs: None

Roles and Responsibilities:

The leadership structure is as follows:

• Crew Commander – has ultimate say in operations performed by the crew, including in HAB and on EVA
• HSO – Due to an understanding of the safety and emergency procedures the HSO will act as an Executive Officer, taking over command in the case the Commander is indisposed or otherwise unreachable
• In the unlikely case both the CC and HSO are indisposed, leadership will fall to the crew member with skills and competencies relevant to the situation, this will be determined at the necessary time

For EVAs: An effort will be made to place the Commander or HSO on each EVA and that person will take a leadership role for the EVA. In the case where that cannot happen, the Commander will determine a member on the EVA team to take the role of mission leader and assume leader responsibilities for that EVA.

Responsibilities for Each Roles:
All crew members will be expected to perform scientific research that will benefit the advancement of humans on Mars.

Crew Commander:

• Ensuring a high fidelity simulation while keeping members of the crew safe and focused on tasks related to research and reporting
• Handling the daily Sol Summary reports
• Primary point of contact for Mission Support

Health and Safety Officer

• Monitor physical and mental health of crew
• Report on all health and safety issues as they arise
• Ensure First Aid kits, fire extinguishers, fire blankets, and other safety devices are in proper working order
• Assume responsibilities of Commander when necessary

Green Hab Officer

• Monitoring of plant growth in Green Hab as outlined by Green Hab coordinator Ben Greaves
• Maintenance and cleaning of Green Hab
• Handling of daily Green Hab report

Crew Journalist

• Tracking of daily activities performed by crew members at the station and on EVA
• Gathering and cataloguing of all pictures taken by crew members throughout the day
• Handling of daily Journalist report

Crew Engineering

• Monitoring and maintenance of access tunnels
• Ensuring all communications equipment is working properly prior to EVAs and charging properly post EVAs
• Maintenance and cleaning of RAM
• Handling of daily Operations report

Crew Scientist

• Maintenance and cleaning of Science Dome
• Ensuring proper use and storage of equipment in the Science Dome
• Handling of EVA requests when applicable

Crew Biologist

• Handling of EVA reports when applicable

Expected Deliverable:

Research:
All crew members are expected to perform daily tasks that pertain to the research projects that were accepted by the Purdue MDRS command team. They will strive to make significant progress to be reported at the mid mission mark and have data generation and collection finished by the end of mission date. Data analysis and final reporting can happen post mission.

Crew performance:
Crew members are expected to improve on aspects of daily mission life, such as EVA prep and daily report writing. They will build a daily routine that is a healthy balance between work and relaxation in order to avoid excess stress and burn out while maintaining productivity.

Risk Management and Safety Protocols:

On EVA:

• Any health concerns due to environmental factors, such as dehydration, heat exhaustion, extreme cold or others, will take priority over sim. This includes returning to base immediately while maintaining sim if possible, or breaking sim by removing EVA suits and returning to base as soon as possible.
• Physical injuries constitute exiting sim and returning to base if possible, or waiting on site for assistance if necessary
• If signs of dangerous wildlife can be identified, steps should be taken to avoid said wildlife and exit the area immediately
• Encounters with non-mission personnel should be ignored if possible and sim can be maintained. If encounters escalate to dangerous levels then sim will be exited and steps taken to remove crew members from the encounter.

In Hab:

• Health concerns due to environmental factors should first attempt to be dealt with in sim by HSO. Sim can be exited if conditions worsen
• Physical injuries that do not require immediate medical attention can be treated in sim by HSO

Rym Chaid – Mission Commander & Crew Astronomer:
Rym is Director of the Mars Society Canada with a background in mechanical/aerospace engineering and space health research. An experienced analog astronaut, she has explored extreme environments from caves to Moon and Mars simulations, and flying in Microgravity, always with a mission to showcase the human context of exploration. As the Commander of the World’s Biggest Analog mission at MDRS, Rym brings both leadership experience and vision, and is dedicated to inspiring others and advancing humanity’s journey toward becoming a spacefaring civilization through her Documentary storytelling.

Ricardo J. Gonzalez – Crew Engineer & Crew Astronomer:
Ricardo J. Gonzalez is an astrophysicist turned engineer and NASA flight controller supporting the ISS from the Mission Control Center in Houston, Texas. As an aspiring astronaut, he is eager to find solutions to spaceflight’s most complex challenges, including living and working in extreme environments. Now, his ambitions turn towards the analog astronaut world in pursuit of his greater dreams through participation in Crew 319 at MDRS under the World’s Biggest Analog program.

Shriya Musuku – HSO & Crew Scientist:
Shriya Musuku is a Mechanical Engineer (BS/MS), first responder, and premedical candidate. Her passion for health and technology merges in her work in the analog astronautics field through the World’s Biggest Analog mission where she is the Crew Science Officer. She is passionate about expanding healthcare access and STEAM education and is leveraging this mission to advance those initiatives through community engagement

Mackenzie Calle – Crew Journalist & Green Hab Officer:
Mackenzie Calle is a documentary photographer and National Geographic Explorer. Focused on long-term stories, her work largely delves into space science and queer issues. Her work has been awarded by World Press Photo and the Sony World Photography Awards, amongst others. She is thrilled to be a part of the World’s Biggest Analog and Crew 319 at Mars Desert Research Station to document this story from the perspective of a crew member.

Mission Plan

MDRS Crew 319
Historic Global Mission, Expedition 1
World’s Biggest Analog – Advanced Analog Astronaut Crew
Author: Rym Chaid – Commander
Review: Full Crew
October 12-25, 2025

1. Mission Overview

The World’s Biggest Analog (WBA) is the largest coordinated analog mission in history, linking 17 analog habitats across five continents to simulate Moon and Mars settlements in a unified, synchronous campaign.

Its core objective is to explore how humans can “live and work together cooperatively in the harsh environment of Space,” investigating not only technical and scientific challenges but also the sociopsychological, anthropological, and human-factor aspects of off-Earth habitation.

As MDRS Crew 319, we will serve as one of the four advanced habitats at the core of WBA. We will operate under Mars-analog conditions (or Moon/Mars mixed, per habitat assignment) and collaborate with the global network of analogs.

Advanced Core Habitats – Leading the WBA Global Mission:

Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) – The United States of America
Lunares – Poland
Habitat Marte – Brazil
Hydronaut – Czech Republic

This mission will run for 2 weeks (October 12–25, 2025) across participating habitats.

2. Crew Composition & Roles

Our crew has five mandatory roles and two supplemental roles to explore all facets of life on Mars during our mission and complete our experiments and outreach plans successfully and safely.

First, we have the five key roles:

Commander: Rym Y. Chaid

The Commander is responsible for the overall safety, organization and management of the mission and is the person held accountable for all things related to the mission, although they still need to respect the overall authority of MDRS staff and the HSO in health and safety matters. Commanders will have prior successful analog experience. Commanders usually have demonstrated leadership and experience in remote or challenging field areas. Their duty is to keep an overview on the mission goals, progress of the crew experiments, crew well-being, and social climate, mediate and settle any disputes inside the crew, and take a lead and responsibility for the crew in difficult situations (e.g. emergency simulations).

Health and Safety Officer (HSO): Elias Mulky and Shriya Musuku

The role of the HSO is dependent on the applicant’s skill level. First responder training is preferred and EMT’s, nurses and doctors are highly desired, unless no one in the crew has a medical background. This position is also responsible for the operational safety of the crew and the campus. The Medical Officer can override decisions made by the Commander if medical reasons suggest a veto. Their duty is to: oversee the correctness and completeness of taking the daily medical measurements,observe the crew physical and mental health, and take care of injuries and sick crew members.

Crew Engineer: Ricardo Gonzales

The Crew Engineer is responsible for the maintenance and monitoring of the station, its buildings and systems. The person in this position has to think proactively and be able to think like a Martian in terms of active response to the physical environment at MDRS. In order for daily activities to proceed as scheduled, the crew engineer needs to routinely monitor the equipment being used by the crew and make sure it is ready for whatever is planned. In addition, when systems fail, the crew engineer needs to diagnose the problem and contact Mission Support with a plan for solving the problem.

Crew Scientist: Shriya Musuku

The role of a scientist on the crew is to conduct research and maintain the ScienceDome and its equipment. They generally plan the crew’s EVAs based on their research goals. They must have a pre-approval of their home institution for any studies done at MDRS. This is particularly important if the scientist is studying human factors. All human factors research is required to be approved by the home institution’s IRB, even if it doesn’t require an IRB. In that case, simple proof that it was reviewed and an IRB was not deemed necessary is all that is needed for the research. For WBA, we will need to discuss this role further with the MDRS Organizers to discuss feasibility and need.

Crew Journalist: Mackenzie Calle

The Crew Journalist is responsible for the daily reports and photos sent from MDRS. This included a daily Journalist Report that is a record of your crew’s daily life, but also they should be the organizer for the crew’s media efforts.
Then we have the two supplemental roles to further explore the life on Mars through our connection to the greenery of Earth and the vastness of space:

Crew Astronomer: Ricardo Gonzales & Rym Chaid

The crew astronomers must have both experience using a telescope and a research project that has been approved by the MDRS Astronomy Team. They will work with the director of observatories prior to their arrival at MDRS and must take an online test in order to operate the observatories.

GreenHab Officer: Mackenzie Calle

This person is responsible for keeping the crops alive and thriving in the GreenHab, as well as the overall maintenance and monitoring of the GreenHab’s environmental controls. GreenHab Officers can have experience in biology and/or gardening.

Crew Educator: Rym Chaid & Shriya Musuku

The crew educators are responsible for all educational and outreach initiatives and coordinations relating to the mission. This includes coordination with classrooms around the World to teach hundreds of students about space exploration and life on Mars as part of the ACE education international program.

3. Mission Objectives
3.1 WBA’s Core Experiments

WBA has defined ten flagship experiments to be run across all participating habitats, to facilitate comparative analysis. Our crew has analyzed and selected a total of 7 experiments to conduct during our rotation at the Mars Desert Research Station. Below is a summary and how we plan to implement or augment them:

Emotion Response Analysis (ERA) – Astronaut Emotional Analysis
Principal Investigators: Dr. Patrick Stacey & Dr. Suzanne Elayan
The experiment objective is to identify key emotional dynamics in the astronaut experience and aims to understand motivational and hazardous factors in the job using interviews to predict astronaut emotional responses
Use regular video diaries and before and after interviews to model emotional response of the crews

SIMOC – Live Mesh Network Sensory Array – Measures Habitat Life Support Data
Principal Investigator: Kai Staats
The experiment objective is to identify real time sensor data in the habs to create a system that functions as an Environmental Control and Life Support System that observes air quality in real time and allows for future data analysis
The crew will monitor functionality of this installed sensor system to ensure continued experiment operation throughout the duration of the mission

Job / Home / Team Crafting (MARSCRAFT project)
Principal Investigator: Vera Hanger mann and Christianne Heinecke
The experiment objective is to explore how crew members self-adjust tasks (“job crafting”), adjust personal spaces (“home crafting”), and refine collaboration dynamics (“team crafting”) to maintain well-being and performance.
The crew will be taking two surveys that journal their crafting behaviors and well being right after work and right before bed

INDEX (INtuition and DEliberation in eXtreme environments)
Principal Investigators: Pierpaolo Zivi and Fabio Ferlazzo
The objective of the experiment is to examine individual decision making factors throughout the World’s Biggest Analog mission
The crew will complete surveys measuring stress, sleep, mood and team climate to facilitate data analysis

SPACESEED
Principal Investigators: Victor Buchli and Tarun Bandemegala
The objective of the study is to understand the human side of Space Controlled Environment Agriculture and study the socio cultural factors of SpaceCEA
The crew will complete the assembly of the space seed and report on plant growth as we monitor things

Salutogenesis in Space Analog Environments
Principal Investigators: Dr. Laura Thomas & Dr. Mike Rennie
The experiment objective is to study the post experience growth and subjective factors that impact the time spent in analog settings
The crew will conduct daily journaling and a post analog interview to trace these factors throughout the mission and provide reflection on salutogenesis after the mission

ARBMH – Relationship between Mental Health, Sexual Functioning, and Team Dynamics
Principal Investigators: Simon Dube and Justin Garcia
The objective of the experiment is to study the evolution of psychological and sexual well being in isolated, confined, and extreme environments.
The crew will answer a daily questionnaire about their well being to provide data for this experiment

Mars-to-Earth Outreach & Education
All habitats engage in public communication: data-sharing, livestreams, educational modules, virtual tours.
Our MDRS crew will produce multimedia content, host virtual classrooms, publish in National Geographic, run photography exhibitions.

We will map our internal experiments to these WBA standards to maximize cross-habitat comparability, while also contributing unique experiments (as below).

3.2 Crew-Specific Experiments

Engineering / Technical Experiments:
Hab Maintenance & Reliability
Monitor and log all maintenance, failures, and mean time between failures (MTBF).
Redundancy strategies and emergency repair protocols.

VR & Simulation for Space Tasks
Implement virtual-reality simulations

EVA Emergency Experiment:
Communication Protocol Testing
Create and test rigid but adaptive comms protocols under degraded signal, latency, or partial blackout conditions.
Capture metrics: packet loss, misinterpretation, delays, crew stress under degraded comms.

Emergency Response Protocol Testing & Framework Definition
Stage “EVA emergencies” (ex: suit breach, comms cut, medical splint) and test response workflows.
Evaluate decision-making time, crew coordination, resilience measures, and communications.

Assessment Criteria, Risk Mitigation
Define quantitative and qualitative criteria for success/failure in emergencies.
Pre-develop mitigation strategies (ex: abort thresholds, redundancy checks, fallback positions).

Adaptive Response in Wilderness (Mars-like Terrain)
Simulate emergency scenarios in rugged terrain outside the habitat (within EVA constraints). Simulation shall be verbal and no real hazard shall be implemented.
Observe how crew improvises given simulated constraints (power, comms, supply limits).

Media / Outreach Experiments:
National Geographic Collaboration
Co-author an article (print + digital) linking our Mars-analog experiences with a moon-analog mission elsewhere in the WBA network.

Public Talks / Virtual Classroom Engagement
Conduct scheduled recorded sessions with classrooms globally, walking through mission day, experiment highlights, crew Q&A.

Magazine Journaling, Photography, Social Media
Daily journaling (crew diaries), photo essays, art pieces, social media posts framed as “Life on Mars” content.

Short Documentary Film
Produce a short film capturing mission flow, personal stories, scientific moments, challenges overcome.

“Life on Mars” Photography Exhibition
Curate a small exhibit of photos narrating crew life, experiments, landscapes, micro-moments, to be shared digitally and post-mission in galleries.

4. EVA Strategy

EVA Personnel:
EVA Lead: Commander leads Crew during EVA operations and is responsible for Crew safety.
HABCOM: One crew member must remain in the Main Campus at all times during EVAs. Habcom is responsible for communications between MSC and EVA Crew. Habcom monitors EVA Crew activities via Dashboard. Crew will rotate this position to ensure everyone goes on at least one EVA.
EVA Crew: EVA crew shall only consist of 3 members maximum, as one crewmember must remain in the Main Campus.

EVA Planning Principles:
EVA windows will be scheduled with buffer margins for safety, weather, suit prep, and delays.
Each EVA will have clear objectives (science, sampling, traverse, infrastructure) and contingencies.
A buddy system will always be enforced; no solo EVA under any circumstance. One night EVA will be performed on Sol 0, prior to Mission Ingress following special permission and crew training.
Before EVA: checklists (suit integrity, Air flow, comms, tool inventory, emergency supplies, MSC awareness).
During EVA: strict timeline adherence, regular check-ins MSC, strict perimeter adherence
After EVA: immediate debrief, log any anomalies, sample processing, suit maintenance, checking with MSC.

EVA Allocation Framework:
MDRS allows for two EVA windows per day (morning + afternoon), with flexibility depending on crew fatigue and environmental conditions (weather forecasts)
Assign roles rotating among crew (e.g. leader, navigator, instrument handler, media) to build redundancy and cross-training.
Only two EVAs should test Crew’s emergency protocols (simulated health hazard).
Reserve contingency EVA time for unexpected troubleshooting or extra sampling.

Emergency EVA Scenario Use:
Insert forced delays, simulated system failures (e.g. comms dropout), or tool breakage to test robustness of protocols and visual communications strategies. Comms will remain nominal, but crew will simulate loss of comms, for a controlled and predetermined amount of time.
Use terrain features (rocks, slopes) to simulate challenges in EVA navigation, emergency return path planning.
Two EVAs should test Crew’s emergency protocols by simulated health hazards. Trainers shall be Commander and HSO, while trainees shall be Crew Engineer and GreenHab Officer.

5. Crew Cohesion, Morale & Well-Being
Crew mental health, trust, and cohesion are central to our mission success. Key strategies:

Crew Norms & Values
Pre-mission: conflict resolution norms, roles, communication practices, personal boundaries.

Daily Emotional Check-ins
Short check-ins/check-outs “highs and lows” rounds led by Commander each morning and evening.
Encourage vulnerability, psychological safety, and listening.
Commander and HSO are both responsible for monitoring the safety and well-being of the crew and are trained in human factors and emotional support.
All crewmembers are encouraged to reach out and communicate with whoever they are comfortable with in the crew, if needed.

Scheduled Social Time & Rituals
Board games, storytelling, themed nights (music, art), shared stargazing or guided astronomy sessions.
Small traditions (mission halfway celebration, mission closure celebration quote-of-the-day) help us build our identity.

Rotation / Cross-Role Engagement
Occasionally rotate duties to prevent monotony and foster empathy (e.g., engineers help with greenhab, journalist helps data entry).
Encourage side learning: short peer-led “micro-teach” sessions (biology, art) during downtime.

Physical Fitness & Recovery
1 hour daily exercise (stretching, yoga, cycling, resistance bands) to maintain physical health, reduce stress.
Encourage naps or rest periods when fatigue accumulates.

Private Reflection Time
All crew members have quiet time daily to journal, decompress, or meditate. Everyone should respect those boundaries.

Conflict Management Protocol
Early “cool-down” before escalation, structured mediation session if needed.
Use crew norms as reference for dispute resolution.

6. Risk Management & Safety Protocols

Primary Risk Categories
EVA mishaps (suit breach, tool failure, disorientation, heat stroke, hypothermia)
Habitat system failures (power, life support, communications)
Health and medical emergencies
Psychological stress, interpersonal conflict, fatigue
Media/communications breakdowns with external support
Environmental hazards (storms, terrain, dust, fire)

Mitigation Strategies

Redundancy & Backup Systems
Monitor critical systems (power, comms, telemetry).
Spare parts, tools, repair kits easily accessible.

Pre-mission Training & Drills
Emergency drills (fire, depressurization, medical) pre-mission and early mission days.
Cross-training: every crew member cross-training on backup systems, basic first aid, EVA rescue, COMS protocol.

Checklists & Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
Mandatory checklists for EVA, maintenance, communications, emergency.
All procedure updates must be documented and signed.

Abort Criteria & Decision Gates
Define clear thresholds to abort EVA, halt experiment, or retreat to safe mode.
Utilize “go/no-go” decision points, favor safety margins.

Health Monitoring & Medical Protocols
Medical kit ready, telemedicine support, protocols for remote assistance.
In case of worsening symptoms: fallback “safe mode” and potential early egress.

Psychological Safeguards
Scheduled breaks, counseling check-ins, possibility to pause high-load tasks.
Communicate stress or private feedback to Commander or HSO – per individual preference.
Commander/HSO and involved crewmember might decide to escalate this matter to MSC and/or external professional support.

Communications Backup & Latency Simulation
Use redundant comms channels, monitor delays and outages to test robustness.
Backup archive of critical data.

Environmental Monitoring & Safeguards
Continual habitat sensors (humidity, temp).
Fire hazard equipment.
Automated alerts, threshold alarms, emergency vent or scrubber activation.

Post-Incident Review & Learning
Immediate debrief after any anomaly, near-miss, or emergency test.
Log lessons learned, update procedures and file Incident Report.
Comms check with MSC.

7. Expected Outcomes & Deliverables

By the end of the mission, we aim to deliver:

Comparative data sets aligned with WBA’s core experiments (psychological, communication, productivity, space agriculture)
Internal reports on our crew’s engineering, EVA, and emergency protocol experiments
Daily SOL Summaries and Journaling reports
A collaborative National Geographic article (digital + print) intersecting our Mars analog story with another WBA Moon mission – Lunares Station in Poland
A short documentary film, photo exhibition, artistic pieces, and social media educational content
Recommendations and best-practice protocols (EVA, comms, conflict resolution) for future analog missions
A mission debrief and lessons-learned package to WBA/MDRS
Outreach engagements (virtual talks, classroom sessions, published mission diaries)
Personal growth, team resilience, cross-role competence, and a crew legacy of inspiration for future analog astronauts and space explorers

These deliverables will help us fulfill both our crew’s scientific objectives and the WBA’s global mission of expanding awareness, research standards, and analog cooperation.

8. Commander’s Closing Statement

Fellow crew members, as we stand on the cusp of this historic analog mission, I am honored to lead Crew 319 on Expedition 1 of the World’s Biggest Analog. This is more than a simulation, it is our chance to contribute meaningfully to humanity’s journey beyond Earth and onto newer Planets.

Each of you brings unique talents and perspectives: Ricardo with engineering rigor, Shriya with scientific curiosity, Mackenzie with narrative vision, and Elias with health and safety perspective. Together, we form a living mosaic of exploration, resilience, and creativity.

Our mission will test us: in environment, in psyche, in cooperation. But more than that, it will redefine us and allow us to explore not just Mars, but ourselves. Our success will not only be the science accomplished here at the Mars Station, but the way we support each other, adapt to surprises, and rise through challenges together.

Let us lead with empathy, discipline, curiosity, and courage. Let our data, art, words, and camaraderie echo across the global WBA network. We are writing a new chapter in analog exploration, and we can only hope that the world will watch, learn, and be inspired by our adventures here together.

Here’s to safe EVAs, crew laughter echoing in the Hab, starry nights of wonder, and a mission that leaves a legacy for future space explorers.

Onward, together.

Rym – Commander,
World’s Biggest Analog – Advanced Crew
Mars Desert Research Station

[title Crew biographies, photos and mission patch – January 8th]

TIMOTHY A. GAGNON
PO BOX 1283
TITUSVILLE, FL 32781
Email: KSCartist

Tim Gagnon was born and raised in Hartford, Connecticut. A fascination with space
exploration came early as did an interest in art. Like many others of his generation Tim
remembers watching the missions of his childhood heroes on a small black and white
television with “rabbit ears” that could receive few broadcast stations. For his 16th birthday
gift in 1972 his parents arranged for Tim and his father to attend the launch of Apollo 17 as
invited guests of NASA.
Ever since reading about the design of the Skylab 1 patch in an article written by the artist
Frank Kelly Freas in 1973, Tim dreamed about creating a patch for a flight crew, to use his
artistic talent to contribute to the space program. He came close in 1985 when Bob Crippen
invited him to submit designs for the first shuttle mission scheduled to launch from
Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, STS-62A. That mission was canceled after the
Challenger accident.
In 2004 his dream finally came true when astronaut John Phillips selected Tim to design the
emblem for the Expedition 11 mission to the International Space Station. When the
Expedition 11 patch was unveiled, Tim was contacted by Dr. Jorge Cartes of Madrid who
congratulated him and spoke of how he also wanted to design mission patches. Tim
responded that if the opportunity ever arose again, they would collaborate.
In 2007 Tim was selected by the STS-126 Crew to design their mission emblem. Knowing
how much it meant to participate, Tim invited his pen pal Jorge to join him on this project.
The STS-126 crew was so happy with the result that they recommended Tim and Jorge to the
STS-127 crew. As each patch was completed, Tim and Jorge were recommended to more
flight crews. Since 2008 they teamed to work with the astronauts of the following Space
Shuttle crews: STS-129, STS-132 and STS-133*. NOTE: this is the full story about the STS-
133 patch http://www.collectspace.com/news/news-030711a.html
The end of the Space Shuttle Program did not slow down demand. Tim and Jorge were proud
to work with the following crews serving aboard the International Space Station during
Expeditions 22, 23, 25, 26, 27, 29, 30, 34, One Year, 47, 48, 53 and 55. Over the last six
years Tim has worked with multiple Flight Directors and other NASA and industry teams to
create their emblems.
Tim continues to build a reputation as someone easy to work with and increasingly in
demand.

Bio:

Michael Andrews, CPIM, is a logistics leader in the aerospace industry. He holds dual degrees in Aerospace Engineering and Mechanical Engineering from the University of Florida, along with a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Arizona State University. He is passionate about pathfinding logistics practices in austere locations in anticipation of aiding colonization of the Moon, of Mars, or beyond.

Michael has over 12 years of aerospace experience, and 10 of those have involved materials management leadership with defense contractors and launch providers. Michael has experience in program management; along with managing the receiving, shipping, inventory, and delivery operations in aerospace distribution centers.

This is Michael’s second analog astronaut mission. He served as the Logistics and Communications Officer for Crew-16 at the Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station on Devon Island (Nunavut, Canada) in July of 2024. He will be returning to Flashline in July of 2025 as an engineer on the 2025 advance team to upgrade their station.

Michael also holds a Certification in Planning and Inventory Management from APICS. He lives in San Pedro, CA, is a certified rescue scuba diver, and enjoys marathon running and hiking.

Respectfully,

Michael Andrews

Elena Saavedra Buckley — Crew 315 Journalist and GreenHab Officer

Elena Saavedra Buckley is a senior editor at Harper’s Magazine, where she edits and writes articles about a wide breadth of subjects. She is also a contributing editor at The Drift, a triannual literary magazine, and has written for The New Yorker, The Paris Review, and other publications.

After getting a bachelor in Humanities at Yale, Elena moved to rural Colorado to work for High Country News, a magazine that covers the American West. There, she covered Indigenous affairs and reported from multiple reservations. She then lived and wrote in New Mexico, Texas, and California before moving to New York City, where she is now based.

While Elena is likely the least scientifically qualified member of Crew 315—and primarily here to write a magazine story about the experience—she has had a lifelong interest in space and space exploration. As a teenager in Albuquerque, New Mexico, she saved the tips from her barista job to buy a telescope, and she attended an astronomy camp at the University of Arizona when she was 17. She’s happy to be at the MDRS to relive some of that curiosity. In her free time, she sings Renaissance music in a choir, cooks elaborately, and buys odd trinkets for her apartment.

On her mission to explore the mysteries of the universe and advance the future of human spaceflight, Urban Koi holds a Master’s in Space Systems Engineering from Johns Hopkins University and is continuing on with her studies as a future Doctor of Space Medicine. Koi’s multidisciplinary roles include: Principal Investigator & Space Systems Engineer in the NASA L’SPACE program with a focus on Human Health, Life Support, & Habitation Systems; Bioastronautics Researcher at the International Institute for Astronautical Sciences (IIAS); Analog Astronaut – Health & Safety Officer (HSO) at the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS); Rescue Scuba Diver; Pilot-in-Training; and Award-Winning Film Director & Photographer.

Synthesizing her passions in science, engineering, and art, Koi is the Founder + Director of SOTU STUDIO (Student of the Universe®), an experimental multimedia studio born by curiosity, cosmic discovery, and limitless dreams that produces interdisciplinary art, photography, and films. Over 12+ years in the industry, Koi propelled the missions of world-renowned titans through a dynamic lens of otherworldly visions and established a global following with 1 Million+ in reach. Koi was selected by NASA as an independent photographer to document the engineering process of space missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. Koi’s work is featured on NASA multimedia/social channels, award-winning publications, and her Instagram (@urbanxkoi).

Over 10+ years, Koi has also served as Co-Leader on the 100cameras Board of Creatives, a nonprofit organization recognized by the United Nations University Centre for Policy Research (UNU-CPR), UNIDIR, and UNICEF as an enrichment program that empowers youth across the world to become leaders through a robust methodology that has shown to improve emotional intelligence, well-being, and resilience through photography and storytelling. Koi is pioneering a new epoch in space exploration, where human resilience converges with technological ingenuity to illuminate the path to celestial destiny in the vast expanse of the cosmos.

David was present for the impressive launches of Apollo 11 and the first Space Shuttle launch. He has met two lunar astronauts and like many others dreamed about space exploration and being a crew member on a journey to Mars.

David began a lifelong passion for electronics and space technology while in elementary school. He served in the U.S. Air Force. Later, after obtaining Bachelor of Science and Master of Engineering in Electrical Engineering degrees, he designed state of the art integrated circuits. He holds seven patents, has written technical papers and has presented his work at various international conferences.

David is a lifelong learner and enjoys working with talented people. He is a founding member of The Mars Society. He also has formal training in anthropology and archaeology. Hobbies include radio-controlled airplanes, electronics, music composition, musical instrument synthesis and antique radio and pipe organ restoration. David also enjoys adventure, hiking and traveling. Utah, with its stark beauty and remote Mars like desert areas, is one of his favorite states to visit.