Go to Mars without leaving Earth: the mission of eight Belgian scientists
As part of the operation "UCL to Mars", developed by Mars Society and supported by NASA, four researchers and four Belgian students from the Université catholique de Louvain (UCL) will live in the "Mars Desert Research Station" (MDRS) in the context of a Mars simulation from 10 to 25 March 2018.
Contrary to what its name "Mars Desert Research Station" suggests, our team of researchers will not be setting foot on the red planet, but in the desert of Utah (USA). Of course, that's not quite the same thing.... but almost. Indeed, it is this very specific location that will allow researchers to conduct scientific experiments under conditions similar to those on Mars. All this, naturally, dressed in their space suits, eating freeze dried food and travelling around in special vehicles.
Maximilien Richald and his team will have two weeks to study various situations that may be problematic during a future mission to Mars, as well as the resources required to get the most out of these missions. Among the experiences they will be conducting, in particular, they will try to use a drone to map the surroundings, find out whether planting without earth is possible (by studying the composition of the ground) and evaluate the deterioration of drugs and also the impact of a confined space on the team's mental health.
The results of this programme will be analysed on their return with the support of the UCL and will be communicated to the Mars Society association. Before then, the team hopes to find some additional sponsors ready to invest in an expedition out of this world... well, almost.