The KiwiMars 2012 Mission has entered its second week, and is producing an impressive list of accomplishments. Visit the Mission Support website http://www.kiwispace.org.nz/display/MDRSMS/Dashboard to read daily schedules and reports. You can also send messages to crew members using a Facebook messageboard at that site. (Melbourne expeditioners Don Stewart and Annalea Beattie are pictured below.) View the full article to see an expedition image gallery.
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Mars Society members from Australia and New Zealand have arrived in Utah for the first ever fully Australasian crew at the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS). The crew comprises Commander Haritina Mogosanu, Mike Bodnar, Ali Harley, Bruce Ngataierua (all from New Zealand), and Annalea Beattie and Don Stewart (from Melbourne, Australia). The mission will run for 2 weeks from April 21st to 5th May, 2012.
Read more about the mission on the KiwiSpace website http://www.kiwispace.org.nz/mars2012
Read more about the Mars Desert Research Station here http://mdrs.marssociety.org/
Six crew-members will be heading deep into the Utah desert in April/May 2012, to undertake a 2-week mission of exploration and research at the Mars Desert Research Station. Follow them as they train and undertake this exciting project.
Two MSA members will be part of this expedition, building trans Tasman relations on the road to Mars
http://www.kiwispace.org.nz/display/MDRS/KiwiMars+2012
MSA member Steve Hobbs is a noted photographer and space artist whose work has been used by NASA, the National Geographic Channel, Science Magazine, Design Graphics and The New Sky & Space Magazine. His copyrighted artwork (including Mars art) may be viewed at http://www.stevenhobbsphoto.com.au and is available for purchase in poster form. Proceeds from art sales will be used to fund a small rover development project. 
Spaceward Bound Australia is on. An intrepid crew of 23 expeditioners have left Perth and been travelling ever north to investigate aspects of life on early Earth. The scientists from the NASA Ames Research Center, various universities and research institutes are anticipating expanding our knowledge and understanding of dawn of life on Earth and our solar system. From what is learnt here, can be applied to potential sites on Mars and perhaps provide an answer for the question, Are we alone in the solar system?
