News
Leonardo & Lisa Expeditions Underway
Monday, 14 March 2005
Two complementary Mars simulation projects have commenced at the Mar Desert Research Station (MDRS) in Utah to investigate the role of gender in an international Mars mission crew. Organised by alumni of the International Space University, the Leonardo project will be carried out by an international male team from April 15 to May 1, while the Mona Lisa project all-female crew will be in the MDRS from May 1 to 15 2005. Both crews will perform similar tasks in comparable conditions and their results will be put side by side. The expeditions follow on from research done on Expedition 1 and Expedition 2 relating to MSA's ...
MSA Board Welcomes New President and Vice-President
Saturday, 12 February 2005
The board of the Mars Society Australia would like to welcome its new incoming President David Cooper. Based in Western Australia, David has served as MSA Vice-President since its incorporation in 2001, and is also the coordinator of the MS WA branch. Canberra based geologist and director Dr Jonathan Clarke has been elected the new Vice-President. Former President Guy Murphy has retired from the role after nearly 5 years as he will be spending time travelling and working overseas during 2005. He intends to remain involved in MSA actvities, and wishes to thank everyone for supporting MSA in its endeavours over the years.
AMEC2005 Call for Papers Now Open
Tuesday, 1 February 2005
AMEC V, the fifth Australian Mars Exploration Conference, will be held in Canberra on August 19-21, 2005. The conference will be in the Manning Clark Theatre complex and hosted by the Australian National Universitys School of Psychology. The theme, 'Roving the Red Planet' reflects the prime importance of mobility in the exploration of Mars, both now and in the future and MSAs 'Year of the Rover' focus. You are invited to prepare talks for the conference. Overall there will be six themes, you are asked to consider submitting within one of these:
Theme 1 - Technology
Theme 2 - Planetary science and astrobiology
Theme 3 - The human factor
Theme 4 - Analogue studies
Theme 5 - Education and outreach
Theme 6 - Policy and planning
Expressions of interest should be sent to
New MarsOz Base Design Report Now Available
Friday, 7 January 2005
Authored by David Willson and Jonathan Clarke, this newly released report consists of a feasibility study examining how modules the size and shape used in the MARS-OZ proposal are compatible with the technical requirements of an actual Mars mission. This report is in press with the Journal of the British Interplanetary Society. Copies of the manuscript can be obtained from .
Floor Frame Complete
Monday, 27 December 2004
The floor frame and two of the vertical bulkhead frames are now complete, but the floor sandwich and radiator frame has yet to be completed.
Welding on the floor frame is completed.
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The mid-cabin and rear mid-cabin bulkhead frames mounted on the floor frame give the rover a third dimension.
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Expedition 2 Summary Report Now Available
Thursday, 16 December 2004
A report authored by Jonathan Clarke, Rocky Persaud and Shannon Rupert-Robles summarising the results of Expedition 2 is now available online here (pdf format). You can read more about the expedition at the Expedition 2 Homepage
Construction Continues
Friday, 8 October 2004
Construction is proceeding smoothly, with a number of basic components being fitted, including the new forward and rear propeller shafts, the primary fuel tank and shock absorbers. With the steel framework of the floor (almost) complete, we are ready to begin assembling the floor 'sandwich', which consists of an aluminum sheet panel (underside), thermal insulation layer (glass fibre bats and hardwood standoffs) and a plastic and aluminum upper layer. Vertical bulkhead frames can be fabricated as soon as a new order of RHS steel arrives. More component shopping is required, including better seats, an extra fuel tank, and plumbing for the coolant system.
Underside of vehicle showing propshaft (black), primary fuel tank (silver) and and rear shocks (yellow).
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AMEC2004 a Success, Expedition 2 Completed
Monday, 6 September 2004
The 4th annual Australian Mars Exploration Conference was successfully held in Adelaide over the weekend of Saturday 31st July and Sunday 1 August. Hosted by the School of Natural and Built Environments at the University of South Australia, the conference featured local and international speakers presenting papers in a diverse range of Mars related disciplines. For information about the program, visit the AMEC 2004 page.Expedition 2, a joint research expedition between the Mars Society Australia, has now been completed.
Engine Now Mounted
Friday, 6 August 2004
Further construction work is continuing, slowly. The engine mounting and steel framework is basically complete and work is now proceeding to propeller shafts, steering link and frame for the radiator. The gearshift and transfer box linkages are proving to be particularly challenging, since a set of two complex controls need to be brought forward over the cabin from the behind the engine. Mechanical engineer Andrew Cornejo has agreed to design these, based on conceptual sketches from Bruce Armstrong.
Busy day deciding on the placement of seats, and arguing about control linkages
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Basic sketch of gearbox modification for forward controls, which will use Bowden cables... |
Steelwork Plans Complete
Friday, 7 May 2004
It's taken a long time to get further with the project, since both of the main workers have been tied up with other duties (read: paid work). However, at last the steelwork plans were completed and the floor frame and vertical bulkheads are being assembled. Now that this work is in hand, the task for we MSA volunteers is to get busy with the support equipment for the powerplant: exhaust system, coolant plumbing, electrical and transmission.
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