News

Analogue Rover Project Moves to WA

The Mars Society Australia's analogue Mars rover project Marsupial is moving ahead, following the project's relocation to Fremantle, Western Australia. The design phase of the vehicle is nearing completion, after which time construction will commence at Byfield Engineering, at Riverton, WA. Find out more about the project on its newly updated homepage

HOP is currently seeking sponsorship to complete its internal fitout and for its testing phase. The Mars Society Australia is keen for its sponsors benefit from the extensive national media coverage the project has received to date, which has included prime time national television coverage.

If you would like to contribute in money or in kind, please contact Project Manager Dr Graham Mann.
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New Museum Exhibition Focuses Attention on Mars Exploration

The opening of a new exhibition in Canberra on the search for the origin of life across the solar system has focused attention on Australian involvement in future human exploration of Mars, said Mars Society Australia President Guy Murphy yesterday.

To Mars and Beyond: Search for the Origins of Life opens at the National Museum of Australia on 13 December 2001 and continues until 26 May 2002. This exhibition features everything from astronaut Andy Thomas’ spacesuit to a piece of Mars rock, and visitors can even travel to Mars and across its red surface in a 3D virtual reality theatre styled to mimic the interior of a spaceship.

Click here to download the full press release.

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European Conference

The Second European Convention of the Mars Society will be held 26-29 September in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. During this event internationally renowned scientists will meet interested laymen in a three day long festival of lectures, expositions, panel discussions, demonstrations and more informal activities. Topics covered will range from mission design to Mars survivial skills and from outreach strategies to arts and literature.

If you are interested in prsenting a paper, send an abstract of 300 words maximum as an email or word attachment to info@marssociety.nl.

For more information click here.

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Analogue Rover Arrives in WA

The Mars Society Australia's analogue Mars rover project HOP (Human Operations Prototype) is moving ahead, with the the base vehicle delivered to Freemantle, Western Australia. The design phase of the vehicle is nearing completion, after which time construction will commence at Byfield Engineering, at Riverton, WA.

HOP is currently seeking sponsorship to complete its internal fitout and for its testing phase. The Mars Society Australia is keen for its sponsors benefit from the extensive national media coverage the project has received to date, which has included prime time national television coverage.

If you would like to contribute in money or in kind, please contact Project Manager Dr Graham Mann.

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Significant SAFMARS Milestone Achieved

The SAFMARS project has achieved a significant milestone with the development of a high-level design for the satellite ground stations that will be used in future Mars-analogue research as part of Operation Red Centre.

Click here for more information.
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Project Jarntimarra - Mission Accomplished

Follow the course of the highly successful Starchaser sponsored Jarntimarra expedition to the red centre through the eyes of the participants! Read the travel logs from Jennifer Laing and Jason Hoogland on the JNT-1 expedition homepage. Also, see the newly updated photo gallery.

Australia is now one step closer to having its own outback space research facility, to be used for testing equipment and technology which could help to send humans to Mars. Find out more by reading our latest press release (pdf) (0.06 Mb).
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Email our Mars Experts in the Field!

The Jarntimarra-1 field expedition currently in central Australia is composed of some leading experts in Mars related research, including:
  • Dr Carol Stoker, NASA Ames Research Centre - Mars Pathfinder Scientist
  • Dr Larry Lemke, NASA Ames Research Centre - Advanced projects engineer currently working on Mars airplane
  • Prof Vic Gostin, University of Adelaide - Geology of central Australia, paleo-geology and meteorite impacts
  • Dr Jonathan Clarke, Australian National University - Geology of central Australia, Mars geology
  • Dr Graham Mann, Murdoch University - Robots for Mars and Mars missions
  • Jason Hoogland - MSA technical programme including HOP, Marskin, SAFMARS,Mars-Oz, Jarntimarra, Operation Red Centre
  • James Waldie, RMIT - Mechanical Counter Pressure suits
You can send an email question and our experts will send a reply via satellite, subject to their busy schedule in the field. In addition, Sydney based MSA member...
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Project Jarntimarra - JNT-1 Mission Update

Follow the Starchaser sponsored Jarntimarra expedition to the red centre through the eyes of some of the participants! For starters we have the logs from Jennifer Laing and Jason Hoogland on the JNT-1 expedition page. We will attempt to update these daily.
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Latest Overview of MSA Activities

At a public forum featuring Dr Carol Stoker and Dr Mark Bishop in Adelaide prior to the departure of JNT-1, Tech Director Jason Hoogland presented an overview of MSA including our current technical activities and opportunities for wider involvement in technical and non-technical areas.

The presentation is a single MS Powerpoint document, split for ease of download into two parts. Active MSA members are encourage to use their own adapted version of this to promote our activities. Any questions of policy, budgeting or scheduling should be deferred to the MSA Board via the President.

PowerPoint slide presentation (part 1) (2.8MB),
PowerPoint slide presentation (part 2) (2.2MB).
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Mars Odyssey and Mars Society Australia - the 'Down Under' Connection

Mars Odyssey has emerged from behind Mars after orbital insertion at 1pm 24 Oct 2001 Eastern Australian Time. View the latest press release (pdf) on Mars Odyssey and the Mars Society Australia. See also the NASA press kit (pdf) on Mars Odyssey.
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