News

The Institute for Biomedical Problems (IBMP), jointly with Human Research Program NASA (HRP NASA), will be conducting an extended duration lunar mission simulation at its facility in Moscow in 2019 and 2020. The mission, known as Sirius, will involve a crew of six, including three Russians and three non-Russians. IBMP has  asked the Mars Society to recruit the three non-Russian crew members.

The mission duration will be four months during 2019 and eight months in 2020. Crew members will need to be available for both. IBMP will provide lodging and meals for the volunteer subjects during quarantine before the mission and during the simulation itself. There will be no salary or expenses paid by IBMP, so volunteers will either need to be self-funded or backed by resources from their own institutions or universities.

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MSA is very sad to announce that MSA Vice-President David Willson passed away yesterday evening in the presence of family and friends after struggling with cancer for a bit over a year. This is a great loss to us all and those who know him mourn the passing of a dear friend and great colleague.

David joined MSA in 2003 after encountering our web page. At that time he was a senior project engineer with the Hobart-based consultancy firm SEMF and had considerable experience in design and management of multi-million dollar construction, including ship loaders, mine metallurgical plants, and power. In his spare time he built liquid fuelled rocket engines, helped his parents in their tin mine in south west Tasmania, and flew light aircraft. David brought all these skills to MSA and led to him become project manager for the Mars...

MSA is holding its Annual General Meeting. Part of this process is to call for nominations for director’s positions. Up to 10 director’s positions will be available.

Any current MSA members are eligible to nominate. Directors are expected to contribute to the operational running of the organisation, including undertaking office bearers roles if required.  Nominees should email a maximum one page statement outlying relevant experience and intended contributions to the board. Statements should be submitted by night Australian Eastern standard Time 1st of April 2018. Please send statements to guymurphy(at)gmail.com Statements will be posted online after the close of nominations.

Voting by MSA members will be by email if more nominations are received than there are positions available. Further details will be announced once nominations close.

Office bearers will be appointed at the first meeting of the new board which will occur before the end of May, 2018. Positions...

The Mars Society Australia‟s Spaceward Bound Australia (SBA) in collaboration with "NASA Spaceward Bound‟ in July 2009 undertook a  Planetary and space science expedition, to Arkaroola, Marree and Reedy Springs in the South Australian desert. The theme of the expedition was The evolution of life in our solar system. Twenty seven planetary scientists, geologists, teachers and engineers from the US and Australia participated in the expedition.

The SBA 2009 expedition aim was in two parts:

• The first, was to undertake field science supporting research into the evolution of life in our solar system; and,
• The second, was to invite teachers and students from the US and Australia to participate and work undertaking practical field science with the scientists closely involved in recent space exploration missions to the Moon Mars and Titan.

Science work included:

• Trialling Infrared Sensors;
• Advancing Teacher "Hands On‟...