MDRS – Mars Desert Research Station

 

 

MDRS – Mars Desert Research Station

CREW 191 – TEAM ASIA

*Yusuke Murakami, Makoto Kawamura, Kai Takeda, Fumiei Morisawa, Miho Tsukishiro, Venzha Christ,  and Wataru Okamoto – “THE GOOD DEVILS” from the DUST !
(a poem about…)
Robot From MARS
I am a robot from Mars
made for suitcase transportation
i live in a tiny garage
and I sleep in a robot locker
One night I had a beautiful dream
that my processor got so hot
and I had to reboot
I could feel it glisten and tingle,
and sparkle, and flicker
all the way down
in the system…

(Jens, Oslo, 2015)

 

Long time ago, in our history, Chinese astronomers call MARS the “fire star” while ancient Egyptian priests called it “Her Desher” meaning “the red one”…
Yes, that is MARS… the one that we observ right now, and since the beginning the large amount of science fiction written during the twentieth century was a direct outgrowth of the belief that MARS possessed life. From little green men to death rays, Martians were the focus of many television and radio programs, comic books, movies, and novels. NOW, WE ARE VERY CLOSE…with that imagination…
Although the discovery of Martian life in the eighteenth century eventually proved to be false, Mars is nonetheless the planet most hospitable for life other than the Earth. As such, recent planetary missions have tried to determine if even the most basic of life exists on the planet’s surface.
Today, we are trying to re-construct, develop our perspective of view, and give a “special taste” on our MARS mission.
YUSUKE MURAKAMI, the commander, want to give a bit of “spicy sauce”, like what ever happened in 1971, by Mariner 9 mission, that famous with “Surface Surprise”, means that the image of MARS was changed, fact that, the entire planet was engulfed in a dust storm. And also another phenomenon that something appeared to be poking above the plumes. When the debris settled to the surface, scientists discovered those features were the top of dormant volcanoes. He wants to create a right attitude and the way how to analize IF WE really do for MARS mission.  MAKOTO KAWAMURA really want to learn from Mariners 6 and 7 in 1969 mission, which reached MARS and sent back a few dozen photos. Coincidentally, all of these spacecraft flew over areas of Mars that were cratered. This gave a false first impression that MARS looked like the moon. And today, he does as a double agent, and give super big energy to create an amazing photos and video documentation.  KAI TAKEDA want to continue The Viking mission, fact that in the 1970s, Crew from Viking mission conducted experiments on the Martian soil in hopes of detecting microorganisms. While it was initially believed that the formation of compounds during the experiments were a result of biological agents, it has since been determined that these compounds can be created without biological mechanisms. We will look at him while he busy with the soil and various seeds in MDRS GreenHub…  MIHO TSUKISHIRO have a dream to develop the way how to communicate with a new perspective, she didn’t want to go further without any deep research before, like the mission to MARS by Mars Global Surveyor / MGS that left Earth on 1996. Its mission was extended several times until NASA lost contact with it in 2006. One of the mission is to revealing many ancient signs of water, such as gullies and hematite (a mineral that forms in water). Its data helped NASA decide where to land rovers in 2004. MGS also took pictures of public interest, including re-imaging the famous “Face on Mars”.  VENZHA CHRIST realize that he got influence by a mission from CRaTER. The story was he knew : an activity that using measurements from the Cosmic Ray Telescope for the Effects of Radiation (CRaTER) instrument on the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) spacecraft along with data products from the Earth-Moon-Mars Radiation Environment Module (EMMREM). Using the computed modulation potential, we calculate galactic cosmic ray (GCR) dose and dose equivalent rates in the Earth and MARS atmospheres for various altitudes over the course of the LRO mission. By then, he create a special tools and machine to reach a radiation effect from the sky and want to testing in MDRS area.  WATARU OKAMOTO want to be “friend” with the imagination mission, when MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN), launched in 2013, achieved orbit on 2014, and is looking at changes in the atmosphere of MARS to better understand why it thinned over billions of years. As a engineer he want to develop a special device and stick on DIY (Do It Yourself) method to give high contribution for this mission.  FUMIEI MORISAWA have a very similar spirit with the mission of Mars Odyssey, one that resulting big discovery : Odyssey found evidence of water ice lying beneath Mars’ surface, a finding that was confirmed by Phoenix when it arrived on Mars. With regard to habitability, Mars Odyssey has also finished a radiation safety study with an eye to helping future astronauts walking on the Red Planet. So as an expert with extreme survival field and satellite technology he want to engage with real environment together with all crew mission. (venzha christ 2018)

MDRS Crew191 TEAM ASIA 2017-2018

JAPAN – INDONESIA

Yusuke Murakami, Miho Tsukishiro, Makoto Kawamura, Fumiei Morisawa,

 Venzha Christ, Wataru Okamoto, and Kai Takeda

 

DREAM AND HOPE from the METAPHOR of MARS

As a small human colony on MDRS right now, we are CREW191 TEAM ASIA, feel like living in the “orbit”. If Earth and Mars had perfectly circular orbits, their minimum distance would always be the same. However, they have elliptical paths, so we are here have a strong connection one and other become a “dream crew” and build an imaginary twin orbit like MARS and Earth. The orbits of Mars and Earth are also slightly tilted with respect to each other. All of these factors mean that not all close encounters are equal.

Fact that we were “FEEL LIKE” living on MARS, because we are! , because we (each of us) had a same plan before arrive in many purpose and directions, its like on MARS it self, we could learn lots of things on MARS (reality) as a (future) second Earth.

 

 

Makoto Kawamura thinking like: pieces of MARS have been found on Earth”, its kind of metaphor, means that as a human we are already connected each other, as a social human being, always think as a colony, as a team, in wider concept of human civilization. Like between MARS and Earth connection, It is believed that trace amounts of the Martian atmosphere were within meteorites that the planet ejected. These meteorites then orbited the solar system for millions of years amongst the other objects and solar debris before eventually entering the Earth’s atmosphere and crashing to the ground.

From that fact, he believe that the “hidden potential” was grow and appear during the MDRS SIM crashing to the new idea and working for “new” potential. He supporting more empowered way of working, removing constraints which may prevent someone doing their job properly.

“MARS experiences huge dust storms – the largest in our solar system”, This is because of the elliptical shape of the MARS planet orbit path around the Sun. The orbit path is more elongated than many of the other planets and this oval shaped orbit results in fierce dust storms that cover the entire planet and can last for many months. Perhaps this idea was bring Wataru Okamoto to create his project, that wrote on the crew191 bio. He want to keep that all those information of the weather during the SIM to be more deep analyzed.

Miho Tsukishiro maybe want to see something in different angle and perspective, she believe that all experience in MDRS were close to “Properly managed”, and try to start with synergistic way of working, where the sum is greater than the parts, as a the Sun looks about half its size half it does from Earth when seen from MARS”, will be resulting a great balance in our thought future plan… In MARS, this condition will be happen if MARS is closest to the Sun in its orbit the southern hemisphere points toward the Sun and this causes a very short but fiercely hot summer. In the north it experiences a brief but cold winter. When the planet is farthest from the Sun, Mars experiences a long and mild summer because the northern hemisphere points toward the Sun.

Yusuke Murakami as a commander, always trying to do the best as much as he can for this mission, to go up highest zone we can reach, the highest level of how to follow the SIM… He also encourages multi-disciplinary work where teams cut across organizational divides…just remembering of “the tallest mountain known in our solar system is on MARS” named Olympus Mons It is the tallest mountain in the entire solar system rising to the height of 22km (14 miles) and it is also the largest, youngest active volcano on MARS. While no team ever gets everything it wants, leaders can head off a lot of problems by taking the time to get the essential pieces in place from the start.

Fumiei Morisawa said, as a team : Fosters flexibility and responsiveness, especially the ability to respond to change. As a team we need to respect each other, NOT being selfish or individuals, and in this TEAM ASIA he believe that all we met here must be by some reason, like the reason why MARS have a polar ice cap that these caps are made of carbon dioxide ice as well as water ice. During the southern hemisphere’s summer, much of the ice cap sublimates, a process in which the ice turns straight back into gas, leaving behind what is known as the residual polar ice cap. So “MARS is the only other planet besides Earth that has polar ice caps”. The northern cap is called the Planum Boreum, with Planum Australe in the south. Water ice has also been found under the Martian ice caps.

Kai Takeda is the youngest in TEAM ASIA as a crew, and he like to say that “With the exception of Earth, MARS is the most hospitable to life”. The connection between a GreenHAB at MDRS and also all those activities during the mission are positively make him proud of his project. Like on MARS, we also need to build a real connection between “HUMAN” and “PLANT”…and for the future MARS colony, i think impossible to NOT to drive in this direction…

Venzha Christ agree about “MARS was once believed to be home to intelligent life” because came from the discovery of lines or grooves in the surface called canali by Italian astronomer Giovanni Schiaparelli. He believed that these were not naturally occurring and were proof of intelligent life. However, these were later shown to be an optical illusion.

 

 

HABCOM…HABCOM… Can you hear me… (…still whispering on our daily night after “oyasumi” sleeping time…)

When MARS and Earth are close to each other, Mars appears very bright in our sky. It also makes it easier to see with telescopes or the naked eye. The Red Planet comes close enough for exceptional viewing only once or twice every 15 or 17 years. So we are CREW191 TEAM ASIA as a solid team always help each other for daily protocol rules and activities during stay at MDRS. But we need to be focus, discipline, and follow the path of all protocols on MARS mission.

 

Outer Space

(Tori Hart, 2014)

 Bodies soar through Outerspace
Kissing their stars though a little too far to Taste
The Milky Way fell like Silk water falling down our Shoulders
Delicate, Light, and Slick
We are in our own Solar System
Flying circles around our Radiating Sun
As we whisper Buonanotte to that Eternal Night
We shout Buongiorno to the Beautiful new Day
.

 

 

SPACE IS A DANGER PLACE

We knew, the biological effects of space radiations on astronauts are the main concern in deep space missions. Many investigations have been made to find the best way to overcome those problems in extended space travels. The radiation environment in deep space is several hundred times what it is on Earth, and that’s even inside a shielded spacecraft.

How about this later on?

A new report shows just how dangerous it could be to human brains. Radiation Exposure from a MARS missions could cook brain cells, causing chronic dementia and memory loss, and leaving Astronauts with debilitating anxiety levels, the study has found. This could throw off their thinking and judgment, impairing decision-making and multi-tasking.

But,

From the latest research on this field, scientist said that Radio Frequency Radiation (RFR) can induce Adaptive Response (AR), means that during AR human cells become more resistant to challenging doses’ radiation. Then we can say ; Radio Frequency Radiation can help Astronauts in (during) the space missions.

Exposure to Radio Frequency Radiation before or during space missions while choosing the optimized dosimetric parameters such as determined power density and frequency and duration of exposure can help astronauts in their travels.

 

 

In 2012, Hamid Abdollahi, Maryam Teymouri, and Sara Khademi did a deep research about this, including a statement that, Astronauts’ protection against radiation in space is one of the most challenging and complex problems in deep space missions.

Conclusion from their research: We hypothesize that RFR can be used as a non-genotoxic agent for radiation protection in space. Exposure to RFR along with selecting the best situation to induce the highest AR may help astronauts in space missions. However, more studies are warranted to apply this therapy for space travel. Nevertheless, it will be a good choice for thinking about astronaut’s protection in space missions”.

 

 

NOTE – AWARE

Radiation is “a risk we need to learn more about over the next decade so we can do the proper mitigation, so we can do the best we can for the Astronauts who are going to be putting their lives at risk for a number of different threats,” Ron Turner, a senior science adviser at NASA’s Institute for Advanced Concepts in Atlanta. But the optimum solution might be the one that, for now, seems difficult—going faster and avoiding as much radiation as possible. He says, “The best bang for the buck is advanced propulsion, not shielding.”

For example, very large Solar Flares – intense bursts of radiation and particles thrown out by the sun – could cause more damage as these have the power to wipe out electrical equipment and can deliver doses high enough to kill.

Cosmic radiation, which comes from outside our solar system, is harder to protect against and can also constantly pepper the bodies of astronauts, but this can be monitored for and tends occur at a low level.

Even once on the surface of MARS, radiation will still be a problem as the planet’s atmosphere does not offer the same kind of protection as on Earth. Like solar activity, cosmic rays have the potential to cause cancer. These high-energy, high-velocity particles originate from outside the solar system and can severely damage human cells. Unlike radiation from the sun, however, cosmic rays could also spark long-term degenerative effects while still in space, including heart disease, reduced immune system effectiveness and neurological symptoms resembling Alzheimer’s.
“There’s a lot of good science to be done on MARS, but a trip to interplanetary space carries more radiation risk than working in low-Earth orbit,” said Jonathan Pellish, a space radiation engineer at Goddard.“ Ultimately, the solution to radiation will have to be a combination of things,”

Some of the solutions are technology we have already, like hydrogen-rich materials, but some of it will necessarily be cutting edge concepts that we haven’t even thought of yet.

So be aware…