Author: Earl White

5 May, 2006. Efforts to accelerate the construction process have been made during March. Our strategy involves separating the construction work into several independent work packages, and have them carried out simultaneously at different sites. For example, the rover body can be separated from the vehicle chassis, so that the latter can be moved to another site for engine refurbishment work, while work continues on the body frame. A few jobs need to be finished before that can be done properly. In particular, the body mount structures needed to be completed.

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The project has moved forward slowly on two fronts: Bruce’s work on a robust steel frame which defines much of the shape of the forward cabin and Stan and Graham working on the body steelwork. Bruce has now completed the frame, which is ready to take its place as part of the forward cabin steelwork, which can now continue. He will now be able to use that work to settle any remaining issues on the exact cabin shape and side window structure. The structure itself should go down the factory this week.

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Over the summer months, the pace of work on the vehicle – slowed almost to a halt over the last three months – has picked up again. The main thing holding up construction was and still is lack of workers, paid or voluntary. The project manager, Graham Mann, has been trying to find new workers in both categories. Recently three new people have committed to work on the project, and it is hoped they can help move forward on the steel frame construction and engine refurbishment. A second holdup has been a lack of construction drawings which the fabricators can use in the factory.

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In July, the partially completed vehicle was put on display at the 7th Australian Mars Exploration Conference in Perth. Here a number of MSA members, NASA representatives and interested academics had a chance to examine and comment on the design, which was well received. An important topic of discussion was how to speed up construction, which is of course limited by a shortage of workers. This is problem is particularly acute in Western Australia at present because of an economic boom which is absorbing almost all available contractors and driving up prices.

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In Perth the weather now stays hot until well into March, even April. This makes work on the Star chaser difficult, especially if it involves heat-sensitive materials such as expanding urethane foam. However as the weather changes, it becomes easier to work on the machine and progress has again picked up.

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A few weeks ago the machine was shifted to an exhaust shop, where the exhaust line and muffler have been put in. This company is now working on the brake…

Recognising that space exploration is a challenge more optimally done in collaboration, fourteen international space agencies have come together to develop a framework that will focus and guide their collaboration on future space exploration missions. The Global Exploration Strategy presents a vision for robotic and human space exploration, focusing on destinations within the solar system where we may one day live and work.
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In August 2006, the CSIRO granted the Mars Society Australia, Inc. Approved Research Institute status. The MSA Research Institute led by Dr Jonathan Clarke, Vice-President of the MSA, also a member of the Australian Centre for Astrobiology and a member of the Federal Government’s Steering Committee and Working Groups for the NCSS Decadal Plan for Space Science. Being so approved, the Australian Tax Office duly approved the MSA’s application for Deductible Gift Recipient Status, which allows donors to clain 100% tax concession on all donations over $2.00 to the MSA.
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The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) is evaluating a range of small Mars mission concepts. MSA’s Michael West is on the Mars Institute’s project team for one of the studies, the PRIME Mission to Phobos. You can read more about the PRIME mission here.
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The next generation of space explorers are now reaping the benefits of a new NASA training program which is about to head to Australia, thanks to local efforts. According to David Cooper, President of the Mars Society Australia, agreement has been reached with organizers of NASA’s innovative Spaceward Bound program to extend it to Australia. Spaceward Bound is an educational program organized at NASA’s Ames Research Center in partnership with The Mars Society and funded by the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate (ESMD) at NASA Headquarters.
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