Project Marsupial, the MSA’s analogue rover construction project, has received a giant boost with the news that Starchaser Industries, a UK aerospace firm, will fully fund Stage 2 of the innovative project. Starchaser has donated A$41,000 and secured naming rights to the rover, which will henceforth be called the Starchaser Marsupial Rover.
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An addendum to the MarsOZ proposal document has been prepared by Project Manager Dr Jonathan Clarke, and is now available online. Jonathan has included updated information on systems, equipment and fitout of MARS-OZ, as well as some new plans and drawings, which are the first step towards building our own Mars analogue research facility in the Australian Outback.
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Memberships of MSA can now be filled out and paid for using our secure online form. It makes renewal a much easier process and you can buy a membership for a friend or relative as a gift. Support MSA’s work and outreach effort by becoming a member or keeping your membership current. Members get lots of benefits, including preferential rates for the annual conference (AMEC), a regular newsletter and exclusive members email list.
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Can’t think what to get that Mars enthusiast for Christmas? Your worries are over! MSA’s Mars General Store is stocked full of goodies and waiting to take your orders.
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Radio Free Mars is an hour long radio broadcast produced by MarsNews.com. The RFM broadcast covers the Planet Mars and all the news, issues, and views surrounding the Red Planet.
In the 1st Broadcast (commencing Oct 24 2002), James Burk, Editor-in-chief provides an overview of the Mars Odyssey mission and an analysis of some of the issues surrounding the available data and images.
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Seventeen Australian university students are about to examine what it would be like to live and work on Mars and the human and psychological effects of isolation and close confinement for months on end.
The Australian National University (ANU) School of Psychology, with the close involvement of Mars Society Australia (MSA), is running an inaugural Coastal Summer School, which will require young people to put themselves in the place of those who might one day venture to the Martian surface.
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Australian palaeontologist Dr. Bruce Runnegar has been selected as the next director of NASA’s Astrobiology Institute (NAI). As director of the Institute, Runnegar will lead efforts to answer the three big questions central to astrobiology: How does life begin and evolve? Does life exist elsewhere? What is life’s future on Earth and beyond? Some of the answers to these questions may be found by exploring Mars. Mars Society Australia wishes Dr. Runnegar well with his new appointment.
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Australian astronaut Dr. Andy Thomas opened the new facility at the Australian Centre for Astrobiology at Macquarie University in November with a powerful speech urging Australia to set up a national space agency and take an active part in space exploration activities. He pointed out that “Mars is the great exploration of the 21st century, but Australian kids will see no Australian role. This is not a healthy legacy to leave the next generation.” A copy of his notes of the speech can be found at http://aca.mq.edu.au/andy.html
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Yakka Australia has generously agreed to supply coveralls for Australian members of Mars Society Australia to wear while participating in Expedition One at the Mars Desert Research Station in Utah.
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This year, the Australian Mars Exploration Conference (AMEC 2003) is to be held at Trinity College in Perth, Western Australia. Full details including a Call For Papers and secure Online Registration are now available.
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