Commanding a Mission to Mars: HI-SEAS Mission V

19 February 2018 - 4:00pm to 5:00pm
Ainsworth Building, Room 102, School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering

What is it like to live on Mars for 8 months? Join James Bevington and UNSW Engineering on 19th February to find out! James will share his experiences commanding HI-SEAS V, a six-person simulated mission to Mars funded by NASA. You’ll learn about the habitat, crew members’ schedules, available resources, and of course the research programs the mission contributed to.

About HI-SEAS

HI-SEAS (Hawai’i Space Exploration Analog and Simulation) is a habitat on an isolated Mars-like site atop Mauna Loa in Hawai’i. HI-SEAS V was an 8-month Mars analog isolation mission that started in January 2017. The mission's aim was to determine the individual and team requirements for long-duration space exploration missions, including travel to Mars. The isolated and confined conditions, including 20-minute communication delays and partial self-sufficiency, were designed to be like those of a planetary surface exploration mission. Mission crew performed daily exploration tasks such as geological fieldwork and life systems management.

About James Bevington

James Bevington is a PhD student with UNSW Engineering, studying with Associate Professor Mike Manefield. His current research efforts focus on studying the effects of spaceflight on microbes. He is working on the MMARS experiment which aims to research methane production in space. This work may provide insights into the methane cycle on Mars and lead to in situ resource utilisation technologies.