Gallery: Mock Mars Mission in the Arctic

The Mars Society will attempt to conduct a one-year simulated human Mars exploration mission in the Canadian high Arctic at its Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station (FMARS). This scenario depicts crew members checking their equipment during a simulated EVA.

Situated at 75 degrees north, roughly 900 miles from the North Pole, Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station is located adjacent to a 20 kilometer meteor impact crater in the midst of a polar desert that is known to represent one of the most Mars-like environments on Earth.

The Mars Society plan, called Mars Arctic 365 (MA365), will attempt to conduct a one-year simulated human Mars exploration mission in the Canadian high Arctic at its Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station (FMARS). Participants may appears as depicted here.

The interior of the Mars Society's simulated mission to the red planet may look like this photo of a researcher seated at a work surface.

K-10 rover under test at Devon Island, developed by the NASA Ames Intelligent Robotics Group. The K-10 is an example of collaboration between space agencies and private enterprise, and is a prototype of robot explorers that can scout out the Moon. Optech, a private Canadian company and member of the Odyssey Moon team, provided the laser eyes that allow this NASA rover to see in 3D, even in the dark.

The Haughton impact crater in the Canadian Arctic serves as the home of the Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station, where crews simulate living and working in a model Martian habitat. The Haughton impact structure is located on Canada's Devon Island in the territory of Nunavut. It is about 103 miles from the Canadian hamlet of Resolute and about 800 miles away from the magnetic North Pole. Temperatures range from minus 22 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 30 Celsius) to 50 F (10 C).