Mock Mars Mission Photos: Life on a Simulated Red Planet
Gartrelle Prepares for Simulated Marswalk
Gordon Gartrelle, Crew 133 executive officer (center), prepares for a simulated "Marswalk" Jan. 6, 2014. Assisting is commander Paula Crock (left) and crew doctor Matthieu Komorowski. The University of North Dakota-led crew was working at the Mars Desert Research Station in Utah.
Mars Out The Window
Mars-like terrain outside of a porthole at Utah's Mars Desert Research Station.
Inside the GreenHab
Crew 133 health and safety officer Matthieu Komorowski inside the GreenHab, a greenhouse located at Utah's Mars Desert Research Station.
Cooking Quesadillas at Utah's Mars Desert Research Station
Crew 133 executive officer Gordon Gartrelle (left) and commander Paula Crock cooking quesadillas at Utah's Mars Desert Research Station, Jan. 7, 2013.
Bootprint on Mars-Like Soil
Dryness and cold form cracks in the area around Utah's Mars Desert Research Station.
Ice Crystals
In winter, the terrain surrounding Utah's Mars Desert Research Station is made up of ice crystals shaped by wind and temperature.
Mars Desert Research Station #2
There are few signs of civilization nearby the Mars Desert Research Station near Hanksville, Utah.
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Mars Desert Research Station
The Mars Desert Research Station is a facility run by the Mars Society near Hanksville, Utah to simulate exploration on the Red Planet.
Riding to Mars Desert Research Station
Crew 133 engineer and geologist Joseph Jessup speaks as a vehicle passes by Mars-like terrain en route to Utah's Mars Desert Research Station on Jan. 4, 2014.
Cows on Mars?
Along Highway 70 in Utah, the terrain resembles that of the Red Planet.
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Elizabeth Howell (she/her), Ph.D., is a staff writer in the spaceflight channel since 2022 covering diversity, education and gaming as well. She was contributing writer for Space.com for 10 years before joining full-time. Elizabeth's reporting includes multiple exclusives with the White House and Office of the Vice-President of the United States, an exclusive conversation with aspiring space tourist (and NSYNC bassist) Lance Bass, speaking several times with the International Space Station, witnessing five human spaceflight launches on two continents, flying parabolic, working inside a spacesuit, and participating in a simulated Mars mission. Her latest book, "Why Am I Taller?", is co-written with astronaut Dave Williams. Elizabeth holds a Ph.D. and M.Sc. in Space Studies from the University of North Dakota, a Bachelor of Journalism from Canada's Carleton University and a Bachelor of History from Canada's Athabasca University. Elizabeth is also a post-secondary instructor in communications and science at several institutions since 2015; her experience includes developing and teaching an astronomy course at Canada's Algonquin College (with Indigenous content as well) to more than 1,000 students since 2020. Elizabeth first got interested in space after watching the movie Apollo 13 in 1996, and still wants to be an astronaut someday. Mastodon: https://qoto.org/@howellspace