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Mission

Weightless astronauts face a number of physiological challenges as their bodies adapt to the lack of gravity. Bone mass decreases at rates ten times worse than osteoporosis in the elderly. Muscles atrophy, causing reductions in strength of more than 40%. Changes in the way the brain processes signals from the senses pose challenges to normal interpretation upon return to the Earth. A major remaining question is how life will adapt to the gravity of Mars, which is one-third the strength of that on Earth.

The Mars Gravity Biosatellite Program is the first mission to study the effects of Martian gravity on mammals, a key step in the human exploration of space.

The Mars Gravity Biosatellite Program, initiated in August 2001, is a student-driven, international space collaboration, uniting students from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) in a quest to determine how humans will respond to the reduced gravity environment of Mars.

Overview

The Mars Gravity Biosatellite will carry a small population of mice to low Earth orbit aboard a spinning spacecraft creating "artificial gravity" equivalent to that on the Martian surface. The five-week mission will conduct the first in-depth study of how mammals adapt to a reduced-gravity environment. Groundbreaking data from this mission and its successors will be essential in determining future possibilities for human space exploration.

Teams

Science - The Science team, based at MIT, determines what questions the Mars Gravity program needs to address, what data needs to be collected to answer those questions, and how to collect that data. The science requirements that we provide to the engineering teams guide the development of the satellite design.
We have chosen to address two broad scientific questions that are critical to the future of human space exploration: (1) To what extent will Martian gravity result in the physiological problems encountered in microgravity missions? (2) Are rotational artificial gravity systems that mimic Mars sufficient for maintaining health and well-being?
Payload - The Payload team, based at MIT, is responsible for life support - and for collecting, storing and transmitting data from onboard experiments. Our team brings together students from diverse disciplines to develop a payload module that will maintain a comfortable and experimentally sound environment for the animal payload. Currently we are refining the designs of the thermal system, the atmospherics system, and the structural mockup - as well as working on microcontroller design.
Bus - The satellite Bus team, based at MIT, is responsible for tasks traditional to most satellites. These include, but are not limited to, keeping the satellite powered, in the correct orbit, at the correct attitude (i.e. pointing in the correct direction), at a stable temperature, and in regular communication with the ground. We are also responsible for providing the engine to perform the de-orbit maneuver that will bring the satellite back to Earth at the end of the five week mission.
Entry, Descent, and Landing - The Entry, Descent and Landing team, based at Georgia Tech, is responsible for ensuring a safe landing for the payload. Our work revolves around modeling and analyzing reentry scenarios, evaluating capsule shape and heatshield design, and determining the best methods for minimizing loads on the payload throughout reentry and landing.
Systems - The Systems Engineering team has members at both MIT and Georgia Tech, though team management is based at MIT. We are responsible for defining interfaces and interactions between the three main elements of the satellite - the Payload module, the satellite Bus, and the EDL system. We are also responsible for defining how the satellite interfaces with both the launch vehicle and the ground support equipment. Additionally, we define engineering operations throughout the mission, and ensure that all teams follow the requirements and regulations by which the spacecraft will be designed, built, and operated.
By allocating resources and constraints across the entire development process, we ensure that the spacecraft and its supporting infrastructure will come in under budget and within the tight mass and volume restrictions imposed by launch.