Newsletter #9 - May 27th, 2004

The Mars Gravity Biosatellite team is developing an earth-orbiting satellite to study the effects of Martian-level gravity on mammals, a key step in preparing for the human exploration of Mars. This partnership of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the University of Washington (UW), and the University of Queensland (UQ) provides a unique opportunity for student involvement in technology development, ground-breaking research, and international collaboration.

In this edition:

1. WATCH THIS SPACE - Mars Gravity Notices
2. EVENT HORIZON - News and Views on Events
3. TECH LIFE - Science and Engineering Updates
4. LIL' BIT OF SOL - Team Member News

1. WATCH THIS SPACE
Mars Gravity Notices

TWO YEAR TEAM ANNIVERSARY

April 6th, 2004, marked the two-year anniversary of the creation of the existing MIT-UW-UQ Mars Gravity Biosatellite team. The past two years have seen great achievements by our team in pursuit of mission launch, including substantial progress in workforce development, science planning, and engineering design, made possible by the contributions of over 250 members at the three universities. As part of our celebrations, we have produced official Mars Gravity logo pins, which were presented to team members who have been with the program for a full year. Congratulations and thanks to all the contributors who have helped Mars Gravity to thrive.

MARS GRAVITY INTERNSHIP PROGRAM

In the first round of our internship program, the Mars Gravity Program Office received applications from many talented and enthusiastic high school and college students. Six of those applicants received offers from Mars Gravity to work at MIT and UW for the summer, and all six accepted our offer. These students will come from as near as Harvard University and as far as University College in Dublin, Ireland, to contribute to the Payload, Systems Engineering, Science, and Spacecraft Bus teams. They will work alongside our dedicated MIT and UW student researchers and staff members to pursue some exciting results in the coming months. Welcome Davud, Stephen, Jonathan, Ian, Drew, and Jordan; we look forward to adding your skills to the team!

The next deadline to apply for the Mars Gravity Biosatellite Internship Program is July 1st, 2004, for internships beginning in September, 2004. Interns have the option of working at one of the three Mars Gravity partner institutions: the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Cambridge, MA USA); the University of Washington (Seattle, WA USA); or the University of Queensland (Brisbane, QLD Australia). Visit http://www.marsgravity.org/team/jointheteam.php for applications and more information. To receive periodic updates and reminders about the Mars Gravity internship program, please subscribe to the Mars Gravity internship program mailing list by sending a blank e-mail to mg-intern-subscribe@lists.marsgravity.org.

GIVING TO MARS GRAVITY

Mars Gravity relies on both public and private support. Hundreds of students and professional advisors from across the globe have helped bring this program to fruition, and your support can help it take flight. Please donate generously online at

http://www.marsgravity.org/sponsors/donation.php

or by mail to:

Mars Gravity Program Office
MIT Room 41-116
77 Massachusetts Ave.
Cambridge, MA 02139
USA

or email us at info@marsgravity.org to discuss how you might help promote the program in your local area.

Did you know?
The first successful reentry and recovery of a spacecraft, Discoverer 13, was part of the first covert space photo-reconnaissance program, called Corona (1959-1972), which was prompted by difficulties in U-2 flyovers of the Soviet Union by the United States in the late 1950s. Corona was declassified in 1995. The Soviet Union developed its own photo-reconnaissance program (Zenit) with film recovery via a spherical capsule. The Mars Gravity Biosatellite reentry vehicle shape is based on the Discoverer shape, due in part to favorable stability characteristics.

2. EVENT HORIZON
News and Views on Events

YURI'S NIGHT A BLAST

http://www.yurisnight.net/seattle/

Over 300 space enthusiasts gathered at the Seattle Space Needle on April 12th to celebrate space exploration on the 43rd anniversary of the first human spaceflight by cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin. The Seattle event, one of 77 Yuri's Night parties held in 34 countries and on all seven continents, boasted an impressive line-up of guests, including Donna Shirley, Greg Bear, and Joe Haldeman. Donna Shirley, the former manager of the Mars Exploration Program at JPL, discussed her new role as the director of the Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame in Seattle and how it will contribute to our future in space. Greg Bear, a luminary in the science fiction community, talked about space pioneers and the new entrepreneurs, several of whom are located in Seattle. Joe Haldeman, another noted science fiction author, shared experiences that led him to his love of space. Seattle band Plan B contributed to the spacey ambiance with their brand of jazzy, retro-modern pop music, while DJs from Seattle's C89 FM kept the party going on the observation deck till the wee hours. Partygoers included a diverse mix of aerospace professionals, science fiction fans, and local students. Yuri's Night Seattle was co-sponsored by the Mars Gravity Biosatellite Program, the Washington Space Grant Consortium, and Liftport, Inc.

MARSWEEK AT MIT

http://web.mit.edu/mars/marsweek/

MarsWeek is a three-day conference dedicated to new developments in the human and robotic exploration of Mars. Each year, selected speakers come from around the globe to talk about research and activities related to current and future space exploration. MarsWeek 2004, April 9th-11th, was the 5th annual conference held at MIT, and was co-sponsored by the Mars Gravity Biosatellite team. This conference was a great opportunity for students and professionals to come together and connect with those at the forefront of aerospace and planetary research. This year, Mars Gravity Program Manager Paul Wooster and Science Director Erika Wagner gave a well-received talk about the science of Mars Gravity and the design efforts to date. Team members Chris Carr and Thomas Coffee also took the podium with terrific presentations on Martian EVA's and radiation biology.

MIT CAMPUS PREVIEW WEEKEND

MIT's Campus Preview Weekend (CPW) was held April 16th-18th. Pre-frosh descended on the campus and experienced a round of events at which they could learn about MIT activities. The Edgerton Center at MIT (http://web.mit.edu/edgerton/), which provides support for Mars Gravity and numerous other hands-on educational experiences, held a CPW event for its student groups to interact with incoming freshmen. Lisa Chandler, Anna Massie, Kalina Galabova, and Lisa McGill spent the afternoon at the event talking with pre-frosh and parents about the Mars Gravity project, its importance, our excitement about it, and the ways new students can get involved. The four women displayed a poster and a mouse habitat prototype, handed out brochures, and collected e-mail addresses from interested incoming freshmen. As many as 100 pre-frosh passed through, at least two-thirds of whom stopped to learn more about Mars Gravity.

BOSTON-AREA GIRL SCOUTS "SKYWATCH"

MIT team members Eleanor Crane and Erika Wagner traveled down to Hingham, MA, on April 3rd to assist the Patriot's Trail Girl Scout Council with their "Sky Watch" workshop on solar system exploration and science. Erika and Eleanor used NASA-developed curricula to explain the concept of aerogel and comet tail sampling used in the Stardust mission. The Mars Gravity outreach team will be working further with the council this summer to develop a merit badge workshop for local Girl Scouts.

UW ENGINEERING OPEN HOUSE

On April 30th-May 1st, the Mars Gravity Biosatellite Program opened its doors to welcome thousands of visitors to the UW's annual College of Engineering Open House. This year's open house was the best-attended ever, with over 75 schools participating. The Mars Gravity office was a popular stop for the over 6,000 K-14 students, teachers, and other community members exploring the college. Many kids sought us out especially to get the answer to a tricky question in the Open House scavenger hunt, which encourages students to check out the event by challenging them to collect information from the many research projects on exhibit. The two-day event was a wonderful opportunity to connect with the public and share our enthusiasm for engineering and spaceflight.

Did You Know?
Russian school teacher Konstantin Tsiolkovsky appears to have been the first to document the concept of a rotating space station to provide artificial gravity for its occupants, in the early Twentieth Century. He predicted that a small radius and a large angular velocity would produce "a very interesting effect", which he preferred to avoid. He suggested a radius of 50m and a maximum angular velocity of 2 rpm, even though this would yield less than 0.25g's.

3. TECH LIFE
Science and Engineering Updates

PAYLOAD PROTOTYPING

The Payload Team is continuing its prototype building and testing efforts. The Cage Air Circulation System was recently completed, and pressure drop, airflow, and power requirement measurements were taken. Allowing us to measure the evenness and rate of air exchange through 15 simulated mouse cages, this prototype was one of the main stepping stones in proving the validity of the Mars Gravity Biosatellite's life support systems design. It complements a series of on-going tests involving the thermal control, water delivery, and atmospheric filter systems of the payload.

URINALYSIS OBJECTIVES

One important aspect of the mission science objectives is the analysis of liquid waste products (aka urinalysis) from the crew of mice. Markers of bone or muscle loss as a result of reduced gravity would appear in the mouse urine over the course of the mission. In order to meet this objective, the Mars Gravity Science Team, in conjunction with Cambridge-based Payload Systems, Inc., is developing a system to collect and preserve the mouse urine in absorbent paper for the duration of the mission, allowing us to analyze it once the crew is back on the ground. We recently demonstrated the ability to uniformly impregnate absorbent paper with a NASA-developed urine preservative called CPG (Chlorhexidine gluconate/n-Propyl Gallate; a mixture of anti-bacterial and anti-oxidant compounds). We have also selected a polypropylene mesh that will catch and retain solid waste while allowing urine to fall through to the absorbent paper. In the coming summer months, we look forward to demonstrating chemical preservation of urine captured in CPG-impregnated absorbent paper and to implementing a fully functional mouse habitat and waste collection prototype. Read more about urinalysis team member Vanessa Quinlivan below in the Team Member News section.

Did You Know?
Mars has two small moons, first observed in 1877 by the American astronomer Asaph Hall. Deimos is 16 km in diameter (10 mi) at its widest and orbits Mars every 30.3 hours at an altitude of 20,040 km (12,525 mi). Phobos is 26 km (16 mi) in diameter and orbits Mars every 7.66 hours at an altitude of 5,980 km (3,737 mi). It is generally believed that both were stray asteroids captured by Mars's gravity.

4. LIL' BIT OF SOL
Team Member News

NEW FACES AT MIT

Kalina Galabova has joined the Mars Gravity Program's full-time staff at MIT, where she is managing the overall engineering effort. Kalina recently finished her studies at MIT and holds a Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering from MIT and a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and Aeronautical Systems from West Point. Some of our team members may remember her, as she was involved in the first year of the Mars Gravity project. Kalina will be managing the engineering effort across the entire program and has played a key role in the development and testing of a number of our Payload group's recent prototypes.

A MINUTE WITH: VANESSA QUINLIVAN (MIT)

Age: 19

Current academic/employment status:
Sophomore, MIT Dept. of Biology; Mars Gravity MIT Summer UROP

What do you do in Mars Gravity?
I'm working on the in-flight mouse urine collection and analysis system. Right now, I'm part of a team that's testing a possible chemical preservative.

How long have you been involved in Mars Gravity?
Since January of this year.

Where would you like your career to head?
I would like to go to graduate school in some area of biology (most likely bacteriology and virology) and then work as a researcher or a college professor.

What have you already got out of Mars Gravity?
This is the first mostly independent research I've done at MIT, so I've been learning a lot about how university research is done with regards to policy and procedure, and obtaining supplies. Most importantly, I've had my first chance to take the techniques I've learned in various teaching labs and come up with something original.

Favorite TV Show:
Hm. Don't really watch TV. I like the X-Files, though.

How would your friends describe you?
They would say I'm quiet, a musician, a Christian, so well-rounded I'm practically spherical - and perpetually sleep-deprived and caffeine-addicted because of it.

What really bugs you about other people?
Apathy, in general.

Favorite Book:
"The Robe", by Lloyd C. Douglas. Also in the running are "A Wrinkle in Time" and "Flatland."

Favorite Sport:
MIT D-League intramural ice hockey! (If you can skate and shoot at the same time, you have to move up to C-League. Enough said.)

What do you really look forward to doing?
I look forward to any opportunity to act, sing, play an instrument, or write music - especially if it involves a Gilbert and Sullivan operetta.

Favorite Sweets:
White Rabbit Candy (It's Chinese.)

Last movie you saw?
Big Fish

Favorite travel destination:
Arizona - for the hiking.

--- For more information about the Mars Gravity Biosatellite program, please visit:
http://www.marsgravity.org

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