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Newsletter #10 - June 21st, 2005

Mars Gravity Biosatellite will provide the first data on the adaptation of the mammalian body to the partial gravity of 0.38g found on the surface of Mars. It will help provide answers to one of the critical outstanding questions in the planning of future human expeditions to the Red Planet. Mars Gravity is led by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and the University of Queensland (UQ).

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

NEWSLETTER HIATUS

It’s been a challenging time for the project since our last Newsletter went out over a year ago in May 2004. We've been working hard at the expense of telling y'all about it and this edition offers a chance to upload what's been happening. With our comm link re-established, we hope you'll stick with us as we try to keep the Mars Gravity ship moving along the right trajectory!

CHANGES IN MARS GRAVITY TEAM

A founding member of the team, the University of Washington (UW), decided to amicably part ways with the project late in 2004. With a large number of participants graduating and slimmer budgets than anticipated, the Aero/Astro Department at UW is exploring other options for student activities. UW were responsible for design of the Biosatellite bus, the main structural “backbone” providing an array of services to the spacecraft. They made a highly valued contribution to all aspects of the project and forged many bonds of friendship. Their technical work continues to form the basis of the bus design. We are in the process of seeking expressions of interest from industrial partners to advance the design and development work.

PROJECT MANAGER

Paul Wooster, who managed the project from its inception, has moved on to other endeavors. Paul was a driving force in motivating and organizing students and staff across the program and we are deeply appreciative of his contribution as Program Manager for the past 3 years. His unwavering commitment to the success of the project, his personal sacrifice and his leadership through tough times have been critical to Mars Gravity becoming one of the largest and most ambitious student initiated technical projects. Paul is currently working with Draper Laboratories on studies related to NASA’s Crew Exploration Vehicle. To our benefit, he will maintain a role as an advisor to the program.

Col. John Keesee will assume the responsibilities of Program Manager. John joined the MIT faculty after a lengthy career in aerospace engineering for the U.S. Air Force, where he managed the Milstar program. Initiated in 1981, this US$18 billion Department of Defense program successfully launched five communications satellites. Col. Keesee been involved as an advisor with Mars Gravity since inception and his leadership will be a tremendous asset to the future success of the program!

COLLABORATION WITH PAYLOAD SYSTEMS, INC. (PSI) REWARDED

In November 2003, in collaboration with PSI, a small flight hardware company in Cambridge, we received a one-year US$70,000 "Phase I" Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) grant from NASA to develop the technologies behind our urine collection and preservation system. After a great year of hardware prototyping, biochemical testing, and preliminary animal-in-the-loop validation, we re-applied for a two-year, US$600,000 follow-on, ... and last September we were successful! The grant allows us to take the urinalysis unit to flight-ready status, as well as to develop the surrounding habitat structures and instrumentation to a similar level. Special thanks to the folks at PSI who have been great industrial partners in this effort!

Did you know?

April 6th, 2005, marked the three-year anniversary of the creation of the initial MIT-UW-UQ Mars Gravity Biosatellite team.

2. EVENT HORIZON
News and Views on Events

WHERE TO NOW FOR MARS GRAVITY?
Despite the challenges over the last year, core members of the project at MIT and UQ have reaffirmed their commitment to moving forward. In fact, activity at MIT has never been greater! There is a belief amongst everyone involved, from undergraduate students to senior staff of key industrial participants, that the mission is profoundly important and forms a logical and affordable component in human Mars missions. The project remains poised to conclude “Phase B” (Preliminary Design and Development) as soon as sufficient funding becomes available. In the mean time, we will continue to advance funded work (e.g. Payload), hone our technical design and analysis through academic means (e.g. EDLS) and lobby for resources.

AIAA PRIZE FOR MARS GRAVITY PRESENTATION
Special congratulations to Rachel Lee and Matthew Theis for taking home 2nd place in the undergraduate division of the recent American Institute Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Regional Student Conference at Princeton University. Their talk and paper on "The Mission of the Mars Gravity Biosatellite" examined the big picture as to where Mars Gravity fits in the new Exploration Agenda, and detailed our recent progress in science and payload prototyping.

EXPERTS PROVIDE VALUABLE GUIDANCE
Thanks to the members of our External Science Advisory Panel that turned out for our workshop on hypothesis driven, exploration-relevant flight science at the recent American Society for Gravitational and Space Biology conference. Your perspectives from academia, NASA, and industry provided valuable guidance for shaping future requests for principal investigators!

VISIT US IN ROME!
Come say hello to Mars Gravity in Rome in July at the 2005 ICES conference!
In the track "Bio-Support Hardware for Micro-Gravity Flight" we will be presenting "The Mars Gravity Biosatellite: Innovations in Murine Motion Analysis and Life Support". Bring your sunglasses!

Did You Know?
The return to flight window for Space Shuttle Discovery was pushed back to 13 July – 31 July due to concerns that ice falling from the main tank could represent a danger similar to shedding foam. The entire launch vehicle must be removed from the pad to install a heater on the main tank. The launch window is determined largely by the orbital position of the ISS, and the new desire by NASA to launch during daylight hours.

3. TECH LIFE
Science and Engineering Updates

PAYLOAD
The NASA MAUS SBIR Phase II passed Preliminary Design Review (PDR) earlier this year! Our two year commitment to get instrumented specimen chambers to flight readiness is well under way as the Payload team thrives with our biggest ever summer internship applicant pool (10 interns) at MIT. Applicant nationalities this year include the USA, Ecuador, Turkey and Ireland. Design of the payload engineering mockup is progressing rapidly, particularly thermal and atmospherics systems design. We received excellent feedback from Hamilton Sundstrand Space Systems International on our atmospherics designs. A special review in February revealed that we're well on track. We have a new video processing algorithm to help us understand how mice crawl, stand up and lie down. Mousetronaut gymnastics, anyone!? Finally, our centrifuge is coming back into service! After a year in mothballs, it's about to be rebuilt for tests with our next-generation instrumented cage prototypes.

SCIENCE
Great Science team progress continues with biochemical testing on the new MAUS waste collection system, prototype validation of our novel partial weight suspension system, collaboration with the Payload video analysis team on algorithm development, additional refinement of detailed spacecraft requirements, and initial approaches to planning recovery operations.

EDLS
Work is progressing well on airbag prototype testing by 4th year engineering students at UQ. A single spherical bag is being prepared for drop testing to allow comparison with a mathematical deflation model. An electrically activated venting scheme is being designed for trials in a special pressure rig, and a drop test rig is being designed.

Did You Know?
The twin Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity have been operating on the Red Planet for over 450 days, well beyond their planned 90-day mission. Their solar panels were becoming covered with dust, decreasing power generation by nearly two-thirds. However, mini-tornados have cleaned away the dust and restored power generation to almost full capacity and they are now expected to last another 18 months!

4. LIL’ BIT OF SOL
Team Member News

JASON COMPLETED SIR KEITH MURDOCH FELLOWSHIP

UQ team member Jason Hoogland was awarded a prestigious Sir Keith Murdoch Fellowship in 2003 from the American Australian Association (AAA) http://www.americanaustralian.org and during the second half of 2004 undertook systems engineering duties at MIT. As part of his fellowship he undertook a two week tour of space organizations across the US, including the company of Robert Zubrin, the founder of the Translife proposal which led to Mars Gravity. Jason's speech about Mars Gravity to leaders of some of America's biggest companies at a gala AAA fundraising dinner in New York City in November 2004 was well received.

THANKS LORRAINE!
During the northern winter Lorraine Smith provided valued administrative support to the project at MIT. She has since moved on but retains a keen interest in the project and we wish her all the best!

MAN, THEY KEEP COMIN' BACK!
A special welcome back to visiting students Andrew Macrae, George Kittos, and Jordan French who will be joining us for their second summer with the team. Ian Nichols, studying at Harvard, got his one-year pin in April, congratulations Ian!

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