Team

The Mars Gravity Biosatellite project is operated by a unique multi-university student team. With current participants located at MIT, Georgia Tech, and around the world, the program offers hands-on experience in spacecraft design, development and management. To date, nearly 500 students have placed their mark on the satellite, from high school interns to graduate researchers. Advisors from academia, government, and industry provide guidance and additional perspective.

The Mars Gravity Biosatellite drew its inspiration from the Mars Society's Translife Initiative. In August of 2001, the Mars Society proposed a private undertaking to study the effects of Martian gravity on mammals in orer to prepare for humans living on and exploring Mars. Following initial science planning and mission feasibility studies, MIT, the University of Queensland and the University of Washington agreed to proceed forward with the mission by developing and building a free-flying spacecraft to carry out the mission. The Mars Gravity Biosatellite Program was created under the direction of a Program Board drawing from officials at each institution, with management provided by the Mars Gravity Program Office, based at MIT. Today MIT and Georgia Tech work together closely toward completing the biosatellite.

Management

The Mars Gravity Program is managed by a student-led Program Office at MIT, under a supervisory Program Board. Our Board consists of four experienced aerospace and technology leaders:

• Dr. David Miller, Director of the MIT Space Systems Laboratory
• Bruce Anderson, President of IGNITE! High-Tech Startups
• Dr. Paul Coleman, President & CEO of the Girvan Institute of Technology
• Dr. Robert Braun, Director of the Georgia Tech Space Systems Design Lab

Compared to a corporate or government environment, a university-based project demands a unique degree of adaptability and coordination capability from its management structure. Students come and go as they reach various educational milestones, and those arriving have highly variable interests and skills that must be incorporated into the working fabric of the project team. Given our substantial budget and timeline constraints, we also wish to reduce the overall magnitude of management structures, streamlining bureaucracy wherever possible to ensure efficient operations and continuous progress towards intermediate goals. Given all these considerations, our Program Office must handle the following key responsibilities:

Continuity. We ensure that every subsystem and research group has a range of student levels among its constituents. This provides continuity of plans, designs, and experience, and eases the integration of new team members.

Coordination. The Program Office coordinates high-level flowdown for the project and facilitates inter-university communication and documentation to assure the correct handling of interfaces and assumptions.

Quality Control. Though the Systems Engineering team will perform component testing for the spacecraft, the Program Office will enforce quality control regulations compliant with aerospace industry standards and independently evaluate risk analyses done by the engineering teams.

Fundraising & Publicity. This project depends upon the public and private support of individuals, businesses, and independent organizations. Our business development division is dedicated to finding and following opportunities enabling the mission to move forward.

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