Mission HI-SEAS: 'Life on Mars'
Summary of the training week
The HI-SEAS mission crew met on Friday 21 March and stayed at Henk Rogers' ranch until Tuesday morning. He is Chair of the Pacific International Space Center for Exploration Systems (PISCES). These first days were dedicated to getting to know each other, discussing issues that might arise during the mission (personal conflicts, problems at home, crew-ground disconnect, etc.) and familiarising ourselves with some of the tests and surveys we will have to take during these four months. The psychological study is the primary purpose of this mission, and will focus on crew performance and interaction.
On Monday 24 March we went to the habitat and received instructions on how to operate most of the systems.
Solar panels provide all the electrical energy needed in the habitat. Credit: HI-SEAS.
On Tuesday, we went to the Volcano National Park to study geology with a volcanologist from the University of Hawaii. We had many field trips and learned a lot about the Big Island's topography and volcanism – knowledge that we will need during our mission for several EVAs where we must recognise features like potentially habitable lava tubes.
The crew in front of a volcano crater. Credit: HI-SEAS.
View of a lava tube. Credit: HI-SEAS.
Top image: The HI-SEAS Crew on their first morning of the training week. Credit: HI-SEAS.
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