UNAM students successfully conclude analog mission to Mars

The Mexicans who participated in the analog mission to Mars successfully concluded their activities. Carlos Salicrup , Danton Bazaldua , Juan Carlos Mariscal , Yair Piña , and Betel Martínez , National Autonomous University of Mexico ( UNAM ) students, along with Carmen Félix ( Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education ) and Walter Calles ( National Polytechnic Institute ) contributed with the humanity's dream to reach a new planet.

While it is true that, literally, the red planet is located 54,600,000 kilometers away from the Earth , every scientific contribution and the unmistakable message that if “we work together everything is possible” enable us to conclude that after the Poland Mars Analog Simulation 2017 ( PMAS ), Mars is closer than ever.

“Mexico's participation was the biggest during this mission” recognized the Space Generation Advisory Council .

The activities of the Mexican team consisted in two different simulations: Moon phase and Mars phase .

In the Lunar phase, there was real time communication with the crew. The analog astronauts got used to the habitat and developed previously planned experiments: radon measurement , rock and spectroscopy and sample collection .

In the Martian phase, delay communication ( 15 minutes approximately) was contemplated to resemble a real mission to Mars. A solar storm emergency was simulated and the corresponding protocol was followed.

Six analog astronauts were part of the mission: João Lousada ( Portugal ), Poonam Josan ( India/US ), Yael Kisel ( Israel/US/Mexico ), Jennifer Pouplin ( France ), Axel García ( US/Puerto Rico ) and Cody Paige ( Canada ).

As back up astronauts, there were Pierre-Yves Girardin ( France ), Sweety Pate ( the Netherlands/India ) along with Carlos Salicrup and Yair Piña ( Mexico ).

The Mexican students contributed with the projects “ Vital signs remote monitoring ” ( vest ) elaborated by Danton Bazaldua and Walter Calles and the R over vehicle of exploration and recollection , designed by UNAM Space 's team.

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