Mars Desert Research Station - Revision history

Jburk: Expand MDRS: current facilities, field seasons, 300+ crews, research (was a 2018 stub)

2026-07-05T12:11:41Z

Expand MDRS: current facilities, field seasons, 300+ crews, research (was a 2018 stub)

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:11, 5 July 2026
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	[[image:mdrs.jpg\|thumb\|300px\|right\|The '''MDRS''' in the San Rafael Swell of Utah, USA (''Image credit: McKay Salisbury'').]]		[[image:mdrs.jpg\|thumb\|300px\|right\|The '''MDRS''' in the San Rafael Swell of Utah, USA (''Image credit: McKay Salisbury'').]]

	The '''Mars Desert Research Station''' (MDRS), is ~~the second of four "~~Mars ~~Analog Research Stations" set up~~ by [[The Mars Society]]~~. For more information~~, ~~please visit [http://desert~~.~~marssociety.org/MDRS/~~ the ~~MDRS homepage]~~.		The '''Mars Desert Research Station''' ('''MDRS''') is a Mars analog research facility owned and operated by [[The Mars Society]] in the high desert of southern Utah, USA. It is the second of the Society's analog stations — following the Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station (FMARS) on Devon Island in the Canadian Arctic — and one of the longest-running Mars surface-simulation facilities in the world.

	~~The~~ MDRS ~~was established on~~ [[~~Earth~~]] ~~(USA/Utah)~~ in ~~June of 2001. The station was used for six seasons ever since~~.		At MDRS, rotating crews live and work under many of the constraints expected of an early [[Mars]] settlement: a closed habitat, limited water and power, delayed communications, and simulated "spacesuit" excursions onto the surrounding terrain. While in simulation they carry out research in geology, biology, engineering, and human factors.

	~~The cat [[Pixel]] was living with~~ the ~~crew in [http://www~~.~~marssociety~~.~~org/mdrs/fs06/0203/sum~~.~~asp season six]~~.		== Location ==
			MDRS sits on the San Rafael Swell, about 11.6 km (7.2 mi) by road northwest of Hanksville, Utah (approximately 38.41°N, 110.79°W). The area's dry climate, sparse vegetation, and eroded sedimentary rock make it a visual and geological stand-in for parts of the Martian surface.

	==~~See also~~==		== History ==
	[[~~Mars-500~~]]		The main habitat was built on [[Earth]] in 2001, and the station has run field seasons almost every year since. Its facilities have been expanded and rebuilt over time: the original greenhouse was destroyed by fire in December 2014 and replaced in 2015, and the Repair and Assembly Module became fully operational in November 2018.

	==~~External links~~==		== Facilities ==
			The MDRS campus is a small "settlement" of modules, most joined by short pressurized-style tunnels:
			* '''The Hab''' — the main habitat, a two-story cylindrical building roughly 8 m (26 ft) in diameter that houses a crew of up to seven. It contains crew quarters, a galley, a laboratory, and the airlocks used for simulated surface excursions.
			* '''GreenHab''' — a climate-controlled greenhouse for growing food crops and studying bioregenerative life support.
			* '''Science Dome''' — a laboratory building for the crew's scientific work, which also houses much of the station's power and control systems.
			* '''RAM (Repair and Assembly Module)''' — an engineering workshop for building, testing, and repairing equipment.
			* '''Musk Mars Desert Observatory''' — an optical observatory (a 28 cm Schmidt–Cassegrain telescope), funded by a US$100,000 donation from Elon Musk.
			* '''Robotic Observatory''' — a separate, remotely operated observatory.

	*[http:~~//mdrs~~.~~marssociety~~.~~org MDRS homepage]~~		== Field seasons and crews ==
			MDRS runs an eight-month field season, roughly October through May, timed to avoid the extreme summer heat of the Utah desert. Crews — typically six or seven scientists, engineers, and students — rotate through the station on missions of about two weeks, living "in simulation": wearing analog spacesuits for all outdoor activity (EVAs), rationing resources, and following mission-control protocols. By 2025 more than 300 crews had completed rotations at MDRS, drawing volunteers and university teams from around the world.

	~~{{stub}}~~		== Research ==
			Work at MDRS spans field geology, the search for and study of desert extremophiles, greenhouse and life-support experiments, robotics and engineering tests, and human-factors research on how small crews live and work together in isolation and confinement — all directly relevant to planning future human missions to [[Mars]].

			== See also ==
			* [[The Mars Society]]
			* [[Mars-500]]

			== External links ==
			* [https://mdrs.marssociety.org/ MDRS homepage]
			* [https://reports.marssociety.org/ MDRS crew mission reports]

	[[Category:Mars Desert Research Station]]		[[Category:Mars Desert Research Station]]
			[[Category:Mars Human Exploration]]

Jburk at 15:08, 21 December 2018

2018-12-21T15:08:28Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:08, 21 December 2018
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	{{stub}}		{{stub}}

	[[Category:~~MDRS~~]]		[[Category:Mars Desert Research Station]]

Jburk at 15:08, 21 December 2018

2018-12-21T15:08:03Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:08, 21 December 2018
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	[[Category:~~Analog Stations~~]]		[[Category:MDRS]]

Jburk at 07:59, 18 December 2018

2018-12-18T07:59:36Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 08:59, 18 December 2018
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	{{stub}}		{{stub}}

	[[~~category~~:Analog ~~Research~~ Stations]]		[[Category:Analog Stations]]
	~~[[Category:Mars Desert Research Station~~]]

Nkhadland: Moving the MDRS page to a new sub category for MDRS reports and missions.

2018-11-30T21:56:25Z

Moving the MDRS page to a new sub category for MDRS reports and missions.

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:56, 30 November 2018
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	==External links==		==External links==

	*[http://mdrs.marssociety.org MDRS homepage]		*[http://mdrs.marssociety.org MDRS homepage]

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	[[category:Analog Research Stations]]		[[category:Analog Research Stations]]
			[[Category:Mars Desert Research Station]]

Jburk: /* External links */

2017-12-24T06:59:36Z

External links

← Older revision		Revision as of 07:59, 24 December 2017
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	==External links==		==External links==
	*[http://~~www~~.marssociety.org~~/mdrs/index.asp~~ MDRS homepage]		*[http://mdrs.marssociety.org MDRS homepage]

	{{stub}}		{{stub}}

	[[category:Analog Research Stations]]		[[category:Analog Research Stations]]

Rfc: /* See also */ link updated

2009-07-15T20:10:40Z

Rfc: See also

2009-04-01T19:35:00Z

Rfc: six seasons

2008-03-10T08:23:20Z

six seasons

← Older revision		Revision as of 09:23, 10 March 2008
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	The '''Mars Desert Research Station''' (MDRS), is the second of four "Mars Analog Research Stations" set up by [[The Mars Society]]. For more information, please visit [http://desert.marssociety.org/MDRS/ the MDRS homepage].		The '''Mars Desert Research Station''' (MDRS), is the second of four "Mars Analog Research Stations" set up by [[The Mars Society]]. For more information, please visit [http://desert.marssociety.org/MDRS/ the MDRS homepage].

	The MDRS was established on [[Earth]] (USA/Utah) in June of 2001.		The MDRS was established on [[Earth]] (USA/Utah) in June of 2001. The station was used for six seasons ever since.

	The cat [[Pixel]] was living with the crew.		The cat [[Pixel]] was living with the crew in [http://www.marssociety.org/mdrs/fs06/0203/sum.asp season six].

	==External links==		==External links==
	*[http://www.marssociety.org/mdrs/~~fs06/0203/sum~~.asp ~~Mission summary~~]		*[http://www.marssociety.org/mdrs/index.asp MDRS homepage]

	{{stub}}		{{stub}}

	[[category:Analog Research Stations]]		[[category:Analog Research Stations]]

24.8.115.85 at 16:46, 9 March 2008

2008-03-09T16:46:59Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:46, 9 March 2008
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	The '''Mars Desert Research Station''' (MDRS), is the second of four "Mars Analog Research Stations" set up by [[The Mars Society]]. For more information, please visit [http://desert.marssociety.org/MDRS/ the MDRS homepage].		The '''Mars Desert Research Station''' (MDRS), is the second of four "Mars Analog Research Stations" set up by [[The Mars Society]]. For more information, please visit [http://desert.marssociety.org/MDRS/ the MDRS homepage].

	The MDRS was established on [[Earth]] (USA/Utah) in June of ~~2006~~.		The MDRS was established on [[Earth]] (USA/Utah) in June of 2001.

	The cat [[Pixel]] was living with the crew.		The cat [[Pixel]] was living with the crew.

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:10, 15 July 2009
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	==See also==		==See also==
	[[Mars ~~105~~]]		[[Mars-500]]

	==External links==		==External links==

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:35, 1 April 2009
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	The cat [[Pixel]] was living with the crew in [http://www.marssociety.org/mdrs/fs06/0203/sum.asp season six].		The cat [[Pixel]] was living with the crew in [http://www.marssociety.org/mdrs/fs06/0203/sum.asp season six].

			==See also==
			[[Mars 105]]

	==External links==		==External links==