Crew 1a - Crew Bio

Robert Zubrin

Speciality

Commander Phase A - Astronautical Engineering

Tony Muscatello

Speciality

Commander Phase B - Chemistry

Bio

Tony Muscatello wears many hats in the Society. Besides serving as the Mission Support Director, he also contributes to crew training. Tony is a research chemist working at Pioneer Astronautics in Lakewood, Colorado on in-situ resource utilization (ISRU), especially the production of fuels and oxygen from the martian atmosphere and soils. Tony is a founding member of the Mars Society and treasurer of the Rocky Mountain Mars Society.

Heather Chluda

Speciality

Aeronautical Engineering

Jennifer Heldmann

Speciality

Geologist

Steve McDaniel

Speciality

Biologist

Bio

C. Steven McDaniel received his Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from the University of Texas in 1974, a Master of Science degree in Genetics from Texas A & M University in 1976, and his Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Texas A & M University in 1985.Dr. McDaniel obtained his Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from the University of Houston in 1991.

Since receiving his JD, Dr. McDaniel has specialized in intellectual property litigation.Dr. McDaniel is admitted to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, the Southern, Western, Eastern and Northern Federal District Courts of Texas and the Texas State Courts.His trial experience includes cases tried in Federal Courts in the Southern District of New York, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Western and Eastern Districts of Texas, and several cases in the Southern District of Texas, and Texas State District Courts.He has also litigated before the U.S. Patent Office Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences.

Dr. McDaniel's areas of technical expertise includes organic chemistry, biochemistry and molecular biology. He has authored technical papers published in such scientific journals as the Journal of Bacteriology, Maize Genetics Newsletter, The Journal Of Protein Chemistry, Genetics, And In Vitro.Dr. McDaniel has extensive experience in procuring patents in his technical area before both U.S. and foreign patent offices.Since beginning his practice as a patent agent in 1989, Dr. McDaniel has procured patents for the Texas Heart Institute, Aronex Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Ceres Technologies, Inc., California Institute of Technology/Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Sulzer Medica, Inc., Intermedics Orthopedics, Baylor College of Medicine, Rice University and NASA-JSC, among others.

Dr. McDaniel is the Managing Partner in Reactive Surfaces, Ltd., a biotechnology company he founded to commercialize enzymatic additives to surface coatings such as paints.The company isolates useful exo-enzymes that can be formulated into additives useful in detoxifying nerve agents and pesticides.

Frank Schubert

Speciality

Architect & Lead Guitar

Bio

Frank Schubert is an architect and builder from Denver, Colorado. Frank has been involved in the construction of the Flashline Station and the Mars Desert Station. He is also the principal architect and builder of the Euro Mars Research Station. Frank has lived in Denver for the last 12 years. Before that he lived in Los Angles where he worked as a musician.

Troy Wegman

Speciality

Biologist

Andy de Wet

Speciality

Geologist

Bio

Andy de Wet is an Associate Professor of Geosciences at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, PA. He received a BSc with Honors in Geology from the University of Natal in Durban, South Africa and a PhD in Geology from the University of Cambridge, England. He is interested in the geological evolution of Mars and how geologists will be able to conduct field work on the surface of Mars. He teaches a course called "Life on Mars?" which compares the geological evolution of Earth and Mars and explores the possibility that life evolved there.