The activities of the Mexican team consisted of two simulations: Moon phase and Mars phase
According to El Universal, the Mexicans who participated in the analogue 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 Analogue Simulation 2017 (PMAS), Mars is closer than ever.
El Universal
“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 analogue 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 analogue 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 Rover vehicle of exploration and recollection, designed by UNAM Space’s team.
Source: http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/
