Making Astronauts Out of Ourselves: What we learned by living in a Mars simulation

In these times as we face the perils of climate change, the question is often raised around how designing for human space exploration will help us to protect the environment here on Earth.

In 2023, Elizabeth Jane Cole and Scott Beibin (co-founders of the Evil Twin Booking Agency and interdisciplinary Maker/artists) were part of the crew of MDRS286 at the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) - a remote science research and Analog Astronaut training facility designed to simulate a human outpost on Mars. MDRS is located in an isolated region of the Utah high desert chosen for its challenging Mars-like geology as well as limited communication with the outside world. Real life astronaut training simulations come with the constraints of available resources that might be experienced on other planets. Simulated EVA outings which explore the terrain require full crew collaboration, either as explorers or capsule communication support, where safety is paramount. Crew members plan their science experiments with tight restrictions on cost, materials and equipment - while living with extremely reduced patterns of consumption.

Elizabeth Jane Cole, a writer of long form non-fiction, was the crew journalist for the mission. She reported on the science experiments carried out by the crew, including one designed to generate nutrient dense vegan foods for interplanetary space travel - as well as others focused on development of autonomous life support systems. She also reported on the ways in which the crew developed creative problem solving, practical skillbuilding and collaboration skills for surviving hostile environments as humans will experience in space settlement.

Scott Beibin, an inventor, artist and science communicator develops open source liberation-ecotech devices via Mandelbot Ecotech - his off-grid environmental sustainability project. During the mission he conducted three major experiments and activities including: 3D scanning of the MDRS facility and surrounding geology using LiDAR; 3D printing of objects using regolith with his invention - the Mandelbot SURFA2; and playing a concert of his Ptelepathetique music project during an EVA using 'Musikonn-Mars' an audio process tool prototype that he co-developed which simulates the acoustic properties of the Martian atmosphere.

During the talk, Scott and Elizabeth will share their insights into how intensive programs like Analog Astronaut training simulations can teach not only about space exploration and  the value of protecting life on Earth, but also can serve as a container and creative backdrop for exercises in activist movement building and solidarity work.