Call for Volunteers for MDRS 2011-2012 Field Season June 27, 2011 Plans for the 11th field season of the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) are moving ahead rapidly. The 11th field season is now planned to run from December 3, 2011 through May 6, 2012. Volunteer slots are open for participation as a crew member at the MDRS. Crew members will be required to pay for their own transportation to Grand Junction, Colorado, and pay a $1000 participation fee (reduced to $500 for students) to cover station expenses. Volunteers should send their applications to: mdrsvolunteers@aol.com by September 30, 2011 in order to be considered. Both individual applications and group applications of up to an entire crew (6 people) will be considered. Applications should include:
To enhance your chance of finding a crew rotation, it is very important that you list ALL slots in which you could participate. Potential rotations are as follows:
Included in the participation fee you pay to the Mars Society is:
Not included in the participation fee:
The Best Western room rate includes free breakfast and free Wi-Fi Internet, plus an airport shuttle between GJT Walker Airfield and the motel. For a list of what to bring in gear and clothes, please read the crew briefing documents carefully. Every crew is expected to participate in a number of season-long projects. At the moment that includes: 1) The ongoing food study led by Dr. Kim Binsted of University of Hawaii and Dr. Jean Hunter of Cornell University. All foods and beverages at the MDRS including snacks will be provided by The Mars Society. Other season-long research projects determined by the MDRS Remote Science Team will be added before the season starts in December. Anyone applying for the position of crew engineer, a vitally important job for the station as a whole and your crew in particular, needs to have a varied background in many engineering/handyman duties, and needs to be willing to be trained on the systems of the station by the Engineering Team. You must follow instructions from Mission Support. No modifications or additions to the facility will be conducted without prior approval from Mission Support Engineering. Applications received well in advance of the September 30, 2011 deadline are greatly appreciated, and will receive special consideration for the earlier crew slots.
|