Hear about life on ‘Mars’
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News from Mission Mountain Audubon
POLSON — “A Year on Mars” by Carmel Johnston, will be Mission Mountain Audubon’s next program on Thursday, Dec. 1, at 7 p.m. in the Polson Library meeting room. Everyone is welcome.
Carmel Johnston, Commander of HI-SEAS Mission 4, will discuss what it is like to live for a year on Mars. The NASA- funded project constructed a habitat dome high on a Hawaiian volcano, similar to the harsh conditions and rocky terrain that future astronauts will encounter on the red planet. Living in an inhospitable landscape with no breathable air, extreme cold, toxic soil, and the lack of water on the surface will physically challenge the toughest astronauts. But the psychological demands of living in such confined spaces with limited resources are just as daunting.
One of the mission’s goals investigated how small groups work together during a simulated journey through deep space and living on an alien world. What makes an effective team? When and why do things fall apart? How does isolation from friends and family effect the crew?
“We want to learn everything that can go wrong before it goes wrong in space and prevent it from happening,” Commander Johnston said.
Carmel Johnston grew up in Whitefish and earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Land Resources and Environmental Science from Montana State University. Before her year in the dome, Carmel studied permafrost thaw in Alaska as well as soils in Idaho and Montana, but her focus today is on sustainable agriculture for both Earth and deep space.
