A two-week mission to perform scientific experiments and test technological instruments needed for the future exploration of the moon or Mars was successfully completed Wednesday at the University of Hawaii at Manoa’s Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation habitat on the slopes of Mauna Loa.
The international crew finished all mission targets, including geological mapping of the area for fresh pahoehoe lava flows and lava tubes by geology students Annelotte Weert and Sebastian Mulder.
Nityaporn Sirikan, crew engineer and European Space Agency systems engineer, completed work on enhancing the space suits and other technologies used at the HI-SEAS station.
Other crew activities included a number of outreach and educational projects by crew anthropology researcher Benjamin Pothier, crew journalist Josh Burstein and crew commander Michaela Musilova.
UH-Manoa’s Musilova is also the chief investigator for HI-SEAS and the International Moonbase Alliance.
“Collectively, we were able to complete the mission and all of our goals,” said Musilova in a statement. “I consider that to be a great success.”
The mission is under the EuroMoonMars initiative, led by the International Lunar Exploration Working Group of ESA, in collaboration with the IMA, European Space Research and Technology Centre, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and HI-SEAS.
It is part of a series of projects led by the IMA, which is planning to build a base on the moon and a prototype moonbase on Hawaii Island.
“We are already working with ESA, ILEWG and VU on preparing another two missions later this year,” Musilova said.