Córdoba-born pilot and commercial astronaut candidate Mariló Torres has completed her sixth analog space mission, this time at the Mars Desert Research Station in the Utah desert, USA. On the scientific mission Crew 328, she was accompanied by an American aerospace engineer, a Canadian professor, an Indian researcher, and a Brazilian astrobiologist.
According to Torres, “although two Hypatia missions composed entirely of Spanish female scientists have already taken place at these facilities, and the Granadan biotechnologist Alba Sánchez has also participated, this is the first time that a Spanish woman holds the rank of commander in charge of an international mission including men and women from multiple continents.”
Analog missions are simulations carried out in Earth-based scenarios and environments that faithfully reproduce the conditions of Mars or the Moon, aiming to test technology, perform experiments, and conduct studies and research that contribute to improving the safety and quality of life of space travelers.
For two weeks, this team of five specialists recreated a stay on the Red Planet, living in isolation and cut off from the outside world, following the same routines, procedures, and constraints as actual astronauts.
In addition to performing extravehicular activities for reconnaissance, terrain exploration, and rock and mineral sample collection, among many other tasks, the crew cultivated tomato and radish seeds in simulated Martian soil that had been exposed to radiation and microgravity on the International Space Station.
They also tested on their own bodies a product designed to care for and preserve the skin of people who spend long periods in space, while collaborating on an analysis of behavioral strategies for coping with long-duration space exploration, aimed at NASA.
With this analog mission now completed, Torres begins her theoretical training and preparation as a private astronaut candidate for the American aerospace company Titans Space Industries.
Source: ABC Córdoba
