LunAres Research Station
May 15th 2024 - June 1st 2024
What is an analog mission?
It is best put by the director of LunAres, Leszek Orzechowski:
An Analog Mission is a research method focused on investigating one or several aspects of crewed space missions using earthly real-life situations as an analog to an off-world scenario.”
These missions test equipment, crews, and procedures in a cost-effective and safer environment compared to actual space missions. They also offer quicker turnaround times, as organizing a real space mission requires extensive manpower and coordination to
ensure successful completion.
Why would I participate in a mission?
Participating in analog astronaut missions is rewarding for several reasons. Firstly, it's incredibly fun—an opportunity to roleplay as an astronaut without the same risks involved in actual space missions. Additionally, there are more analog astronaut programs available than traditional astronaut programs, increasing the chances of participation.
Secondly, these missions provide valuable experience that can enhance one's qualifications to become a traditional astronaut in the future. This includes exposure to potentially challenging environments, teamwork with diverse individuals, and adherence to strict schedules.
Even for those who do not aspire to become astronauts or may not succeed in traditional astronaut selection processes, analog missions offer the chance to contribute to space exploration by volunteering time and generating valuable research data. Everyone has their own motivations,
but these are some of mine for participating in analog missions.
I took part in my first analog astronaut mission at LunAres Research Station in Piła, Poland. The primary purpose of this facility is to study human factors in space, isolation being the main one. This meant for two weeks, we had no access to news, live feeds, or direct communication except via email (with mission control being the exception). I served as the mission commander of the Space Bears crew. The name was inspired by the regenerative abilities of axolotls and the resilience of tardigrades, also known as water bears. My role as commander involved overseeing the crew's safety, performance, and well-being. I coordinated daily objectives and acted as the main liaison between the crew and mission control.
The Space Bears team comprised five members with nationalities from Poland, Morocco/Canada, USA, and Mexico. As a fun nod to our mission name, we adopted callsigns: Teddy, Red Panda, Atlas, Polar Bear (myself), and Grizzly. We affectionately referred to mission control as Mama Bear. Our crew was notable for being all introverts, predominantly engineers, and the first all-male crew at LunAres.
We were kept very busy during our stay at LunAres, with one of the most exciting activities being the EVAs. LunAres features a simulated lunar landscape inside an old aircraft hangar, providing ample space to conduct EVA activities while maintaining isolation from the outside environment. Multiple EVAs were conducted to collect geological samples, perform equipment tests, and occasionally handle surprise scenarios designed to test our attention to detail and problem-solving skills. These experiences were among the most and rewarding aspects of our mission.
When not on EVAs, we would serve as test subjects for outside researchers and work on engineering projects to improve either the mission equipment or the habitat itself. The project that occupied most of my time was developing an environmental systems backpack for one of the EVA suits. Our EVA suits simulated the feel and preparation required when wearing a real EVA suit, without the added expense of a truly pressurized suit. The backpack was designed to bring fresh air into the astronaut's suit and power the few sensors they needed to carry. More details about this project can be found on the project page.
We had busy schedules, so there wasn't much free time, but every so often we managed to squeeze in some activities. As a group of introverts, we typically watched movies together. A popular choice among crews was "The Martian," given its obvious correlation (check it out if you haven't seen it!). Movies were made even more enjoyable with the ambient LED lighting in the habitat. For "The Martian," we set the ambient lighting to orange-red during Mark Watney's EVAs and switched it to blue when he was inside the habitat, mimicking the movie's lighting style.
During this mission, our diet mainly consisted of Huel, a powdered food that we mixed with hot water to rehydrate. Although we had access to a few other items like rice, noodles, bread, and frozen fruit, Huel had to be our primary source of calories. While I didn't mind this too much, we quickly realized that having three powdered meals a day would get monotonous. To add variety, we came up with creative recipes, such as using Huel as a sauce for rice and noodles, and adding cooked chicken for extra protein. Being creative with the ingredients we had on hand is crucial during isolation.
By the end of the two weeks, what we were all most looking forward to was definitely having access to different foods again. After opening the doors at the end of the mission, we had a small picnic on top of the hangar. We enjoyed chips, candy, and sodas while soaking in the sunlight. Thankfully we had good weather!
To comemorate our mission, most crews develop a mission pin and place it on a map of the moon. We took this one step further and create a sculture of sorts. It consisted of a bear in a space suit with the flags of each crew members nationality and our mission name. Using a string, we marked the spot on the map where our simulated mission took place: Mare Serenitatis, the intended landing site for tardigrades on an actual lunar mission. We then wrote an article describing the location and each crew member's role, which we all signed.
Participating in LunAres was one of the most rewarding experiences I've had so far. Despite the hard work, I had a lot of fun. I learned more about effective leadership and guiding the team to achieve its goals. I am grateful for the opportunity from the LunAres team, and I'm definitely looking forward to joining many more analog missions in the future.
Scuba Diving
July 2023
Scuba diving is an activity I was aware of but only truly discovered after learning about NASA's Neutral Buoyancy Lab. I wondered how people got a job as one of the divers and what is
involved in that training. As I researched further, I found that many astronauts are also certified scuba divers. Many divers state that scuba diving is one of the closest ways to experience
weightlessness without going to space or spending a lot of money on a parabolic plane ride. This inspired me to pursue my certification.
Despite not being an avid swimmer, I found scuba diving to be an awesome experience. While I'm still getting the hang of it, the freedom of being able to move in a third dimension at will
is an experience like no other. There is then of course the ability to breathe in an environment that humans aren't naturally adapted to survive. One of my favroite parts of training
was during the underwater navigation portion where a school of fish came by and watched us traverse for a short time.
I intend to continue my scuba training by earning my Advanced Open Water and Rescue Diver certifications, as well as trying out ice diving!
Private Pilots License
May 2022
After reading many astronaut bios and learning about the history of spaceflight, I realized that learning to fly would be very useful for my astronaut goals. In the spring of 2022, I had a semester off from school and thought it was the perfect time to get my Private Pilot's License.
Flying is one of the most enjoyable activities I've ever experienced. The training took about three months, and I loved every minute of it. I often booked multiple flights a day because I just couldn't get enough. My favorite flight was the night flight. Seeing the sunset multiple times and the city lights from above was a view like no other.
In the future, depending on my finances and available time, I plan to continue my training by earning an instrument rating and obtaining a tailwheel endorsement. I am also interested in aerobatics after watching performers at airshows. Maybe one day, I'll be one of those performers!