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Interactive Model Simulates Keeping House on Mars


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A potential Mars habitat.

Researchers in the Arizona State University School of Earth and Space Exploration Interplanetary Initiative have developed a research-grade computer model and Web interface which citizen scientists can use to design, and simulate the operations of, a huma

Credit: Bryan Veerstag/Spacehabs.com

Arizona State University (ASU)'s School of Earth and Space Exploration Interplanetary Initiative is running a pilot program to assess simulated Mars habitats with an interactive computer model and Web interface.

SIMOC (Scalable Interactive Model of an Off-World Community) is based on published data for mechanical life support systems, with guidance from experts at the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration, life-support-system developer Paragon Space Development, ASU, and the University of Arizona.

SIMOC allows citizen scientists to test Mars habitats of their own design, to determine the minimum complexity for sustaining human life off-world during long missions.

ASU's Kai Staats said, "Our goal was to build a platform for research and education built on the real thing—expertise in human-in-the-loop closed ecosystems and decades of data. Three years of studying literature, collecting data, building and testing our models resulted in the platform."

From ASU Now
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