Mars Institute

19 Mar 2021. AA MARS SYMPOSIUM

4 Dec 2020. SOURABH SHUBHAM Sourabh Shubham is the MI Global Research Internship Program (MI-GRIP)’s First Intern and First Graduate Intern. He was accepted into the MI-GRIP in Dec 2018 and remains actively engaged in research as a Graduate Intern. In July 2020, Sourabh earned his Integrated Masters of Science degree (BS+MS) in Applied Geology from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur IIT Kharagpur, India. Sourabh’s prior experiences include being twice an Intern at... the Planetary Sciences Division of the PRL-Physical Research Laboratory in Ahmedabad, India (PRL is a unit of the Department of Space, Government of India, and is known as the Cradle of Space Sciences in India). He is currently working on a remote project in Lunar Science with researchers at the Space Application Center, ISRO - Indian Space Research Organisation. Sourabh has done geological field research in Eastern, Central and Western India, and in the foothills of the Himalayas. The title of Sourabh’s MI-GRIP research project is: "Mineralogy and Water Signatures at Noctis Landing, a Proposed Human Landing Site and Exploration Zone in West Valles Marineris, Mars. Sourabh is using data from NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration ’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) CRISM (Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars) instrument and other data to identify water and minerals of interest for Science and Exploration (resources) at and around the Noctis Landing site. His internship advisor is MI Director Dr Pascal Lee. In his free time, Sourabh enjoys blogging, cycling, futurism, rock collecting, science-fiction, and sketching. He is also active in space outreach and is currently producing a documentary on impact cratering and the history of the Solar System. He was until recently a volunteer in India’s National Service Scheme (NSS) where he performed social service and relief activities for an underdeveloped village in West Bengal, India. Picture shows Sourabh on a field trip to the Himalayan Foothills.

4 Dec 2020. VARVARA SOFOU Meet Varvara Sofou, Mars Institute Global Research Internship Program (MI-GRIP) Intern. Varvara is from Greece and is currently in her final year at Imperial College London where she is working towards a Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Sciences. Varvara’s prior experiences include being an Intern in Pharmacology and Pharmacogenomics in the School of Health Sciences at the - University of Athens, and an Intern at the Depa...rtment of Molecular Biology and Genetics at the Democritus University of Thrace. The title of Varvara’s MI-GRIP research project is: VIKING LANDERS LABELED RELEASE EXPERIMENT: A REVIEW AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE FUTURE SEARCH FOR EXTANT LIFE ON MARS. The positive life detection results of the Labeled Release Experiment on Viking Landers 1 and 2 remain the subject of ongoing debate 45 years on: Did the LRE detect life, or was the activity detected due to strictly non-biological soil chemistry? Varvara is reviewing all published LRE result interpretations and counter-interpretations, assessing the strengths and weaknesses of each argument and line of evidence, and recommending follow-up experiment(s) that could settle the debate. Her internship advisor is MI Director Dr Pascal Lee. In her free time, Varvara enjoys Creative Writing, Oil Painting, Piano, Shotokan Karate (Black Belt), Swimming, and Water Polo. She is a member of Imperial College London’s BUCS (British Universities and Colleges Sport) Swimming and Water Polo Team.

3 Dec 2020. MARNI ROSENTHAL Meet Marni Rosenthal, Mars Institute Global Research Internship Program (MI-GRIP) Intern. Marni is currently a Senior at Barnard College of Columbia University where she is working towards a Bachelor of Arts degree in Astrophysics with a minor in Anthropology. Marni’s prior experiences include being the Airframe Lead for the Columbia Space Initiative Rocketry Team (airframe design for hybrid engine rocket competing in Spaceport America Cup), and a ...Research Assistant in the Department of Astronomy at Columbia University (development of a circum-galactic hydrogen-alpha spectrograph for Kitt Peak Observatory). The title of Marni’s MI-GRIP research project is: EVA SPACESUIT H2O RELEASE: IMPLICATIONS FOR MOON AND MARS SCIENCE AND EXPLORATION. Current EVA (Extra-Vehicular Activity) spacesuit systems release about 0.5 kg of H2O per hour, some of it intentionally vented, some of it leaked. This release has important implications for the human exploration of the Moon and Mars, from planetary protection concerns (forward contamination) in the scientific study of naturally occurring H2O on the Moon, to resource loss impacts (depletion of H2O as an expensive space mission commodity). Marni is reviewing all pathways of H2O release from spacesuits, assessing quantitatively their potential impact on Moon and Mars Science and Exploration, and helping identify strategies for monitoring and mitigating this impact. Her internship advisor is MI Director Dr Pascal Lee. She is also consulting with spacesuit life support system engineers at Collins Aerospace. In her free time, Marni enjoys Astronomy, DSLR Photography, Rocketry, Soldering, and Theater.