On to Mars! ― Chronicles of Martian Simulations

This book introduces the Martian simulations of The Mars Society, the first one installed on Devon Island, an uninhabited island in the Canadian Arctic, well within the polar circle, and the second in the desert of Utah, several hundreds of kilometers South of Salt Lake City. The book is based on the diaries held during the simulations, by Vladimir Pletser, a physicist-engineer, who was selected to participate in these simulations. It relates the details of everyday life in these Martian habitats and of the scientific and exploratory work conducted in these extreme environments in preparation for future manned missions to Mars. Through the real experiences described in the book, readers will find space explorations and living on Mars more tangible.

Vladimir Pletser is a professor and Scientific Adviser in Technology and Engineering Center for Space Utilization, Chinese Academy of Sciences. He got his B.Sc in Engineering in Catholic University of Louvain in 1976, and Ph.D of Physics in Louvain University in 1990. He was a Project Manager, Experiment Coordinator and Senior Physicist-Engineer in European Space Agency (ESA) during 1985-2016. He has more than 500 publications, including articles in peer-reviewed journals, book chapters, articles in international conferences Proceedings, technical/scientific papers, ESA reports/documents, and book reviews. He has given more than 600 presentations in different events, including 2 Presentations to His Majesty King Albert II of Belgium, ESTEC (2004) and Belgian Ambassador (2010), 33 invited honorary, plenary lectures at international symposia and workshops.