By 
April 22nd, 2023
Image credit: IBMP, Sirius-19 mission
Meet a space veteran of the first-things-first department of analog missions.
Analog trial-runs here on Earth can help train individuals primed and pumped for travel to the nearby Moon and distant Mars – with a majority of those taking part having hopes for later achieving the genuine thing.
Mission experiences
Anastasia Stepanova is a PhD student in space resources at the Colorado School of Mines in Golden, Colorado.
Image credit: IBMP, Dry Immersion experiment
As the first female test subject, Stepanova carried out a “dry immersion” microgravity experiment orchestrated by the famed Institute of Biomedical Problems based in Moscow, Russia.
Stepanova also took part in the “Mars-160” analog mission organized by the Mars Society in the Utah desert, a two-part 14-day and 80-day long duration affair in 2014 and 2016. That was followed the next year by a 30-day long isolation experiment at the Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station on Devon Island, also operated by the Mars Society.
Image credit: Mars Society Flashline station in Arctic
In 2019, Stepanova participated in the four-month “SIRIUS-19” lunar flight simulation experiment organized jointly by Russia’s famed Institute of Biomedical Problems (IBMP) and NASA’s human research program.
Space journalism
But for good measure, toss into the mix her passion for space journalism – a keen ability to describe for the public her analog voyages.
In the early 2010s, Stepanova faced skepticism and mockery when she pursued her diploma in space journalism. She now holds a masters degree in journalism from the Moscow State University. She spent four years at the School of Space Journalism with Russian cosmonaut Yuriy Baturin. Together with two other journalists she co-wrote the book about cosmonautics called “I wish you a good flight.”
Book: I Wish You a Good Flight
Image courtesy: Anastasia Stepanova
In stick-to-itness fashion, she successfully highlighted the significance of space reporting and persuaded space organizations to grant journalists access to space experiments as part of the crew.
Public awareness
Moreover, her coverage and in-depth analysis have provided valuable insights and increased public awareness regarding the intricacies of her on-earth analog missions.
Through Stepanova’s keen eye and on-the-scene journalist reports, her reports on Mars 160, Sirius19, and the dry immersion undertakings resulted in significant contributions to the field.
For example, go to “Moon diaries: What is the lunar orbital home in Moscow like?” at:
https://www.rbth.com/science-and-tech/330952-lunar-orbit-moscow
Also, go to this video at:
For more information, go to this Space.com story – “Mars on Earth: What months of simulated astronaut missions taught this scientist” – at:
https://www.space.com/mars-on-earth-simulated-astronaut-missions-anastasia-stepanova
Posted in Space News
