The Mars Society is pleased to announce that Crew 19 has officially arrived at the Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station on Devon Island in Nunavut Territory approximately 900 miles from the North Pole, and is now beginning its highly anticipated analog mission.

Advance Team members Rhett Woods, Raleigh Swick, Dr. Laura Thomas, and Terry Trevino traveled to the station together to prepare for the expedition. On July 13th, Rhett, Raleigh, and Terry completed a successful “crew hot-swap” and returned home, while Dr. Laura Thomas remained on site to join the Crew 19 mission.

Dr. Thomas will spend the remainder of the expedition with fellow crew members Trevor Jahn, Dr. Lisa Rand, Anderson Wilder, and Adrian Oberland, who will live and work at Flashline through July 27th, conducting research and field operations in one of Earth’s closest analogs to the Martian environment.

In addition to carrying out a range of scientific investigations, the crew will be testing several new technologies designed for use in extreme environments, helping evaluate their potential applications for future human missions to the Moon and Mars.

Reflecting on the team’s efforts, Dr. Laura Thomas said, “Thanks to every team member for tackling every challenge (and there have been many) with teamwork, positivity, and a determination to figure things out, whatever came our way.”

Stay tuned for mission updates as Crew 19 advances research, field operations, and technology demonstrations in the Canadian High Arctic.

We also invite you to visit the FMARS web page on the Mars Society website (fmars.marssociety.org) to learn more about the station, its history, current missions, and the vital role it plays in preparing humanity for the exploration of the Moon and Mars.