Crew 150
Now, he is trying to decide doing a master in Aerospace Engineering in USA, Automotive Design in Italy or Biomechanics. Also, he is a music lover and plays the guitar since he was 11 years. His favorites bands are Dream Theater and Pink Floyd. Furthermore, he is thinking to study music in Berklee or in the University of Manchester.
While his rotation at the MDRS, Daniel will be the commander. He is developing an exoskeleton which is a felines gripping mechanism prototype to be applied to the human space walking. He is interested on applying nature mechanisms and systems to the spacial technology.
His areas of interest are the Spaceflight projects, biomechanics, renewable energy, vehicles design, ergonomy and anthropometry. In his free time, Daniel likes to draw, paint with oleos, model with clay, play basketball, read, go trekking in Peru and investigate about the II World War.
On the other hand, Daniel has a strong interest in arts. He studied a few years Industrial Design before transferring to engineering, so one of his ambitions is to stretch the relation between arts and engineering.
DANIEL RIVAS - COMMANDERDaniel Rivas is a Mechatronic Engineer Student at Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Perú and founder member in Entrepreneurial and Prospective Peruvian Society, a non-profit organization that helps to generate investigating and development projects with Peruvian companies. He has worked with a number of building companies in the area of engineering drawing and participated in some contests about renewable energy projects, achieving fundraising in of them to finance a project of an electric tricycle for recyclers.
At university he has been an active member of the IEEE Student Branch been founder and chair of Industry Applications Society UTP Chapter. Mr. Gora has developed technical and humanitarian projects at IEEE motivated on promoting science and technology by projects, conferences, workshops and lectures focused on engineering. Jim is also interested in programming and computing science, he was chosen as IEEE Ambassador for IEEE Xtreme Competition and IEEE Ambassador for IEEE madC Contest worldwide for Peru. His field of study and research is control and automation systems.
At MDRS, Jm has developed an UAV to get the 3D Martian Surface. With the experience in the Crew 150 as the Executive Officer, Jim wants to encourage more students to apply to this program and develop more projects.
As a child Jim always dreamed to be part of projects related to the space and its exploration, and the first step is been a member of Crew 150. On his free times, he loves to participate on marathons, go hiking and trekking, and practice tae-kwon-do, just for fun.
JIMMY GORA - XO
Jimmy Gora (Pasco, Peru) is a 23 year old professional. He has a bachelor degree in Mechatronics Engineering at Technological University of Peru - UTP. Mr. Gora has been immersed in science and research field at Nuclear Energy Peruvian Institute working in the development of the Automation and Control Systems of a couple of projects; Technetium Obtaining Equipment and Samples Sending Automatic System to Nuclear Reactor. He is currently working at Southern Peru Copper Corporation, an international enterprise on mining field.
Olenka will be the journalist of the third Peruvian crew while her rotation. She will also develop a project that consists in he growing and germination of Peruvian sweetpotato plants in the Green Hab of the MDRS. She was inspired by the fact that the search for food sources for crew members is a key factor to be investigated. Her dream is to study Astronomy.
She was selected as a Peruvian Youth Ambassador by the Department of State in 2010. Through this program, she traveled to Washington DC and San Antonio (Texas) to learn about American culture and share Peruvian culture with an American host family and a high school she atended for two weeks. She has also represented Chiclayo in 2011 at the II Global Youth Volunteering Conference, that took place in Colombia. She has been an active member of volunteering programs, specially in those working with children.
OLENKA JIBAJA VALDERRAMA - CREW JOURNALIST
Olenka Jibaja Valderrama is a 21-year-old Industrial Engineering student from Chiclayo, Perú. She studies at Santo Toribio de Mogrovejo University. She has loved science since she was a kid. Unlike most girls her age, she could spend hours in her room reading science books. Her favorite book is A Brief History Of Time, by Stephen Hawking. She also likes TV shows, her favorite TV shows are Friends and The Big Bang Theory. She also loves music, her favorite bands are Bon Jovi and The Beatles.
In 2015, he was selected to be part of Crew 150 as Green Hab Engineer. Now, during the simulation, he is developing a system to isolate plants to make measurements as oxygen consume or production. About his hobbies, is matter of sports, he practices Calisthenics and Running. He also loves playing the guitar, singing and making music.
LUIS ENRIQUE CASTILLO GONGORA - CREW GREENHAB ENGINEER
Luis Enrique is a Mechatronics Engineering student at Pontifical Catholic University of Peru. He was born in May 19th 1995 ( 19 years old). Since he was a kid, he has always demonstrated passion about science and technology. He studied Primary and Secondary School at IEP Santisimo Sacramento, located in San Martin de Porres. After that, he studied at Pamer Academy as a training in Maths and Physics. Now he is taking 4th year clases at his University. His favorite fields are Space Exploration, Domotics and Robotics. During the last 3 years he has participated in different robotic competitions as WRO High School Peru( 2013 - 9th place), WRO College Peru( 2013 - 4th place), WRO College Peru(2014 - 3th place). Luis Enrique's passion is mixing technology with nature : " Technology is the best creation of humans: nature, the best creation of God. Mixing both intelligently will lead us to be extraordinary perfect, much more than we are now."
SERGIO POSTIGO - CREW ENGINEERSergio was born in Arequipa, a city in southern Peru. He is 21 years old and studies Mechatronic Engineering in Pontifical Catholic University of Peru. After graduating with honors from high school, he received the International Baccalaureate Program Diploma. Then he realized that his life had to be involved with science and started his engineering studies, He has participated in robotic competitions like the National Robot Olympiad reaching the fourth and third place two years in a row. He also was part of different projects related to science and engineering with innovative ideas. In his free time, Sergio likes to play guitar, read all kind of books and do sports. He also loves to travel and to know different cultures.
Space investigation is one of his favorite themes. "Seeing the skies at night is a constant challenge for me". In 2015 he was selected to be part of the Crew 150 of The Mars Society as Engineer in a rotation at the Mars Desert Research Station for 3 weeks. He is planning to study a master in aerospace engineering.
ROMULO CRUZ - HEALTH & SAFETY OFFICERRomulo Cruz is a graduated student in Chemistry at the National University of Engineering (UNI) focused on physicochemical studies, especially in chemical catalysis. Currently Mr. Cruz is a research assistant in two projects, Synthesis of Catalysts for the Combustion of Volatile Organic Compounds and Preparation of Catalysts for the Oxidative Dehydrogenation of Ethane to Ethene. These experiments are performed in the Physical Chemistry Research Laboratory at UNI in charge of Dr. Gino Picasso. He is a member of Astrobiology Peru Group – GAP, which is a group of students and professionals in astrobiology and related careers. GAP was founded in 2011 with a great purpose: To disseminate and develop Astrobiology in Peru. He has participated in promoting astrobiology studies in Peru through symposium, exhibitions, lectures and articles of this multidisciplinary field. He has been one of the winners of "Thesis Plan Contest" organized by the university, because of his active participation in science. Currently he is working in his thesis entitled "Synthesis of Catalysts based on Ce and Mn for Catalytic Combustion of nHexano.
Mr. Cruz, his partners and the advisors of Astrobiology Peru Group are trying to get the hyper-arid desert of “Pampas de la Joya” in Arequipa-Peru becomes a protected area. This desert is been studied by the peruvian astrobiologist Julio Valdivia Silva, so he has conclude that it may be new Mars Analog Desert.
With his acquired experience at MDRS about the sampling methodology and characterization procedure of organic carbon in clays in Utah Desert , Mr. Cruz well apply his knowledge in the development of new project in Pampas de la Joya Desert.
