Final Mission Report

CREW 154 - Reliability and Redundancy to Humanities (RAR2H) mission

Experimental outreach mission with focus on film production

Ondrej Doule, Ph.D.

Commander final report

1. Mission goals

The primary mission goal of the RAR2H is to produce an education and outreach film about missions to Mars (see Figure 1). The secondary goal of the RAR2H mission is to explore relations between scientific simulation and artistic acting via ad-hoc interaction during our mission at MDRS.

Figure 1: Working title of the film and patch of the mission in the film: "Mars Together | Wedding on Mars".

The mission RAR2H stems from indirect results of the previous MDRS mission RAR (crew 135) that focused on Reliability and Redundancy of the Mars habitat systems technologies. Crew 135 has experienced that the human (not technology) is the weakest element of the simulated human space flight mission, analog mission on Mars.

2. Rationale and background

The crew 135 led by Ondrej Doule, Ph.D. completed number of experiments during their mission in February 2014. After completion, their crew members performed number of ad-hoc presentations regarding their experience and results. One of the indirect results identified was that current technology is lesser showstopper for the development, planning and execution of the mission than public opinion that may be driving the decision, funds and planning of mission to Mars. Crew commander of the mission RAR, crew 135 accepted invitation to a talk show in Prague, The Breakfast with Champagne (Snídaně se šampaňském), where the RAR mission has been presented in entertaining way together with Prague’s Vosto-5 theater members. The MDRS mission has been found very exciting and innovative project by general public. The MDRS has been identified as a project that may have great outreach potential but also very high risk in regards to outreach activities performed due to its remoteness, capacity, resources, climate and accessibility since the MDRS is an analog station in analog environment that has primary focus on scientific operations.

The crew 135 Commander, managing director of Space Innovations, s.r.o. discussed possibilities of an outreach mission in collaboration together with with the theatre Vosto5 members and NYASA films int. producer Zdeněk Janáček. We were very long time looking for ways to combine art of film making and scientific research. There were number of experiments planned at the beginning where the primary goal was the creation of the outreach, entertaining movie or sitcom. The form of the film was not clear until the last few months before the mission start and the structure and content is being changed constantly according to available environments, weather etc. The number of experiments we considered at the very beginning has been reduced and the highest priority has been given to the film as the work effort required has been very significant as well as quality of the final product.

3. Primary objectives – The film

The motivation to create film about human exploration of Mars in positive manner stems mostly from lack of existing outreach about Mars exploration and also from focus of Hollywood products that strive for drama, shock and horror often discouraging audiences’ motivations for space exploration rather than providing general public with positive mood and motivation to support and perform space exploration. Therefore our mission primary goal is creation of film that would educate, entertain but also motivate general public to explore Mars, pointing at constraints and excitements of a human endeavor that is based on rich private entrepreneur’s interests (space tourist) and colliding and complementing scientific interests of mars exploration.

Figure 2: First scenes of the filming in front of MDRS – Entering the station (Credit Tereza Nvotova)

3.1 Plot

Due to extreme environment that is still being explored at MDRS, the script is being changed also according to environmental settings, discussions, scientific research and consultancy. The rough structure of the film is below.

1. Intro – It is year 2021. The governmental agencies stopped supporting Mars missions as they were not as profitable as intended. The private entrepreneurs though still seek opportunities for space exploration. New Mars Treaty allows limited economy development on Mars within strict boundaries given by protection of the planet, resources recycling.

2. Landing – The six-crew lands successfully / routinely on Martian surface in the vicinity of old base. All systems nominal, crew is in a good shape. There are three space tourists two of which would like to get married on Mars. One tourist is entrepreneur who funds entire mission. The mission commander and scientist who selected and defined the mission to land next to an old base designed and built by his father. The rest of the crew includes crew engineer and crew psychologist.

3. Entering the base / discovering the Bot – The crew finds warned out Martian base with torn down greenhouse. The base systems are though in nominal shape except telecoms. The base is up kept by artificial intelligent Robot/Bot that is in perfect condition.

4. Crew explores the base and its subsystems - The crew figures out that the base was not updated for years and that some systems will need some work.

5. The first dinner and Mars rules - The crew gathers around the table and commander explains the past and present situation about the Mars station and basic rules.

6. The crewmembers interactions – Personal stories are told by each member. Crew members have different and interesting motivations that are unveiled during the mission. Romantic exploration motives are intertwined with entrepreneurial motivations of the mission main investor. Crew members psyche are examined during sessions with crew psychologist.

7. The trip - Crew coordinates trip around the vicinity of the base. Excitement of walking on Mars is interrupted by minor defects in spacesuits.

8. Blackout – The crew experiences fluctuations in power generation until they are subject to total blackout. The situation raises concerns but is handled well. The trained astronauts are ready for anything.

9. Backup habitat – Robot is programmed to save lives as well as to serve humans. Base is equipped with a backup emergency habitats [original research hardware habitat Crystal]

10. Great Martian storm – The base is often brushed off by sand storm. Unfortunately crew experiences one of the storms during the stay at the base but survives. Only the noise of impacting rocks and dust scares them off as the wind has very low pressure.

11. Wedding – finally, the space tourists find the right time and crew setup for this special event. The wedding is followed by happy departure to Earth… or it is not? Not all the crew does want to leave the red planet…

Filming at and in the vicinity of MDRS has been performed from April 25 until May 15^th.

The film roles has been defined as follows:

Jiri Havelka - Commander

Petr Prokop - Crew Engineer

Tereza Nvotova - Psychologist

Tomas Jerabek - Space Tourist

Halka Tresnakova - Space Tourist

Petra Nesvacilova – Celebrity Wendy

Ondrej Doule – Robot / Bot

3.2 Language format

After many discussions and long planning, the production team diverted from idea of sitcoms to an independent movie that should be screened in cinemas, TVs and internet. Sci-fi educative comedy about life on Mars will be approximately 1.5 h long. It will be screened between Summer 2016 and summer 2017 depending on post production resources.

At this moment we are considering two language versions English and English-Czech. The original is English-Czech version, the most natural way we shot the film in three weeks. Some scenes benefit of bad English of space tourists who are reluctant / not forced to speak reasonable English although the official language on Mars (in the movie) is English. Situational humor stems also from their bad English and “czenglish” misunderstandings.

3.3 Costumes

Professional designer Ms. Ha-Than and team of costume fabricators provided support in production of spacesuits based on initial task to create new spacesuit that would have small visor helmet and full body suit with large backpack and pre-integrated circuits to be visually resembling affordable very simple space suit for EVAs . The design originates in concrete interest to develop spacesuit concept that is suitable both for EVA, IVA and riding vehicles on planetary surface. The helmet design for this film was inspired by older Russian MIG helmet that perfectly fit our purpose. The project is coordinated by corporation Space innovations, s.r.o. with particular interest in mass production of space suits.

Also the artificially intelligent Robot / Bot has custom made suit that emphases that it was designed for Martian environment not requiring pressurization.

4. Secondary objectives - Emergent experimental science based on collaborative effort of science and film art

Similarities of activities in scientific analog station and film and artistic acting has many layers. Difference between actor and scientist in high fidelity extreme environment is also manifold and depends on interests, discipline and personal endurance.

Actor will follow character she/he represents and procedures related to roles and tasks while scientist will follow protocol and procedures and will not have significant need to augment her/his character. In fact, actor is great partner of the scientist to simulate certain situations e.g., highly complex scientific situations. Actor is adding nicely the complexity of the human life that focused scientist may miss or miss interpret according to her/his training. The importance of the human needs is emphasized by actor or interdisciplinary scientist, disciplinarity may be preventing the mission success through teamwork problems, and personal preferences etc. Teamwork represents properties such as empathy, assertive behavior. Actors are trained to express variety of character properties.

Actors are used to extreme socialization - theatre actors even more than film actors. Actors have a great talent to teamwork. Based on personal experience, the level of discipline to follow procedures (e.g., in life critical system or situation) is not better for actor or scientist. Both, scientists and actors/artists tend to slip from the procedural schedule in different ways and for different reasons.

Where is the threshold between acting of teamwork and real teamwork? Scientists are much less social than actors and film makers. The cohesion of the film teams is great – the communication may be though very divergent, too creative, and could be perceived chaotic without structure. Scientist may have trouble accommodating social interaction due to their natural research focus analytical and synthetic thinking where artists tend to creative, spontaneous thoughts generation in very divergent way. Communication between scientist and artist may be very difficult if adaptive behavior is not implemented.

The acting profession requires instant social interaction. While in the film industry, the film creation and acting is much more tiring due to repetitions and requirements of the film crew personnel, the theatre acting where is interaction with audience, is almost relaxing. Crew 154 was composed of actors with experiences from theatre and film as well. Science, if generalized requires all holistic, conceptual, analytical and synthetic thinking of individual.

Figure 3: Film crew and hab crew filming around habitat approach to the station. Film crew is located on the right side of the MDRS habitat.

A feedback through numerous discussions has been collected regarding acting and simulation experience

Table 1: Similarities and differences of acting and simulation as per feedback from film crew and synthesis of crew scientist.

Main difference is between character simulation and processes simulation. Creativity is not as welcoming in science and exploration as in acting. At the end the acting process has fundamentally more fidelity than the actual simulator we are living in…

Figure 4: The hab crew 154 preparing for their space suits for filming.

4. Organization of filming in extreme environment

The team has been split in hab crew and the film crew. While the hab crew operated the habitat and its subsystems, was fixing the suits and preparing for acting and script generation / optimization, the film crew was planning, setting up scenes, setting up lights and sound and cameras.

As a matter of fact, both crews were dealing with significant extremes during the filming which are listed below:

- Extremely low budget for production of 1.5h movie: 45 000 USD without post production budget and actor’s and film maker’s salaries. Even the budget is low such investment is of a high risk due to unpredictable reaction of the public. Producer and commander decided to take the risk believing in strong public interest in Human Mars exploration missions.

- Extreme living conditions of the hab crew that can be considered low fidelity simulation including, limitation of food, water, power, access to public services and infrastructure, extreme climate and aging of the MDRS simulator systems.

- Confinement for filming inside the base. Nominal film would be produced in studio with professional stage equipment and large areas for systems mockups. Our film crew had to be very adaptive and flexible to fit in the small habitat where the habitat spaces were reproduced in the film in their real functions.

- Confinement for living – although we have selected well known personas, actors and film makers for their capacity to adapt to confinement and discomfort 1-2 members had to take a break and leave for 1-2 days to recover

- Climate – rough droughts and air humidity around 8% interchanged with hail, sand storms, thunderstorms and subsequently dangerous terrain and station accessibility added another level of risk and danger

- Biosphere – local wildlife may be a life threat when encountered

- Schedule – Crew 154 has been lucky enough to get permission of 3 weeks base operations compare to usual 2 weeks. Nevertheless, the schedule has been very tight due to variety of risks and constraints listed above. Therefore, lots of pressure has been put on both crew and film crew to operate even 16h per day.

- MDRS rules – Station has to be operated / manned / in order to be able to accommodate its crew. Processes related to station operation also consumed time and focus. Crew 154 had to deal with two power generator failures and trouble shot faulty wiring of backup generator.

- Resources – the main resource, water, is very limited compare to nominal personal use in civilized world. Adapting to limited water resources was a great challenge for some of the crew members.

- Filming resources – all filming equipment had to be brought to the station and stored in its vicinity or inside. The already confined station became even more cramped. The filming operations required total silence forcing crew members waiting for their part to be very silent without a chance of “living elsewhere”

There are more phenomena we experienced related to extreme environment filming that will be discussed in separated paper. The main factor was stress from confinement, lack of resources, budget, and physical and psychical overload but also lots of positive phenomena has been recorded such as interesting discussions on topic of simulation, imitation, modeling, acting in interdisciplinary manner as well as interests in scientific question, raised interests in exploration and at the same time projecting experiences in simulator and individual personal and professional profiles.

5. CONCLUSIONS

The entire team believes in the success of the RAR2H mission and the difficult project to film a movie at MDRS. Living, working and operating base in extreme environment is difficult task, even if we were out of simulation. Three weeks for filming 1.5h film with only two cameramen one sound director, director and producer, without usual film infrastructure is very tiring and very risky.

Three weeks is very short time and the mission would not succeed without an over a year of preparation and very agile crew and teamwork with great team cohesion (see Figure 5, Figure 6).

The RAR2H main product, the movie with working title MARS TOGETHER | Wedding on Mars, is estimated to be aired during summer / 2016 or 2017 based on post production fundraising success. We all hope it will have a great success and will motivate general public to consider space exploration more seriously, and will lose some of the fears from living and working in space. Stimulation of positive vibes for Mars exploration is our main goal.

Figure 5: All habitat crew and part of the film crew during group photo.

Figure 6: Filming preparations at the base vicinity.

Figure 7: Emergency space habitat prototype Crystal used for filming of life-critical EVA situations.

“ The crew 154 ran like a perfectly designed team despite of all extremes, risks and constraints, health problems exhibiting very high level of adaptation and flexibility. I was very impressed by improvisation, creativity and motivation that have been permanently present to all operations especially filming.”

Commander crew 154, Ondrej Doule