Whats the difference between the “full-scale Research” and “Training” expeditions?
As currently envisioned by MSC, Research expeditions (such as Expeditions One, Two and Three) are typically no less than one month in duration and focus specifically on attaining specific goals as laid out in R. Persaud, “A Systematic Approach to Studies at the Mars Analog Research Stations”, Martian Expedition Planning (ed. C. Cockell), AAS, 2004. The two-week Training expeditions (such as Expedition Alpha, Beta, Gamma and so on) are intended to enable participants to become proficient with equipment, operations and protocols typically used on MSC-led missions in analogue environments so that more time during Research expeditions can be devoted to accomplishing the stated goals. The Training expeditions offer researchers the opportunity to ‘debug’ their methodologies so that future work during large-scale missions can be better tailored to specific environmental parameters and constraints. In addition, the Training expeditions provide an opportunity for participants to cross-train in
