Mars on Earth

2015 - Present

Around the globe, space analogs and off-planet simulations envision a new science fiction by researching humans in space-specific confinements and otherworldly landscapes. With pressurized space suits, freeze-dried food, and Mission Control waiting back at "home," these photographs attempt to visualize what space travel might be like for the first cosmic explorers.

The simulation analog serves as an extreme environment like the conditions of lunar or Martian habitation, allowing us to investigate how humans can live and work in isolation, confinement, and reduced sensory conditions. These factors mirror the experience of future space missions, especially in long-duration space travel. Using photographer Frank Hurley as a referential figure in storytelling, this documentation highlights the significant interplay between documenting human endurance in the harshest conditions and inspiring future generations to explore the unknown.

The simulated experience blurs a line between reality and fiction, and this "between space" persuades participants to suspend their disbelief. I am interested in the juxtaposition between the real and fictitious, both among the psychological persuasion and the visuals that cue these kinds of connections. In the same spirit, this visual archive serves as both a historical record and a source of inspiration for storytellers, artists, scientists, and explorers, underscoring the necessity of both imagination and resilience in the pursuit of space exploration.

This work references science fiction, but also environmentalism and human futurisms -- as we learn more about how we would live in space we also are learning how we can live better here on Earth. The project does not take place solely in one location, but in microcosms and science communities all over the world.

This project would not be possible without the support and accessibility of:
The Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS)
The Hawai’i Space Exploration Analog & Simulation (HI-SEAS)
The Space Analog for Moon/Mars at Biosphere 2 (SAM)
The Human Exploration Research Analog (HERA)
Johnson Space Center, NASA
The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NASA
The University Rover Challenge
+ countless friends, crewmembers, and collaborators

photographs