The question was posed by Oleksandr Burlaka, PhD in Engineering
Serhii Yakymov is a Ukrainian engineer who was once selected to participate in the final part of the Mars One project. The goal of this initiative was to organize the first private flight to Mars. Back in 2017, he moved to the United States and worked there at a company that supplies materials for the aerospace industry.
Since November 2023, he has been the head of the Mars Research Station in the San Rafael Desert, where it is being tested whether humans can live on the Red Planet in Earth-like conditions. We talked to him about his work and found out how he assesses the possibility that astronauts will soon be able to reach Mars.
You run the Mars Research Station in the San Rafael Desert. Tell us about this project and what exactly you do there?
The project was organized by The Mars Society in the early 2000s. At that time, a station was built on Devon Island in the Canadian Arctic, and later, my station, The Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS), was built in the Utah desert. MDRS has grown over the years from a single building to an entire complex. This station is classified as a procedural (or operational) and geological analog. It runs analog space simulations that mimic life on the surface of Mars as closely as possible. We give scientists from all over the world the opportunity to conduct research in such conditions.
My job is to support and conduct these studies. I select and instruct candidates, as well as prepare and support their research. I am responsible for training, and occasionally conduct them myself. I am responsible for the safety of the station and ensuring that it is equipped with everything it needs. I plan and, if necessary, carry out diagnostics and repair of equipment. In such conditions, you need to be able to do many things.
What scientific results have been obtained at the Mars Research Station over the years? What interesting things have happened there during this time?
It is difficult to answer this question. We have done about 300 simulations so far, thousands of experiments. Some of them are still ongoing. A lot of research has been done on group dynamics, the psychology of behavior in confined spaces. Every year, the University Rover Challenge, an international competition of Martian rovers between universities, takes place here.
Does NASA plan to involve the people who are currently training at the Mars Research Station in real flights to Mars?
The fact is that we do not train astronauts. Our station makes it possible to conduct research in conditions close to life on the surface of Mars, as far as possible for our type of simulation. And our selection criteria are much lower than those of the aerospace administration, because we do not select astronauts. I do not know if NASA will use them, but I hope so.
How did you get into this program, and can other Ukrainians take part in it?
I joined this program even before I started working here. I applied to participate in the simulation and passed, it was in 2022. A few months later, I found out that the station was looking for employees, sent my resume, and was hired. The program has no restrictions on who can participate in the simulation. Ukrainians, like anyone else, can apply. It should only be noted that the visa, logistics, fees, and related expenses are at the participant’s expense.
You have repeatedly stated that going to Mars is your cherished dream. Tell us how it was born.
My cherished dream is to become an astronaut and work in space. A flight to Mars is just one of the stages of its realization. Honestly, I can not remember when the idea of Mars came up, perhaps because I realized that such a project would lead to a positive impetus for human progress, and we would have a better chance of a brighter future.
What is your opinion on the concepts of the development of the Red Planet expressed by Robert Zubrin?
If you are talking about The Case for Mars, he wrote a whole book on this topic, so I will not retell it. Let me just say that a lot has changed since then, and it would be nice to revisit this concept.
What problems with organizing life on Mars seem particularly difficult to you?
It will be extremely difficult to adapt people to living and working on Mars, psychological health, and resources. Life on a desert planet, in a confined space, will be difficult and monotonous, at first, for sure. The distance to Earth will also play a role. Communication with relatives will not be possible in real time, help will take years to arrive, and evacuation will also take a long time.
Who do you think has a better chance of sending people to Mars: NASA, Elon Musk, another private American company, or some international project?
Let’s first define who is who. Elon Musk is only building a transportation system, period. It will not go anywhere unless there is a customer for this service who will put people on it and pay for the flight. And the infrastructure needs to be built on Mars so that Elon Musk’s vehicle can land, refuel, and fly back, and so that people have a place to live and work. And right now, Musk has one such client, NASA. At the moment, only the aerospace agency needs to prepare for a flight to Mars, has people who can and want to go there, and the financial ability to pay for a vehicle for the flight. There is still a need to find contractors to build housing infrastructure on a distant planet. And an international project can grow around it, and this will be a big plus that will make it possible to accelerate these efforts.
Will there be a large-scale race between the US and China to be the first to reach Mars?
As for the US and China specifically, I do not think so. I do not think that each of these countries will be able to financially support such a project on its own, because no one will simply invest in one expedition to fly to Mars to overtake a competitor. We are talking about long-term projects that should develop into the colonization of the planet. And this requires a lot of cooperation at the state level with the involvement of a significant share of private businesses. So, if there is a race, it will be between the cooperatives of countries. And it would be better if it were large-scale to get results. Such a result that none of the participants would want to rest on their laurels.
You were a member of Mars One, which aimed to organize a private mission to the Red Planet. What is happening with this project now?
The project went bankrupt and closed a few years ago. As far as I know, the founder of the project, Bas Lansdorp, is currently trying to make a documentary about it and is thinking of reviving it. But I can not say anything concrete yet.
On the one hand, a flight to Mars can be seen as an escape from the problems faced by humanity on Earth. On the other hand, it can also be a new stage in the development of humanity, a step towards the exploration of other worlds. How do you feel about the flight to Mars? Would you call it an escape or a new challenge?
Going to Mars as an escape from Earth’s problems is not an option at all. This is important in view of the fact that the technologies that will be created for the development/colonization of Mars should be used to improve life on Earth. For example, waste recycling, energy, and food technologies.
This interview was published in Universe Space Tech magazine #1 (190) 2024. You can buy this issue in electronic or paper versions in our store.
