Join our Webinar: Tips For Managing Isolation And Related Challenges From Dr. Michaela Musilova

 

This is going to be a FREE, PMI-PDU eligible LIVE webinar, broadcasted directly from Hawaii/USA via Webex. Our Special Guest will be, Astrobiologist Dr. Michaela Musilova, who is the Director of the Hawaii - Space Exploration Analog and Simulation (HI-SEAS) station, which is designed to prepare astronauts, engineers, and scientists for life on the Moon or Mars. Register here!

HI-SEAS is located at 2,500 meters in elevation on the active volcano Mauna Loa in Hawaii. It has initially been the home to successful long duration (4 to 12 month) NASA Mars simulation missions.

As of 2018, the International MoonBase Alliance (IMA) has opened up the research at HI-SEAS to worldwide research organizations, space agencies, and companies. During the simulated missions to the Moon and Mars at HI-SEAS, a six-person crew is isolated from the rest of humanity for long periods of time. This includes communication with “Earth” delays being imposed on them for up to 20 minutes each way.

The crew can only exit the habitat when they have permission from Mission Control on Earth while wearing analog spacesuits and going through full extravehicular activity (EVA) protocols.

Our current COVID-19 pandemic has put many people worldwide into a similarly isolated state at home, with limited possibilities to go outside and communicate with others. Dr. Musilova will share tips on how to deal with isolation and related challenges during these times, based on her experiences leading analog space missions.

Dr. Michaela Musilova - Astrobiologist

Dr. Michaela Musilova is an astrobiologist with a focus on life in extreme environments. She has a PhD degree from the University of Bristol (UK). Michaela studied and conducted research at University College London (UK), California Institute of Technology (USA), Chiba University (Japan) and others. She is also a graduate from the International Space University (ISU)'s Space Studies Program. Michaela’s space research experience includes working at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory; University of London Observatory; Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope; on NASA’s and UK Space Agency’s MoonLite project; being an analog astronaut and Commander of numerous simulated missions to the Moon and Mars at the HI-SEAS station in Hawai’i, and at the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) in Utah. Michaela is currently the Director of HI-SEAS, as part of the University of Hawai’i and the International MoonBase Alliance. She is also a visiting professor at the Slovak University of Technology, vice-chair of the Slovak Organisation for Space Activities (SOSA), Adjunct Faculty at ISU and a senior research adviser for Mission Control Space Services Inc. She has received numerous prizes and grants, including the Emerging Space Leaders Grant from the International Astronautical Federation (2016); Women in Aerospace – Europe Young Professional Award (2016) and she was selected as one of the most promising 30 under 30 by Forbes Slovakia (2015). Michaela is also actively involved in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, as a patron of the programme in Slovakia and an Emerging Leader Representative for Europe, Mediterranean and Arab states. Furthermore, she enjoys participating in STEAM outreach activities from teaching at schools, giving public presentations, to working with the media and more, as well as encouraging people to pursue their dreams.