DECIPHER: Going to Mars - Science, Society and Sustainability (2020-2021)

This project team developed and examined a series of risk-based decision scenarios of the settlement of Mars. Team members developed analyses and recommendations on key elements of settling Mars, drawing on tools from multiple disciplines including science, engineering, history, economics, ethics, law and international relations.

Major research focuses included habitat, housing and community; society and sustainability; international relations and security; and governance. Team members collaborated to produce website and reports, including:

  • Equity and Resource Equality
  • Inter-state Collaboration, Incentives
  • International Investment, Arbitration
  • Commercial Funding
  • Backward Contamination
  • Medical Risk, Ultrasound Systems

This teams work lives on through the Duke Space Initiative.

Timing

Summer 2020 – Spring 2021

Team Outputs

Our Martian World

Best Practices for Going to Mars (2021 Fortin Foundation Bass Connections Virtual Showcase)

Going to Mars: Science, Society and Sustainability (poster by Savannah Artusi, Shuobo Boboila, Changhe Chen, Adam Doll, Joanna Feaster, Logan Taylor, Angel Heredia, Clare Holtzman, Lelia Jennings, Christpher Kilner, Natha Nouri, Siobhan Oca, Shihvam Patel, Donald Pepka, Ritika Sligram, Samuel Schrader, Chunxin Tang, Patrick Wilson, Jeremy yu, Chase Hamilton, Dniel Buckland, Tyler Felgenhauer, Spencer Kaplan, Jory Weintraub, Jonathan Wiener and Somia Youssef)

Reflections

Spencer Kaplan

This Team in the News

Securing the Final Frontier: Duke’s Space Diplomacy Lab

Summer Spotlights: How Four Ph.D. Students Advanced Their Research

Summer Research Snapshots 2021

Introducing: The Duke Space Initiative

Senior Spotlight: Reflections from the Class of 2021

Q&A with Current Political Science Students

Duke Law Faculty, Students Tackling Diverse Interdisciplinary Research Projects through Bass Connections

See earlier related team, DECIPHER: Decisions on the Risks and Benefits of Geoengineering the Climate (2019-2020).

 

Image: Curiosity is ready for clay (highlighted), by NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

Mars.

Team Leaders

  • Daniel Buckland, School of Medicine-Surgery: Emergency Medicine
  • Tyler Felgenhauer, Pratt School of Engineering-Civil & Environmental Engineering
  • Charles (Chase) Hamilton, Duke Law-JD Student
  • Spencer Kaplan, Sanford School of Public Policy, Undergraduate Student
  • Jory Weintraub, Science & Society
  • Jonathan Wiener, Duke Law
  • Somia Youssef, Arts and Sciences–Political Science–Ph.D. Student

/graduate Team Members

  • Shuobo Boboila, Juris Doctor
  • Savannah Artusi, Juris Doctor
  • Samuel Schrader, Juris Doctor
  • Siobhan Oca, Mech Engg/Materials Sci-PHD
  • Christopher Kilner, Ecology-PHD
  • Clare Holtzman, Juris Doctor

/undergraduate Team Members

  • Jeremy Yu, Political Science (AB)
  • Patrick Wilson, Mechanical Engineering (BSE)
  • Chunxin Tang, DKU Interdisciplinary Studies (BS)
  • Ritika Saligram, Political Science (AB)
  • Donald Pepka, Public Policy Studies (AB)
  • Shivam Patel, Public Policy Studies (AB)
  • Nathan Nouri, Economics (BS)
  • Lelia Jennings, Mechanical Engineering (BSE)
  • Angel Heredia, Political Science (AB)
  • Logan Green, Computer Science (BS)
  • Joanna Feaster
  • Adam Doll, Mechanical Engineering (BSE)
  • Changhe Chen, Economics (BS)

/yfaculty/staff Team Members

  • Christine Ogilvie Hendren, Pratt School of Engineering-Civil & Environmental Engineering
  • Laurence Helfer, Duke Law-Center for International and Comparative Law
  • Mohamed Noor, Arts & Sciences-Biology
  • Earl Dowell, Pratt School of Engineering-Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science
  • Sarah Deutsch, Arts & Sciences-History
  • John De Figueiredo, Duke Law
  • Mary Cummings, Pratt School of Engineering-Electrical & Computer Engineering
  • Amy Schmid, Arts & Sciences-Biology
  • J. H. Pate Skene, School of Medicine-Neurobiology
  • Curtis Bradley, Duke Law-Center for International and Comparative Law
  • Dawn Bowles, School of Medicine-Surgery: Surgical Sciences
  • Mark Borsuk, Pratt School of Engineering-Civil & Environmental Engineering