Students from the University of Western Australia in December 2014 entered into a global competition to land experimental gear onto Mars designed to generate breathable air on our nearest neighbour.

The Helena Payload Project was the only successful finalist from the southern hemisphere in the Mars One University Competition.

The competition was run by Mars One, a non-profit that aims to establish permanent life on Mars. The winner of the completion was given the chance to have their payload land on the first unmanned mission to Mars in 2018.

The UWA project aimed to produce oxygen from water exacted from Martian soil using electrolysis, using a unit housed in a custom made chassis. ?? The project was developed in conjunction with Perth physicist and Mars One astronaut candidate Josh Richards.

Successes like this demonstrate the importance of university education and research, especially when it comes to projects which could change the landscape of humanity in the future. ?Congratulations UWA for your incredible final entry and thank you for keeping it clever.

 

Mars One Lander CAD

The Helena Project Video

Access UWA’s final submission paper via The Helena Project website

[img source] University of Western Australia The Helena Project UWA bit.ly/1AW0NE1