
Role : Crew GreenHab Officer
Studies : Environmental Sciences
Email : amonhonval@ucltomars.org
I began my PhD thesis two years ago which deals with terrestrial permafrost regions, and more precisely the study of the consequences of climate warming on those ice- and organic-rich soils. I always had an interest about space and our Universe. So many discoveries and so many accomplishments have been made those last centuries. The UCL to Mars project was the ideal way to learn a bit more about space and Mars exploration. Permafrost study also triggered my interest about Mars exploration. Some similarities are observed between terrestrial permafrost landscapes and martian permafrost ones. The discovery of life within small salty liquid interface within ice on earth showed that life was establishing anywhere, even in extreme conditions. Why not on Mars ?

Fast assessment of mineral content on Martian-like soil with portable XRF device
This experiment is about testing an innovative way to analyze Martian soil composition. At the MDRS, our goal is to provide a rapid and reliable assessment of Martian-like soil mineral content, which will contribute (i) to evaluate the suitability of these soils for food production and (ii) to study the potential ancient presence of liquid […]