The planet Mars is in the process of being explored via robots prior to human settlement. Successive missions to Mars are a prelude to a new branch of civilization away from the home planet, Earth. Mars is viewed as a stepping stone to the moons of the outer planets in the solar system and the Earth-like 'exoplanets' in nearby star systems.
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The VR lab becomes a Mars Virtual Research Station to complement the physical research stations in the Canadian arctic and the Utah desert where teams of future Martian astronauts work and play in closed simulations that develop and test mission operations.
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Following the landing and establishment of early 'habitats' brought to Mars from Earth, humans will begin to construct cities from native Martian resources, living and working underground and on the surface of the planet. Several 'design narratives' are fabricated and tested in VR as crew-psychology game experiments weaving fantasy with fact.
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The main focus is on human group mind-body adaptation to the extreme rigors of long duration isolation - traveling in space and learning to survive in a world that is extremely cold, dry and full of stimulating challenges to the creative imagination of Martian pioneers (now children) and their robots.
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