Path to the Stars
With a lifelong passion for inter-planetary exploration, Dr Darlene Lim’s work helps to prepare astronauts for scientific missions to the moon, Mars, and deep space.
Human exploration of the moon, Mars and other deep-space destinations is high on the list of priorities for NASA. Two NASA astronauts first visited the moon in 1969, and five landed there in 1972 as part of the Apollo programme. But no-one has made the landing since then – partly due to a lack of funding.
According to a recent analysis by The Planetary Society, it cost NASA $28 billion to develop the Apollo programme in the ’60s, which translates to roughly $288 billion in today’s money. However, space exploration is back on the agenda, with NASA planning for a moon landing in 2024. There are also plans for human exploration of Mars. While spacecrafts have been sent to Mars, humans are
yet to make the trip because of its inhospitable environment. One of the main challenges is the lack of atmospheric pressure, which makes sustaining life and exploring the terrain without life support impossible.
Scientists are now working to develop technology to make Mars livable for humans – and when they do, Dr Darlene Lim will have helped to prepare the astronauts to make the journey.
“My focus is on designing and developing mission elements for human scientific exploration of the moon, deep space and Mars,” explains Dr Lim. “Safety is of paramount importance – and anything that we put into place to support a mission … must be in service of astronaut wellbeing. Our preparations span a broad gamut of topics – from operational concepts that define how we explore, to the capabilities that support how we explore (such as software and hardware), to the transportation – inter-planetary and local – that will enable humans to explore, to the training of our astronauts, and so on. There are thousands of people at NASA, and various institutions and organisations around the world working in service of these preparations. They approach the problem from a multitude of angles and perspectives.”
Dr Lim grew up in Canada, spending time in the Canadian Rockies and watching explorer Jacques Cousteau on television. She studied biology at university, completed a doctoral degree in geology and went on to become a postdoctoral researcher at NASA’s Ames Research Centre before becoming a NASA staff scientist and project leader. “When I look back and connect the dots, I can see that there were many influencing moments that steered me towards a career in STEM [science, technology, engineering and maths] – and, specifically, space science,” says Dr Lim. “During my graduate years I met a few folk who were conducting Mars exploration and astrobiology research. Exploration, of our planet and our solar system was always a passion of mine, so I came to find that I could bring Earth and space science research together through a slight pivot of my research focus.”
The turning point in her research was taking part in the Haughton Mars Project, one of NASA’s first major analog field campaigns. “Analog research [studies] a place on Earth that lets researchers approximate operational or physical conditions on other planetary bodies – and within deep space,” explains Dr Lim. “Analog research is a lower cost, lower risk way of preparing for our journey to the moon, deep space and Mars. Through analog missions, NASA can identify operational and engineering designs that support humanrobotic science and exploration”.
For the Haughton Mars Project, Dr Lim conducted research on the physical, chemical, and biological information preserved in the sediment profiles of a Mars-like impact structure in the High Arctic, which had subsequently filled to become a lake. “I was also part of the inaugural and second crew of the Mars Society’s Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station, which stands at the edge of Haughton Crater,” says Dr Lim.
“Through these programmes, I found my way into NASA as a postdoctoral fellow. I was able to stretch from earth and planetary science into operations and technology research domains as well. I’ve had the joy of meeting and working with many talented people from the NASA family – as well as from institutions and organisations around the world. Through these teams I can evolve my research and push beyond my area of expertise.”
Dr Lim says one of her toughest challenges is creating inter-disciplinary teams. “When folks from an array of expertises and backgrounds come together, there is always the threat that intellectual and social lines will be drawn in the sand, and that ‘talking past each other’ will become the norm. Overcoming this threat, and then moving to a state where team members have left their [preconceptions] at the door, rolled up their sleeves, and are all digging into complex problems in a complementary and inclusive manner – that’s when the magic happens.”
The search for past and present-day life on Mars has always fascinated Dr Lim, and the establishment of future life – human life – on Mars is what really drives her.
“We’re in such an exciting moment in human spaceflight. Every day we move closer to sending humans to Mars.”
Dr Lim is part of Science at the Extreme at Melbourne Museum for National Science Week, 8-15 August.