The Mars Society Journey: Analogs, Bold Conversations, and the Futures We Are Building
Image credits: Sergey Drozdov | Adobe Stock
In early October 2025, I was delighted to join the Mars Society for their yearly annual convention, this time in Los Angeles.
Where My Mars Story Began
I have a long history with the Mars Society. Way back when I was in grad school, I participated in three analog Mars simulations with this amazing community—two in the desert in southeastern Utah (USA) and one in the high Canadian Arctic.
Crew Photo from my 2005 Mars simulation with The Mars Society
Words fail me when I try to capture the impact that these simulations had on my life. This boots-on-the-ground exposure brought home to me the challenges of living in a very small group in a remote environment while doing tough tasks under new (to me) forms of stress. My sims shaped the way I thought (and continue to think) about what it means to be human in situations that are completely foreign to my day-to-day experience. And yes, I picked up some habits on these sims that still pop up even today … if I’ve ever followed you around turning the lights off in rooms you’ve just left, you have my Mars sims to thank for that bizarro behavior.
Of course, it wasn’t all challenges in these sims. I formed lifelong friendships, explored gorgeous and forbidding landscapes, and really came to appreciate the challenges and opportunities that we will face as we look to make humanity a multiplanetary species. Never once, in all these years, have I wavered from these visions of possible, positive, and deeply meaningful futures. I’m still excited to collaborate with folks who are also curious about and dedicated to innovating around humanity’s future off Earth.
Conversations from the Convention
Fast forward 20+ years to this year’s convention. At the end of Day One, I joined a panel discussing the future of NASA with Robert Zubrin of the Mars Society and Casey Dreier of the Planetary Society. Never - and I mean never - have I been part of a conversation that went double the time and still the audience wasn’t willing to get up and head to dinner. Wow! It’s this passion - and friction - and potential that has kept me coming back to Mars over the decades.
A snapshot from my talk, Harnessing Synthetic Biology on Mars, during the 28th Mars Society Convention
On Day Two, I was delighted to take the stage to frame synthetic biology as a major enabling technology for Mars (and more). And I was even more delighted to catch talks and conversations with old friends as well as new colleagues. Plus, I got a front-row seat to pitches from young innovators around the world who are looking to solve some of humanity’s most pressing challenges for Mars.
Looking Ahead
We don’t have to choose between innovating for Mars and making life on Earth better, starting today. I’m deeply grateful to the Mars Society for continuing to showcase this around the world and over the years. Looking forward to many more chances to engage with this future-building community!
About Tiffany
Dr. Tiffany Vora speaks, writes, and advises on how to harness technology to build the best possible future(s). She is an expert in biotech, health, & innovation.
For a full list of topics and collaboration opportunities, visit Tiffany’s Work Together webpage.
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If this article sparked your curiosity, you might want to explore these additional resources on space exploration and building better futures:
🚀 Can You Retire on Mars? | Read my reflection piece here
🚀 The Future of the Space Economy: Profit, Purpose, and the Path to Sustainability | Read the article here
🚀 Exponential Technologies and the Future of Mars: Building a Sustainable Off-World Civilization | Read the article here
🚀 Reverse Pitches: Identifying the Hardest Problems for Mars and Earth | Read the article here
🚀 Designing Digital Wellbeing for Space: Building a Human-First Digital Future | Read the article here
🚀 Exploring What A Green Mars Could Mean, for Mars and Earth | Read the article here
🚀 (Mars Society Convention) Harnessing Synthetic Biology on Mars | Watch the video here
🚀 What Will Life on Mars Look Like in 50 Years? | Watch the video clip here
Buy Tiffany a Cup of Coffee | Image credits: Irene Kredenets via Unsplash.
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