MDRS-88 UPDATE: Location of the MDRS

I have received over a dozen emails inquiring where exactly the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) is located. I wrote back that it is in Utah close to a town called Hanksville. I received another round of emails wanting me to explain where the heck Hanksville was. I wasn’t really sure myself so I looked it up on the internet. From what I gathered, the MDRS is located in the San Raphael Swell in Utah, 7 miles (11km) from Hanksville, 4 miles west along state route 24 and about 3 miles north on a dirt road.

The Crew Briefing Document we received from Artemis Westenberg, Mission Director for MARS (Mars Analog Research Stations) instructed us as follows:

The Grand Junction (Colorado) to Hanksville drive:

• Phone DG Lusko AND the Mission Director when you leave Grand Junction for Hanksville
• And phone the Mission Director again when you arrive in Hanksville
• Once you have arrived in Hanksville, report to the Hollow Mountain, to DG Lusko, so he can give you very precise instructions to find the Hab.
• The Hollow Mountain is the shop and gas station on your left when you reach Hanksville.
  Driving directions Grand Junction to Hanksville _ 158 mi – about 2 hours 47 mins according to Google Maps.
• From Grand Junction head west on I-70 W, Take exit 149 for UT-24 W toward Hanksville. Simple.

Please note that she uses the word simple at the end of the instructions! But we have to call her in Belgium every step of the way, so it must be real easy to find.
Here is a Google Map picture of where the “Hab” is located: Please note that you can use your mouse to zoom in/zoom out and move the map in any direction you want.



and,



Looks like the closest major cities are Grand Junction, Colorado and Provo, Utah.
If you go to Google Earth and type in Mars Desert Research Station it will pin point the coordinates at:
39 deg, 24 min, 23.22 sec N and 110 deg, 49 min, 30.88 W. Elevation 4503 feet.
If you zoom in you can actually make out the outline of the “Hab”. Amazing!