BETWEEN TWO WORLDS CREW 2

BETWEEN TWO WORLDS

Merging Art and Science to Reveal the Cosmos Right Here on Earth

A Mars-Inspired Expedition in Ladakh for 12 handpicked crew members. Here is your opportunity to learn from the world's leading scientists and artists to discover untouched lands that are brimming with environments that are similar to Martian surfaces. Present-day Ladakh is kindred to how Mars was billions of years ago, and our scientists and artistic thinkers are part of a global effort to study that.

Between Two Worlds, Crew 2, is a curated travel experience that blends adventure, science, and cultural immersion with Protoplanet - a space tutor with ISRO. Be a part of a crew that is helping build India's first research station- Himalayan Outpost for Planetary Exploration in the vast and largely untouched terrain of Tso Kar - and explore Mars-like terrain right here on Earth.

Round two of the program closely uses photography and astrobiology activities to deepen introspect on the question “Are we really alone?” On this expedition, we will trek through breathtaking geologic terrain, interact with the Changthang nomadic community, camp under star-filled skies, photograph unique Mars-analog landscapes and geologic features, and engage with scientific lectures about current astrobiology research to understand larger questions about our place in the universe. This expedition takes you off the map and into the future and asks “What would you say to an extraterrestrial?” Seasoned expeditioners share their life stories that invite you to join a community that lives to learn from the past, understand the present, and foresee the future.

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A Unique Expedition awaits

Meet Your Instructors

Julia DeMarines

Astrobiologist, National Geographic Explorer & Educator, Science Communicator

Meet Julia DeMarines, an Astrobiologist, National Geographic Explorer, a graduate student in UC Berkeley’s Earth and Planetary Science Department, and a researcher with the Blue Marble Space Institute of Science. Her research involves detecting life in the Universe through biosignatures (signs of biology) and technosignatures (signs of technology) and the ethics of sending powerful, intentional messages into space to contact aliens. Julia is a former SETI (Search for ExtraTerrestrial Life) observer with the Breakthrough Listen lab at the Berkeley SETI Research Center and she is currently completing a Master’s degree in Earth & Planetary Science from the University of California, Berkeley. She holds another MSc in Space Studies from the International Space University and a Bachelor's in Astronomy from the University of Colorado. She is also a former analog astronaut with the Mars Desert Research Station. Outside of academia, Julia is a passionate STEM educator with the Ad Astra Academy and a science communicator. In 2013 she created Space in Your Face!, which aims to communicate complex space concepts in fun and engaging ways because everyone deserves to understand the Universe we belong to.

Activities: Learn about current astrobiology research and where our limits are for detecting life in the Universe, understand the geologic importance of the Ladak region and its ties to extraterrestrial environments, experience the true distances between worlds through hands-on activities, contemplate fundamental human questions such as “Are we alone?” and debate if we should be sending messages - exposing our location in the cosmos - to potential alien onlookers, and lastly we will practice crafting a message as a team that speaks for humanity.

Website: juliademarines.com

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Zahra Amiruddin

Photographer, Journalist, Professor of Photography, and Space Enthusiast

Meet Zahra Amiruddin, a visually driven astro-geek who has been working in the artistic field for a decade. Apart from being featured in national and international publications such as The National Geographic Traveller India, The Hindu, Vogue, Time Out, and Better Photography to name a few ; her main areas of interest include ethnographic studies, astronomy, history, and the intersection of science and art. In 2019 she accompanied experts from NASA and Mars Society Australia to the Lonar Crater in Maharashtra, and documented their research for The National Geographic Traveller, India. She has shown her work in solo as well as group exhibitions across Greece, South Korea, Indonesia, Cambodia, and India, and in 2021, her work was published as the supporting text in a photobook about North Korea titled ‘Between Doors.’

Activities:

Create a photographic zine using tools of conversation, phone photography, self-reflection, and make a parallel universe through art.

Work: @zahra.amiruddin

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Expected outcomes
from the program:

Gain a once in a life time experience to walk alongside leading planetary scientists to gain an immersive training experience about Earth's origins and the exploration of Mars

Contribute towards the commissioning of India's first Mars training station. You become a member of the Protoplanet Explorer community.

Join efforts to champion the conservation of India's dark skies. Witness the changing climate and how it impacts us on a micro and a planetary level.

Grow an understanding on how culture and resilience in extreme environments on Earth helps prepare us for venturing into space.

Registration Fee ( including GST)

INR119,000/-

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Expedition Itinerary

(Details will be shared upon registration)

Day 1 - Saboo
B2W crew arrives, acclimatise and rest

Day 2 - Likir and Saboo
Acclimatize, Medic orientation - body behaviour at high altitude , evening chats and preparation to embark for 'Mars'

Day 3 - Saboo to Tso Kar
Drive to Tso Kar, with enroute stops to engage in scientific discussions, cultural observations, reach Tso Kar, a high altitude glacial lake and site for the upcoming Mars station

Day 4 - Tso Kar
Walk with a scientist on Mars, learn how to explore an alien planet, help the team characterize the site to aid the design and commissioning of the upcoming Mars station. Night stargazing and discussions on dark sky conservation, life on Mars

Day 5 - Puga, Tso Kar
Visit to Puga hot springs, learn about how life might have started on Earth and possibly on Mars

Day 6 - Tso Kar to Leh
Engage with Tso Kar community, learn how art and culture permeates in extreme environments on Earth, drive back to Leh

Day 7 - Leh
Relax, choose to participate in a 17th century Ladakhi eco-conscious pottery activity, reflect, your last day as part of the crew, group discussions along with excursion of the local market of Leh

barren Ladakh landscape resembling Mars with a white geodome seen in the distance on the h

Day 8 - Leh
Crew flies home

Day	Date	Programme	Location
Day 1	30-Jul	B2W crew arrives, acclimatise and rest	Saboo
Day 2	31-Jul	Acclimatize, choose to participate in a 17th century Ladakhi eco-conscious pottery activity, evening chats and preparation to embark for 'Mars'	Likir, Saboo
Day 3	1-Aug	Drive to Tso Kar, with enroute stops to engage in scientific discussions, cultural observations, reach Tso Kar, a high altitude glacial lake and site for the upcoming Mars station	Saboo to Tso Kar
Day 4	2-Aug	Walk with a scientist on Mars, learn how to explore an alien planet, help the team characterize the site to aid the design and commissioning of the upcoming Mars station. Night stargazing and discussions on dark sky conservation, life on Mars	Tso Kar
Day 5	3-Aug	Visit to Puga hot springs, learn about how life might have started on Earth and possibly on Mars.	Puga, Tso Kar
Day 6	4-Aug	Engage with Tso Kar community, learn how art and culture permeates in extreme environments on Earth, drive back to Leh	Tso Kar to Leh
Day 7	5-Aug	Relax, reflect,your last day as part of the crew, group discussions	Leh
Day 8	6-Aug	Crew flies home	Leh