MARS MAN.

This scientist is studying Mars-like conditions in the Arctic. He hopes to ship you off to the Red Planet someday.

Are you ready to go to Mars? A round trip will take more than two years with current technology. And how would you possibly survive there? Pascal Lee hopes to find out. Lee is a planetary scientist at the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Institute (SETI) in Mountain View, Calif., and NASA's Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif. His goal to send humans Mars-bound has made him carve out one far-out job.

For the past four summers, Lee has led scientists on expeditions to one of the most Martian-like places on Earth: Haughton Crater in the Canadian Arctic. Why there? Lee, whose specialty is planetary geology (study of rocky planets), first wondered about the possible similarities between the Canadian crater and Mars while studying for his Ph.D. in astronomy and space sciences at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y. He thinks studying the crater's geological and biological features will give scientists more clues to real Martian terrain and how our neighboring planet may have evolved.

Funded by NASA and the National Research Council, Lee's first expedition took place in 1997. Four scientists trekked north to study rocks. Lee's excitement caught on, and by summer 2000, he was heading a team of more than 60 scientists. They explore Mars-like valleys and canyons, look for life in this extreme environment, and test out Martian necessities like space suits, robots, and sturdy vehicles. To get to Mars, "it will take a collection of many people's efforts and passions," explains Lee. "What we're doing is homework for the mother of all camping trips."

What fueled this Hong Kong-born scientist's curiosity for life in space? A childhood immersed in comic books and sci-fi series like Lost in Space and Star Trek. "Of course you grow up not believing in them," Lee laughs, "but you wonder about the possibilities." By 13, he'd read anything he could about real rockets and space travel. Works by astronomer Carl Sagan made him think more about "what's out there?"

But Lee admits he wasn't a disciplined student: "I would climb the school's fence to get out!" At eight, his parents sent him to boarding school in France (where his mom was from) to buckle down. "I was always interested in science, but found math and physics difficult," he says. Still, the budding explorer knew it would take good math and physics skills to fulfill his space dreams. So he worked hard. "The point of education isn't about doing what's easy. It's about learning the tools you need to do what you want to be in life."

Lee recalls asking a teacher what it would take to travel to Mars. "The answer was very simple, but yet very daunting. He said, `You have to be the best person they have to send.' At that point I thought to myself, how could your ego be so big that you think you can possibly be the best person to go? But the point is: You have to do your best." He adds: "The biggest lesson I've learned is to believe in your dreams and try your hardest."

* Planetary scientists earn between $40,000 and $80,000 a year.

For more on Pascal Lee's work, visit: www.arctic-mars.org and www.marssociety.com

Prepping for Mars

Rocky bitterly cold, and windswept Haughton Crater may be the spot on Earth most like crater-faced Mars. To protect the location's natural features, "we go through extremes in our everyday activities," says Pascal Lee. For example: "You can't go to the bathroom behind rocks." Urine contains nitrogen, which promotes plant growth. "Suddenly the desert would turn into an oasis," Lee says. Researchers use an empty fuel drum--a "pee drum"--that's flown off the island every few days. As for brushing teeth: "I spit into a Ziplock bag and deposit it into a trash incinerator." The rugged terrain also provides a test site for Martian-gear designers--scientists will need to freely move and dig through Martian craters. "A space suit is basically a wearable spacecraft," says Lee. "Only this `airbag' protects you from the outside world." A Martian "airbag" demands many layers: some to protect the wearer from radiation so strong it produces instant skin cancer, others to protect from pressure loss, maintain body temperature, and shield one from meteorites.