Michaela Musilova

Michaela Musilova

Astrobiologist and explorer

Dr. Michaela Musilova is an award-winning astrobiologist, explorer, professional speaker and author. Michaela has been conducting space-related research at institutions around the world, including NASA, ESA, CalTech, the Canada-France-Hawaii telescope and many others. She was the Commander of 40 simulated missions to the Moon and Mars — the most missions led to date.

Currently, Michaela is the President and Founder of the nonprofit XtremeFrontiers. She is pioneering a unique global project: Astro Seven Summits. It's a world-first in combining expeditions to the highest mountain on each continent with scientific research in collaboration with NASA and institutions worldwide, educational activities and filming documentaries.

Michaela is also a consultant for numerous companies across the globe for topics ranging from Mars missions all the way to museum exhibitions, such as for the Smithsonian. She is one of very few people to have ever led research projects on all seven continents.

Michaela’s work has been recognized through numerous awards, such as Forbes 30 Under 30, Top 100 Women in Aerospace and Aviation, and the Emerging Space Leaders Grant.

Michaela is regularly invited to give keynote presentations and performs a variety of outreach activities globally as a science communicator. She has been giving interviews to international media for over 20 years, writing scientific and educational articles, and she co-authored her biography, "Woman from Mars."

Latest articles by Michaela Musilova

valoria 2 simulated mars mission
Preparations for weightlessness both excite and scare the Valoria 2 crew — Commander's report: sol 2

By Michaela Musilova Published

As soon as they arrived on Mars, the Valoria 2 crew threw themselves into challenging and entertaining space mission training.

Human Spaceflight
Valoria 1 crewmembers take a "Marswalk" outside of the HI-SEAS habitat.
What didn't kill us on 'Mars' only made us stronger — Commander's report: sol 13

By Michaela Musilova Published

Living with the bare minimum taught the Valoria 1 crew valuable lessons in life.

Mars
Valoria 1 crew members HI-SEAS habitat
Virtual reality and creativity help the crew escape their Martian confinement — Commander's report: sol 5

By Michaela Musilova Published

Stressed out and teased by the weather, the Valoria 1 crew immerses themselves in artistic and imaginative projects.

Entertainment
The Valoria 1 crew after arriving at the HI-SEAS station on the volcano Mauna Loa before starting their Mars analog mission.
New crew arrives in Hawaii for mock Mars mission — Commander's report: sol 2

By Michaela Musilova Published

Human Spaceflight
The Sensoria M3 crew with the Lettuce Grow mini-greenhouse that provided them with enough greens to make several salads for their last supper on mission.
What makes a great crew on the moon — Commander's report: lunar day 14

By Michaela Musilova Published

Commander Musilova reflects on what was key for the Sensoria M3 crew to complete their analog mission on the moon successfully, while facing a number of challenges at the HI-SEAS habitat.

The moon
A Sensoria M3 crewmember during a night moonwalk outside the HI-SEAS habitat.
When traditions bring the crew together on the moon — Commander's report: lunar day 10

By Michaela Musilova Published

Commander Musilova describes the traditions the Sensoria M3 created on the moon and brought with them from Earth for the crew to bond during their simulated lunar mission at the HI-SEAS habitat.

The moon
A Sensoria M3 crewmember above HI-SEAS habitat during a moonwalk.
Avoiding digestive problems is part of daily activities on the moon for the Sensoria M3 crew — Commander's report: lunar day 6

By Michaela Musilova Published

The Sensoria M3 crew is doing their best to deal with the physiological challenges they are facing during their simulated moon mission at the HI-SEAS habitat.

The moon
SENSORIA M3 inside the HI-SEAS habitat during their lunar analog mission.
The start of the Sensoria M3 lunar mission is like Groundhog Day — Commander's report: lunar day 2

By Michaela Musilova Published

Commander Musilova reports about how the start of the Sensoria M3 mission feels like Groundhog Day and the emotional whiplash she gets after leading several lunar analog missions back to back.

Missions
Selene II crew above the HI-SEAS habitat after successfully finishing their analog moon mission.
Making hair fertilizer wraps up the Selene II lunar mission — Commander's report: lunar day 14

By Michaela Musilova Published

Commander Musilova reports about how the Selene II crew finished their mission successfully with a combination of lava tube exploration and donating body hair to make plant fertilizer.

Missions
Drone view of the HI-SEAS habitat and crewmembers on an extravehicular activity (EVA), or moonwalk.
Humor saved the day for the Selene II lunar analog mission — Commander's report: lunar day 11

By Michaela Musilova Published

Commander Musilova reports about how the Selene II crew employed humor and resourcefulness to preserve their sanity during a simulated Moon mission at the HI-SEAS habitat.

Missions
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