About us
To learn about us, let’s start with our Management Team.
Chris Carberry – Executive Director
Chris Carberry is the Executive Director and co-founder of Explore Mars, Inc., which was created to promote science and technology innovation and education with a use for Mars exploration.
Chris has been actively involved in the space exploration advocacy community for many years. Prior to Explore Mars, Chris served as Executive Director of The Mars Society, an international non-profit space advocacy organization which supports the human exploration and settlement of Mars. While serving as Executive Director, Chris spearheaded the development of The Mars Quarterly, a highly acclaimed international online and print magazine, and provided a business strategy that resulted in two successful international conferences. His innovative ideas resulted in a new presentation platform at the 2008 conference that included a debate between Apollo astronaut, Walter Cunningham (representing the McCain campaign) and Lori Garver (representing the Obama campaign). Through his expertise in building open strategic alliances among industry leaders, Chris successfully broadened the organization’s outreach, and improved donor commitment and sponsor participation in various programs. He previously served the organization as a member of the Steering Committee, for which he organized congressional outreach efforts around the country. Chris previously served as chairman or co-coordinator of such congressional lobbying events as the 2007-2010 Space Budget Blitz, the 2007 Moon-Mars Blitz, the 2006 Space Blitz, and the Great 2006 Mars Blitz.
Chris co-authored space language in the 2000 Republican National Platform, has co-authored Congressional testimony, and has met with high level officials at the White House, NASA, and Congress. During the last several elections, he had the opportunity to speak with most of the major presidential candidates, and more recently, with the Obama NASA transition team in 2009.
Chris also serves as the Chairman of the Steering Committee of the Space Exploration Alliance, which is an umbrella group representing 13 space advocacy organizations with total membership of over 700,000 people.
Chris has been quoted in numerous national and international newspapers and magazines and has appeared on national and international television and radio. He is the author of many articles and Op-Ed pieces concerning space policy and politics. Chris is also the author of a mystery/science fiction novel called Celestial Pursuits: in the hub of the Universe which was published in 2006. He is currently working on several writing projects, including another science fiction novel, a sequel to Celestial Pursuits, as well as a non-fiction book concerning art theft. In addition, in 2007, Chris signed a movie option contract for his novel, Celestial Pursuits, with a Los Angeles production company.
Chris holds a Bachelor’s degree in political science and a Master’s degree in history and archival methods. For several years he worked as an archivist at the Massachusetts Historical Society, where he processed the papers of United States Senator Leverett Saltonstall, as well as numerous other collections. While in this position, he compiled The Guide to Modern Political Papers in Massachusetts, and helped to put together numerous displays.
Chris has an extensive background in historical research, having worked as research assistant for several authors, including British biographer Sarah Bradford (America’s Queen) and former New York Times Magazine editor Ed Klein (The Kennedy Curse). In 2007, Chris was contracted to archive a large collection of political correspondence and documents, and to ghost write the autobiography of a prominent Boston businessman and philanthropist. In addition, Chris has composed pieces of music that have been performed by the Boston Bel Canto Opera in Boston and at the Massachusetts State Awards Ceremony.
Chris has a black belt in Kung Fu.
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Artemis Westenberg – President and Director
Artemis has been a lobbyist for various causes and organisations for 35 years, starting with a successful lobby for her grammar school when 17. Since 2000, Artemis has been involved in space exploration advocacy, as President of the Mars Society Netherlands and Steering Committee member of The Mars Society Inc. After serving as crewmember in a number of MDRS (Mars Desert Research Station) crews and consequently as CapCom for MDRS and FMARS (Flashline Arctic Research Station), also as logistics manager, for the 4 month FMARS crew in 2007, Artemis took on the responsibilities of Mission Director, managing the MDRS since August 2008, which she turned into a financially independent and self-sufficient project. She intends to establish a European Mars analogue station, in which design she has been involved from the start. Artemis has organised (inter)national conferences since 1980, among which several conferences for the Mars Society in the Netherlands and Europe.
Her former employment includes management in technological multinationals such as Honeywell and THORN EMI in public affairs and business administration, and president of the Council of Women for Rotterdam. Artemis is a nationally decorated feminist in her home country and started her feminist career as member of the Dutch government delegation to the UN conference on the status of women, Copenhague 1980.
In the Netherlands Artemis is often spokesperson for the space community when Mars is in the Media. She has been quoted in numerous national and international newspapers and magazines and has appeared on national and international television and radio.
Artemis enjoys her work as space ambassador giving lectures for any age about space exploration and Mars. At present, Artemis works as Business Manager of the Van Beek-Donner Stichting, a welfare foundation in Rotterdam. She holds an M.A. in History, Classical Studies, International Relations, Islam, of Leyden University and a degree in General Management, of the Dutch Entrepreneurial Society.
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R. Joseph Cassady – Director
Mr. Cassady is a graduate of Purdue University where he majored in Aeronautics and Astronautics. He received a Bachelors Degree in 1981 and a Masters Degree in 1983. His course of study for the Masters Degree emphasized Electric Propulsion and Orbital Mechanics. While pursuing his Master’s Degree, Mr. Cassady worked as a Researcher at the Air Force Rocket Propulsion Laboratory at Edwards AFB. There, he performed research into the acceleration mechanisms of Magneto Plasma Dynamic (MPD) thrusters. After graduating, Mr. Cassady continued his research at the AFRPL, where he helped to create the in-house Electric Propulsion Laboratory (EPL). While at AFRPL he was twice awarded Air Force Sustained Superior Performance awards, received the AFRPL’s Excellent Performance award and was nominated as the Los Angeles Regional Civil Service Employee of the Year in 1984.
In 1985, Mr. Cassady joined Rocket Research Company (RRC) in Redmond, WA as a Senior Development Engineer. Since then, he has been involved with propulsion research and development in varying roles with Olin Aerospace, Primex Aerospace Company, General Dynamics Space Propulsion Systems, and Aerojet. His work has included experimental research and analysis for satellite propulsion using arcjets, ion thrusters, pulsed plasma thrusters, and Hall thrusters. Mr Cassady led the project team that developed and flew the highest power electric propulsion device ever flown aboard the Air Force ARGOS satellite in 1999. He was twice awarded the company’s Administrator of the Year Award for his contributions to advancing the company’s technical and business capabilities. In 2001, he was recognized as part of the EO-1 Pulsed Plasma Experiment team with a Goddard Space Flight Achievement Award. More recently, his responsibilities have evolved to include research projects in cryogenic propulsion and development of thruster technology in support of the NASA Exploration. Currently Mr. Cassady is the Executive Director of the Washington, DC Office of Aerojet. He is based in Washington, DC.
He has served on numerous interagency panels including the NASA Solar System Exploration Team, the Space Propulsion Synergy Team and the New Millennium Project Development team. He has a long-standing interest in advanced propulsion for planetary exploration and in low thrust orbit mechanics. He has authored or co-authored more than 45 papers dealing with propulsion technology and its applications. He holds four patents for electric propulsion technologies. His professional affiliations included the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics; the American Astronautical Society; and the Electric Rocket Propulsion Society, where he serves as Vice President, Operations. His lifelong goal has been to see humans travel to Mars.
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Gary Fisher – Director and Treasurer
Gary Fisher serves Explore Mars, Inc. as Treasurer and as a member of the Board of Directors. His qualifications include a BS and MS degree in Industrial Engineering from Lehigh University.
He has worked as a systems analyst, and database administrator for Control Data Corp., Texas Instruments, and Unisys, and for many years held a second job as bookkeeper to a medical practice. In 2000 he started The Optical Boutique, Inc., an optical shop. In 2004-2005 he served as Executive Director of the Liberty Eye Surgery Center in Philadelphia, PA. In 2006 he helped start the ophthalmology practice, Valley Eye Professionals LLC.
In 2007 he was a founder of Lift-Off Technologies Corp, an invention development company, and since 2008 has been the Administrator of Valley Eye Professionals, LLC. His prior nonprofit experience includes serving from 2008 to 2010 as Treasurer of the Mars Society, Inc.
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Steve McDaniel, JD, PhD – Director & Legal Advisor
Dr. McDaniel is an avid amateur Mars researcher specializing in Martian astrobiology. Most recently as a member of the 2008 Swedish Polar Expedition, he conducted microbiology on Martian analog gullies on Arctic desert islands of Svalbard (“Terrestrial gullies and debris flows tracks on Svalbard as planetary analogs for Mars,” Reiss, et al., Geo. Soc. America, Special Paper, Summer/Fall 2010).
Dr. McDaniel has participated in numerous Mars Analog missions. He was Commanding Officer for the Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station, Summer 2003 (where he directed and produced a documentary, Stepping Stones to Mars); a crewmember at the Mars Desert Research Station, April 2002, Frank Schubert C.O. (where he was a musical contributor to the Extremophiles); and, crewmember at the Mars Desert Research Station, January 2002, Robert Zubrin/Tony Muscatello CO.
In addition to helping found and serving as legal adviser to ExploreMars, Dr. McDaniel is a member of the Association of Mars Explorers.
Dr. McDaniel received a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Texas in 1974, a Master of Science in Genetics from Texas A&M University in 1976 and a Ph.D. in biochemistry from Texas A&M in 1985. He was a post-doctoral fellow at Baylor College of Medicine from 1985 to 1987. He obtained his law degree from the University of Houston (1991).
Since receiving his JD, Dr. McDaniel has specialized in intellectual property litigation. Dr. McDaniel is a member of the bar of the US Supreme Court and is admitted to practice before the US Patent and Trademark Office, the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, the Southern, Western, Eastern and Northern Federal District Courts of Texas and Texas State Courts. His trial experience includes cases tried in Federal Courts in the Southern District of New York, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Western and Eastern Districts of Texas, and several cases in the Southern District of Texas, and Texas State District Courts. He has also litigated before the U.S. Patent Office Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences and the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
Most recently (2002), using techniques learned in his studies of extremeophile microbes, Dr. McDaniel founded Reactive Surfaces a bio-engineering company that use molecular biology to develop functional additives for paints and coatings that protect surfaces against algae, mold, bacteria, odors and viruses on a variety of surfaces; as well as surfaces with functionality like self-degreasing, self-deodorizing, and self-repairing properties.
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Blake Ortner – ISRU Challenge Project Leader
Blake Ortner has been a strong Mars advocate since before 1999. He currently serves as the Senior Associate legislative Director for Paralyzed Veterans of America in Washington, DC where he is responsible for federal legislation and government relations, as well as budget analysis and appropriations. He has represented PVA to federal agencies including the Department of Labor, Office of Personnel Management, Department of Defense, HUD and the VA. His current focus is on Veterans health care and benefits. In addition, he is PVA’s representative on issues such as Gulf War Illness, Deployment Health effects and coordinates issues with other Veteran Service Organizations.
As a member of The Mars Society (TMS), he conducted significant volunteer advocacy for Human Exploration of Mars and the need for Heavy Lift Vehicles if the United States wishes to be a true space faring nation. He served as the Director, DC Working Group in leading advocacy efforts in support of Mars exploration. He also served as the coordinator and Conference Director for both the 2006 Washington, DC Mars Society Convention and the 2009 University of Maryland – College Park Mars Society Convention.
In addition to his work for PVA and TMS, he is a military officer. He originally served on Active Duty with the 9th Infantry Division and the Army’s elite 2nd Ranger Battalion. He continues his military service as an Infantry Colonel in the Virginia Army National Guard.
His military service includes:
2001-2002, as Chief of Operations for Multi-National Division North for the SFOR 10 peacekeeping mission to Bosnia-Herzegovina 2004-2005 he commanded an Infantry Battalion Task Force in Afghanistan earning 2 Bronze Star Medals 2007-2008 he served in Iraq as the Chief of Operations for Multi-National Force – Iraq earning a Bronze Star Medal and a Joint Commendation Medal.
Additional awards include the Combat Infantryman’s Badge, Combat Action Badge, Ranger Tab, Military Free Fall Parachutist Badge and the Parachutist Badge. Currently commands the 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team in Virginia.
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Joseph H. Webster – Explore Mars Space Policy Committee
Joe Webster is an attorney in private practice with a law firm in Washington, DC, where he has practiced law for 15 years. During that time, he has gained extensive experience crafting policy positions and documents, as well as lobbying both the Executive Branch and Congress. On the space policy front, Joe has helped to develop policy and advocacy positions for both the Space Exploration Alliance and the Mars Society. He also has participated in a number of space policy legislative “blitzes” over the years. Joe served as a JAG officer in the Army Reserve and is a veteran of both Operation Iraqi Freedom (2006-07) and the Gulf War (1990-91).
