NASA photograph of the Martian surface, rocky red terrain under a dusty sky
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TRI VALLEY
MARS SOCIETY

The Official Tri-Valley Student Chapter of the Mars Society

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NASA/JPL full-disk mosaic of the planet Mars

We're looking for students who refuse to believe humanity's story ends on one planet.

Founded in 1998 by aerospace engineer Dr. Robert Zubrin and a coalition of scientists, educators, and space enthusiasts, The Mars Society is the world's leading nonprofit dedicated to advancing the human exploration and eventual settlement of Mars. What began as a single gathering of roughly 700 delegates has grown into a global movement of thousands of members and supporters across more than 50 countries, connected through local chapters, research stations, and student competitions worldwide. Tri Valley Mars Society is proud to carry that mission forward here in the Bay Area — turning big ideas about life beyond Earth into real projects, real research, and real momentum, one student at a time.

Our focus areas

Building toward a Mars base

The engineering problems every project our members take on lands in.

Mars Lotus habitat — a spiral dome assembled from identical petal-shaped panels on the Martian surfaceFuture Mars base shelter concept on the Martian surface

Mars Lotus

Purpose

To design a Mars habitat built entirely from identical, petal-shaped panels. The panels are 3D-printed on Earth and joined on Mars into a single spiral dome, much like the overlapping petals of a folding steamer basket.

Significance

Every panel is the same part, so any panel can replace any other. Producing one part many times also gives higher consistency and quality than producing many different parts. The result is a lightweight, repairable shell that is simple enough for robotic assembly. The dome shape is also designed to use passive ventilation (the stack effect) and to bring in natural daylight through an opening at the top.

Method

An AI-assisted design algorithm calculates each panel's curvature and tilt so that the pieces fit together into one shell. We then build and test scaled prototypes to study how the shell carries load, how the panels join and seal, which materials perform best, and how well air and light move through the dome under Mars conditions.

Milestones

The roadmap ahead

Rotating globe of Mars

September 2026

Check out our new schedule!

View full roadmap (Google Sheets)
  1. 01

    September 2026

    Flagship Projects

    Our flagship engineering project tests whether a Mars habitat can self-regulate its interior temperature using only the geometry and materials of its shell, with no electrical power.

  2. 02

    March 2027

    ACSEF Special Award

    Sponsor a Special Award at the ACSEF (Alameda County Science and Engineering Fair) — an additional prize our chapter defines and judges for outstanding student projects.

  3. 03

    July 2027

    Poster Competition with ACSEF SLB

    Co-host a poster competition with the ACSEF SLB (Alameda County Science and Engineering Fair Student Leadership Board).

Team

Officers

Portrait of Ken (Tianjun Qu), President & Founder of the Tri Valley Mars Society

Ken (Tianjun Qu)

President & Founder

Portrait of Kai (Kai-Hsun Tsai), Vice President & Co-Founder of the Tri Valley Mars Society

Kai (Kai-Hsun Tsai)

Vice President & Co-Founder

Portrait of Tim (Yuhao Gong), Secretary of the Tri Valley Mars Society

Tim (Yuhao Gong)

Secretary

Portrait of Cyrus (Yuk Lun Leung), Branding & Communication Dept. of the Tri Valley Mars Society

Cyrus (Yuk Lun Leung)

Branding & Communication Dept.

Portrait of Vincent (Yongsheng Huang), Branding & Communication Dept. of the Tri Valley Mars Society

Vincent (Yongsheng Huang)

Branding & Communication Dept.

Portrait of Nelson Lu, Member of the Tri Valley Mars Society

Nelson Lu

Member

Portrait of Mason Gold, Member of the Tri Valley Mars Society

Mason Gold

Member

Portrait of Jonathan Chen, Member of the Tri Valley Mars Society

Jonathan Chen

Member

Portrait of Anish Tetali, Member of the Tri Valley Mars Society

Anish Tetali

Member

Portrait of Leo Peng, Member of the Tri Valley Mars Society

Leo Peng

Member

Join our team

Officer positions are open. This seat could be yours.

FAQ

Questions, answered

Sponsors

Our Sponsors

Thank you to the organizations backing our work — materials, competition travel, and outreach across the Tri-Valley.

Vigiles Robotics logo

Vigiles Robotics

An embodied-intelligence robotics company founded on one conviction: the most dangerous work should not be done by people. By developing BraveBot — a robot brain adaptable across platforms — they enable machines to operate autonomously and keep personnel out of hazardous, high-intensity environments.

vigilesrobotics.comCalifornia Science and Technology University logo

California Science and Technology University

Founded in 2011 in Silicon Valley, California Science and Technology University (CSTU) is a private institution offering practical, career-focused tech education. It provides Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Computer Systems & Engineering and Business Administration. Its STEM-designated, OPT-eligible programs feature specialized tracks in AI, Big Data, Cloud Computing, and FinTech, alongside professional certifications designed to ensure global students' industry readiness.

cstu.edu

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