Vladimir Pletser

Recognized under Tier 4 — Life Support & Closed-Loop Systems, Vladimir Pletser has made extensive contributions to microgravity research and human performance studies in reduced-gravity environments. With one of the longest records of participation in parabolic flight campaigns in the world, and experience as a former ESA astronaut trainer and researcher, Pletser has accumulated an exceptional empirical understanding of how humans and physical systems behave under conditions of reduced and microgravity. That practical, experiential knowledge base is directly valuable for designing the life support systems and operational procedures that will govern daily life aboard a Mars-bound spacecraft and on the Martian surface.