In order to help develop key knowledge needed to prepare for human Mars exploration, and to inspire the public by making real the vision of human exploration of Mars, the Mars Society maintains multiple habitats around the world, where simulation missions can take place in conditions as similar as possible to actual Mars missions. The Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station, brought online in 2000, was the first station created in support of this goal.

The crew, chosen from volunteers from around the world, will serve a 4-month rotation in the Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station on Devon Island beginning in early April of 2007. During this time they will employ the Mars-like polar desert of Canada's Devon Island to experiment with techniques for the human exploration of Mars.