A Geographer on Mars, or Almost

Esri BeLux supported the MarsUCLouvain expedition. Recently graduated, Maxime Foucart reflects on this extraordinary experience. He used ArcGIS Pro to map storms and extravehicular activities on what could be the Red Planet...

"One small step for man, one giant leap for geomatics."  One day, perhaps, this phrase will be uttered elsewhere in the galaxy. On April 2, 2024, it was already running through Maxime Foucart’s mind. The young man was making his first excursion outside the Mars Desert Research Station; the second for the crew of Mission 296 “Atlas,” operated over 15 days by MarsUCLouvain. Dressed in a gray suit, his bubble helmet secure on his head and a ventilation system on his back, Maxime walked toward the spot he had previously identified to install a small weather station. “The maneuver is precise to within a few centimeters,” he explains. “I studied the ideal location using ArcGIS, based on the Digital Terrain Model obtained by my teammate, Louis Joseph, who flew a drone over the area as soon as we arrived.” Around him, the ochre landscape gives the illusion of walking on the Red Planet - an impression that fades when snow-capped mountains appear in the distance...

For 15 days, eight Belgian students occupied this remarkable Mars Society station dedicated to scientific research. Located in the heart of the Utah desert (USA), this self-sufficient facility has been simulating realistic space exploration missions since 2011. It is almost entirely isolated from the rest of the world, despite the 62 million kilometers that separate Earth and Mars.

For Maxime, this is almost a dream come true. Since childhood, when he received a Lego model of the space shuttle Discovery as a gift, space has been in his blood. At 13, he spent hours watching the science TV show Cosmos, listening to its host, the American scientist and astronomer Carl Sagan, discuss Earth’s place in the universe. There are also the stories of his grandfather, whom he unfortunately never met, who worked as a legal advisor at the European Space Agency (ESA), and his stays at the Euro Space Center, the space science awareness center in Libin, in the Belgian Ardennes. Maxime first spent a week there as a Junior Astronaut, before returning years later as an animator. “After high school, I was convinced I wanted a career in astronomy,” he explains. “But I wasn’t cut out for the highly theoretical studies in physics or biology. On the other hand, I quickly appreciated the more applied and concrete approach of geography. In fact, I’m convinced of the value of applying geographic principles to other planets, like Mars or the Moon.”

It was during his Bachelor’s degree in Geography that Maxime discovered GIS. “The courses taught me the basics of mapmaking. Gradually, through my Master’s in Advanced Geographical Sciences at the Catholic University of Louvain, our training shifted toward spatial data analysis and data processing, which require more advanced software. Initially, we used ArcMap, before transitioning to ArcGIS Pro. What’s interesting is that we can handle a project from start to finish. For example, we started with raw Digital Terrain Model data to create landslide hazard maps in Wallonia. We worked similarly on flood risks shortly after the events in the Liège province.” After participating in other student projects like “Kot Astro,” Maxime applied to join the MarsUCLouvain adventure during his final year.

For over a decade, a crew from the Belgian university has been rigorously selected each year to carry out a mission in the American West Desert. Astronomer, onboard doctor, or engineer—the 2024 expedition included, for the very first time, a geographer, thanks to Maxime. “I believe there had never been one in the station before. Even though there are maps to prepare missions or transmit coordinates to ‘Ground Control,’ which tracks the position of astronauts during extravehicular outings on foot or in a small buggy,” says Maxime, who brought a new skill to the team: mastery of ArcGIS. “As a geographer, I need powerful tools to properly map our outings,” Maxime explained in a video about his experience, produced in partnership with the Royal Observatory of Belgium and Esri BeLux, which provided the ArcGIS license, a GPS, and geological sampling equipment. “My study focused on dust transport during Martian storms, with the goal of preventing wear on deployed equipment. I installed a weather station that collected data in the desert to compare it with data from probes sent to Mars or satellite data from Mars. ArcGIS helped me map and understand the terrain around the weather station using drone data. I was also able to compare storms observed on Mars and Earth.”

His teammate, Louis Joseph, a second-year Master’s student in Bioengineering with a specialization in sustainable development, added in the video that ArcGIS helps better understand and observe the results of experiments based on drone use and photogrammetry: “Beyond analyzing 3D models created with the drone, digital surface models, and orthomosaics, the tool is used to represent all of this on maps, making it easier for the public to understand.” Finally, it’s worth noting that Esri’s tool enabled, for the first time, precise georeferencing of sample collection sites around the scientific station.

Today, Maxime Foucart is 25 and holds his degree. While he still dreams of working at ESA and hasn’t forgotten this Martian interlude, he has his feet firmly on the ground. He is currently a project manager at the intercommunal territorial development agency IDETA in Tournai. His mission is to conduct a comprehensive assessment across 20 municipalities, supporting his analyses and cartographic results with ArcGIS. Out of the corner of his eye, he still follows the MarsUCLouvain project. “They’ve included a geographer in the 2025 team again,” he smiles. A small step for man...

At Esri BeLux, Marie-Ange Lebon is responsible for the education sector. “On average, 18 hours per year are dedicated to teaching GIS at the university level. My role is to ensure the proper deployment and renewal of licenses so that professors and students can work with ArcGIS,” she explains. “While we face competition from other software solutions at the Bachelor’s level, as soon as students start tackling more advanced concepts and working with images, 3D, or professional datasets, ArcGIS is the go-to reference. It’s also a significant asset for students who, once graduated, will work in organizations that largely use ArcGIS.”

All universities and major schools in the country are equipped with licenses under the Esri Education Institution Agreement program. While some professors “breathe ArcGIS,” nothing is taken for granted. As Marie-Ange Lebon explains, “Fewer and fewer students are choosing geography. We play a role in promoting geomatics from high school (equivalent to the baccalaureate) and across disciplines like archaeology or geology.”

Regularly, the Esri BeLux team participates in student events. Training professors in ArcGIS is also crucial. Short sessions are organized directly in institutions to demonstrate the platform’s capabilities and present its possibilities. Once or twice a year, a seminar is held with about 15 professors, and newsletters regularly highlight Esri Academy’s online training and MOOCs, free online courses that sometimes lead to certifications.

There’s also the “GIS Student Day” in Brussels. During this day, students and professors, sometimes leading a group of young people, come together for workshops on current GIS topics and to discover the latest software innovations. Several testimonials are also offered, showcasing a wide range of applications. “It’s an opportunity for organizations, like the Ministry of Defense this year, to detail their GIS practices and promote open geomatics positions.”

A great way for Esri BeLux to bridge the academic and professional worlds...