Specific experimental tasks in support of our scientific objectives include: 1) a remote-sensing and geophysics-supported survey of geologic and biologic features at and around Haughton ; 2) the documentation of short-to-long term changes affecting the crater and its surroundings ; 3) the search for, and sampling of, selected geological materials (e.g., the breccia, paleolacustrine sediments (varves), shocked carbonates, materials with a hydrothermal signature, target carbonate and crystalline basement materials, biological samples, etc.).
The following is a list of the science and engineering experiments to be deployed at Haughton. We will test these experiments/instruments with an eye for possible use on future robotic planetary rovers or for a human Mars mission, in conjunction with the science tasks at hand. Education and outreach activities are also planned.
Field Spectrometer Experiment (FSEX)
Participants: L. Pedersen, P. Lee, D. Apostolopoulos, C. McKay, T. Roush, A. Zent.
A field spectrometer will be used to characterize the spectral signature of the various lithologies exposed at Haughton. Field spectrometry at the crater gives us a combined opportunity to (1) characterize the spectral properties of lithologic units present at Haughton that are relevant as a martian analog (e.g., the paleolacustrine sediments), (2) characterize the diversity of lithologic units at the crater to better understand the evolution of Haughton itself, (3) compare field spectra with sample data and available satellite remote-sensing data (field spectra acquired will be combined with Radarsat and SPOT data) to produce spectral maps of the crater, and (4) gain experience with conducting field spectrometry from a mobile platform in a planetary exploration context, and apply this experience to unhuman and human exploration mission planning. Current plans are to use an Ocean Optics field spectrometer with a wavelength range of 300 to 1000 nanometers. The field spectrometer will be operated by Liam Pedersen of the Robotics Institute of Carnegie Mellon University.
Ground-Penetrating Radar Experiment (GPREX)
Participants: A. Foessel, P. Lee, D. Apostolopoulos, J. Rice, C. Stoker, A. Zent.
A ground-penetrating radar (GPR) system will be deployed at Haughton to map ground-ice and other subsurface discontinuities in a variety of locations within and outside the crater, possibly including stream icings. In particular, the distribution and structure of ground-ice in the allochtonous breccia will be investigated in some detail. Questions to be addressed include: Are there large-scale discontinuities in the breccia? Is it host to bodies of segregated ice? Does its water content vary significantly with depth and breadth? How deep can the permafrost be probed? Because the Haughton breccia may represent a close physical analog to the martian regolith at high latitudes, using the GPR to map ground-ice at the crater will provide some idea of what a similar effort might reveal on Mars. Where possible, GPR imaging of the subsurface will be "ground-truthed" with direct drilling (see below). The GPR system to be used will likely be Carnegie Mellon University's GSSI SIR System-2 operating at the following discrete frequencies: 100 MHz, 500 MHz, and 1 GHz. The same instrument was deployed earlier this year in Antarctica, during the Carnegie Mellon University/NASA Robotic Antarctic Meteorite Search expedition to the Patriot Hills, Ellsworth Mountains. During HM-98, the GPR will be operated by Alex Foessel of the Robotics Institute of Carnegie Mellon University.
Participants: P.Lee, G. Briggs, C. McKay, E. Grin, J. Schutt, G. Dunfield, N. Cabrol, J. Rice, A Zent.
A portable drill will be used to obtain core samples from a variety of near-surface materials at Haughton over depths of up to 10 ft. Anticipated core sites include the paleo-lacustrine deposits and specific geologic formations such as pingos or palsas and small-valley floors. An additional handheld rota-hammer drill will be used to explore the feasability of drilling into coarser breccia material in 1999. Operational constraints placed on the drilling devices are that (1) the core samples remain frozen (at least in their central portion) to preserve their stratigraphic record, (2) the paleolacustrine sediments remain as little contaminated as possible to preserve their extant biology (which precludes the use of standard drilling lubricants), and (3) the drilling technology be eventually transferable to Mars (which will likely also preclude the use of standard lubricating liquids).
Drilling of the paleolacustrine sediments in areas where they are the thickest will be the focus of DRILLEX on HM-98. The sediments display a varve record from which information on local climate evolution may be derived, while their basal contact with the allochtonous breccia might retain evidence for post-impact hydrothermal processing. These records are likely to be most complete and best preserved where the paleolacustrine deposits are presently the thickest. Shallow drilling of the breccia deposits will allow any vertical variations to be determined, while future deeper drilling of the area of Anomaly Hill will allow determining the petrographic nature and shock levels of the central uplift.
In addition to providing valuable subsurface field data, drilling activities at Haughton provide an opportunity to explore the drilling technologies that will be required for similar tasks on Mars. On HM-98, a modified Winkie drill rented from Salisbury & Associates, Inc. of Spokane, WA, and permafrost coring augers supplied by the U.S. Army Cold Regions Research & Engineering Laboratory (CRREL) of Hanover, NH, will be used to extract core samples from the paleolacustrine sediments. Solutions for drilling into the much coarser breccia deposits will be explored with the use of a handheld AMS rota-hammer drill. Alternative solutions for a more universal drilling device will also be sought. During HM-98, George Dunfield and John Schutt will conduct the drilling experiments.
Stereo Camera Experiment (STEREOCAM)
Participants: K. Schwehr, P. Lee, J. Schreiner, D. Christian, E. Zbinden, J. Rice, C. Stoker, A. Zent.
The documentation of relief is critical to developping an understanding of geological field relationships, this being true at a variety of spatial scales. For instance, portable stereo camera systems were used on the Moon to characterize the surface texture of the lunar regolith at several Apollo landing sites, which in turn helped interpret the photometric properties of the lunar surface on a more global scale. The availability of stereo images for a geologic feature or landscape are also useful for back-to-the-office analysis of field observations. The Photo-Realistic Virtual Reality (VR) Task currently underway at the Intelligent Mechanisms Group (IMG) at NASA Ames also requires imaging data sets from multiple vantage points to develop surface image merging capabilities for upcoming Mars rover missions. The Nomad rover project's stereo camera system will be deployed during HM-98 to: (1) acquire high-resolution images of a variety of features and sites at and around Haughton to characterize geological field relationships and relief ; and (2) acquire overlapping 360-degree panoramas for the Photo Realistic VR task at NASA Ames's IMG. During HM-98, the stereo camera system will be operated by Kurt Schwehr, RECOM contractor at the NASA Ames IMG.
Camera Network Experiment (CAMNET)
Participants: P.Lee, R. Grieve, J. Rice, J. Schutt, C. Stoker, A. Zent.
An important piece of information lacking in geological field investigations spanning the duration of a single visit or a single field season is an assessment of the rates of change involved in geological processes. Of particular importance in the periglacial environment is the annual cycle of change. Unless some perspective is gained on how quickly a feature or landscape changes with time and what the resultant effect of an annual cycle is, no clear understanding of how geological processes operate can be achieved. Extreme environments such as Haughton's being inaccessible for much of the year (September through June), a solution to monitoring geologic activity in the area is to set up year-round cameras capable of recording images of surface features at times when no field visits are possible and yet when lighting conditions are sufficient (e.g., early Spring and late Fall). It is hoped that by understanding the rates involved in geological processes at Haughton, insight into the rates of any analog processes on Mars or Early Mars might be gained. Preliminary field surveys for the CAMNET Experiment will begin on HM-98. An operational camera system will likely be deployed in 1999 to automate studies of time-dependent processes at Haughton and its surroundings. Processes to be investigated include active layer detachment slides, mass-wasting, stream flooding, and icing formation. The digital camera system to be deployed is currently under definition at NASA Ames. During HM-97, features observed in 1997 will be revisited for documentation of any change. Earlier photographs of the Haughton site will also be used to broaden the time base for the proposed multitemporal study.
Autonomous Helicopter Experiment (AUTOHELO)
Participants: O. Amidi, M. DeLouis, R. Miller, P. Lee, G. Briggs, B. Glass, J. Rice, J. Schutt, C. Stoker.
Aerial remote-sensing is invaluable for planning and gaining perspective in geographic field exploration, yet cost, logistical and safety constraints often preclude any extensive use of aerial support. Field tests of a versatile autonomous robotic helicopter currently under development at the Robotics Institute of Carnegie Mellon University (Dr. Omead Amidi) will be conducted at Haughton. The autonomous helicopter has vision-based stability and position control, and is capable of "out of operator sight" flying. Among other possible applications, the system holds much promise for supporting surveying activities (systematic mapping) and field reconnaissance, and as such represents an innovative, cost-reducing approach to geographic exploration. The strategies developed at Haughton will help design future Mars aerial exploration and support missions.
During HM-98, the CMU autonomous helicopter will be undergo testing for future aerial surveys and remote field scouting activities. The payload on HM-98 will include a video imaging system with live broadcast capability and a laser altimeter (flown separately). Digital terrain models will be constructed by combining imaging and altimeter data. Some helicopter time might be allocated to acquiring imaging data of the crater from altitudes ranging from 0 to 5,000 ft AGL. Successive images may be nested as if acquired during a spacecraft's final descent towards a planetary surface. The data set will benefit investigations of Haughton itself by providing synoptic coverage of the crater at a variety of spatial scales ; it will also offer a source of realistic data for use in the development of image processing software for upcoming robotic Mars landing missions. The autonomous helicopter on HM-98 will be deployed by Omead Amidi, Mark DeLouis, and Ryan Miller of the Robotics Institute of Carnegie Mellon University.
Participants: P.Lee, G. Briggs, C. McKay, K. Schwehr, B. Glass, R. Alena, K. Joosten, S. Hoffman, J. Kosmo, D. Eppler, M. McGreevy, N. Cabrol, J. Rice, C. Stoker, R. Zubrin, D. Reyes.
The Haughton-Mars Project provides an opportunity to carry out a variety of tests of strategies and technologies currently under study by NASA's Office of Exploration, the Center for Mars Exploration, and the Mars Society to optimize future manned exploration activities on planetary surfaces. Because (1) the HMP involves conducting field exploration at a Mars analog site with an actual science agenda (i.e., this is not a simulation of field work), (2) a strong robotics component is built into the HMP (a significant fraction of the field team is currently involved in the development of robotic technologies for both manned and unmanned planetary exploration, and robotic vehicles are used to support field activities on the HMP (e.g., the AUTOHELO Experiment), and (3) there is strong interest among the HMP team members to optimize science return from field activities at Haughton and at other Mars analog sites; the opportunity provided by the HMP for manned mission tests may be regarded as ideal.
Specific experiments and tasks to be performed during HM-98 are currently under definition. Planned activities include:
HMP Education/Outreach Program (EOP)
Participants: D. Reyes, P.Lee, J. Rice
A website dedicated to the Haughton-Mars Project will become accessible in June, 1998. The site will serve as a means to reach out to the interested public and will provide data that may be used in educational programs. The website will be updated from the field and e-mail exchanges will be possible. Additionally, certain HMP members will be available to speak to educational groups upon return from Devon Island. David Reyes of the Arizona Science Center will be coordinating the HMP EOP activities.