HMP Research Station | Haughton-Mars Project: HMP Research Station Status Report

Marcelo Vazquez in the Hamilton Sundstrand Suit

A walk-back experiment was conducted before lunch. Three participants were suited up for the walk back: Dr. Pascal Lee (Director, HMP / NASA Ames, Mars Institute, SETI Institute), Marcelo Vazquez (NSBRI, Space Radiation Liason), Tom Chase (Hamilton Sundstrand), and supported by Brian Glass (NASA Ames), Sarah Thompson (NASA Ames), Pam Baskins (JSC / NSBRI) and Pauline Akeeagok (Senior Field Guide from Grise Fiord). Kevin Coley (freelance photographer) and Ian Daly (Senior Writer, Details Magazine) participated as observers.

Brian Glass celebrated the completion of the walk-back experiments, and the success of the DAME this season, by breaking out a can of diet coke he had been saving for this moment.

Scott Thackrey (planetary geologist, University of Aberdeen) and Prof. Charlie Mason (Morehead State University) went on a traverse to look at impact ejecta and ground surges. Prof. Charlie Mason's students, Megan Ennis and Bill Atwood, did more mapping near the HMP Research Station and around the air strip.

Christine Pires (SFU / HMP System Support) and Steve Baird (UBC / HMP Field Assistant) are taking down and organizing communications equipment not in use any more. Doing his part to help around camp and take some work off of John Schutt's hands (HMP Base Camp Manager), Mike Langenhan (camp cook) fixed the kitchen sink, fixed a rattling heater fan, then fixed lunch! Chris Ostafew (Mars Institute) helped Jesse Weaver (technician) do some oil changes.

There were three great talks this evening in the mess tent. Horton Newsome gave a talk about the Chem Cam experiment on the Mars Science Laboratory Rover. The Chem Cam experiment is a joint USA/French experiment that does laser-induced remote sensing for chemistry and micro-imaging. The laser can target an area out to 9 meters. Andrew Abercromby (Project Engineer, EVA Physiology Systems and Performance Project / NASA Johnson Space Center) gave the second talk of the evening titled "The Challenge of Moving Past Apollo", followed by a talk by Dr. Stephen Braham (SFU / HMP Associate Director) titled "HMP, Lunar Surface Communication Architectures, and Future Analogs."

Photo Set: HMP-2008: August 9

"HMP7SFU Portable Elaine out and clear"