Click here for hi-resolution and zoom in to see the HMP Research Station in the center of the photo.
]]>Video by Elaine Walker (EPO, HMP, Mars Institute)
Copyright 2008 Mars Institute
See: marsonearth.org
Video by Elaine Walker (EPO, HMP, Mars Institute)
Copyright 2008 Mars Institute
See: marsonearth.org
Click here for hi-resolution and zoom in to see the HMP Research Station in the center of the photo.
]]>Video by Elaine Walker (EPO, HMP, Mars Institute)
Copyright 2008 Mars Institute
See: marsonearth.org
Video by Elaine Walker (EPO, HMP, Mars Institute)
Copyright 2008 Mars Institute
See: marsonearth.org
Research activities are still going strong and taking advantage of a much wished for sunny day. This exciting and productive HMP field season will be wrapping up research activities in the next couple of days and shutting down operations over the next week. Filming of the Mars-1 Humvee Rover with a Hamilton Sundstrand suitport and Planetary Concept Suit continues today with National Geographic, and also a BBC crew who has arrived today. Both film crews have use of a helicopter today.
Following are updates from the last few days on just some of the research activities that are wrapping up soon. This may be the last written update since [yours truly] Elaine Walker, Education and Public Outreach officer for the Mars Institute, will be flying out on the 31st. There will be more video reports, so stay tuned, and we will be looking ahead to the 2010 HMP field season.
NASA lunar geologic traverse simulations:
Dr Pascal Lee (Director, HMP / NASA Ames, Mars Institute, SETI Institute), Dr Mark Helper (Distinguished Senior Lecturer, University of Texas at Austin) and Dr Essam Heggy (Planetary Scientist, JPL) completed simulated lunar geological and geophysical traverses that are part of their studies of robotic follow-up to human exploration, and of the efficiencies of pressured rover and EVA exploration. During the final simulated EVA, Dr Heggy and Dr Lee successfully captured ground penetrating radar (GPR) images along a 50 m traverse at four different frequencies that span a Gigahertz range. The techniques employed resemble those that could be used for seismic surveys on the lunar surface. This final geophysical EVA traverse was preceded by a 24 hour rover traverse designed to collect (GPR) data while roving and, at specific sites, by EVA. Helper and Lee had earlier completed a similar traverse that focused on the geologic history of Haughton crater.
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The CRUX (Drilling Automation for Mars Exploration) drill:
The CRUX drill team, Dr Brian Glass (Senior Scientist, Drilling Automation, NASA Ames) and Dr Sarah Thompson (NASA Ames), has completed their research and are writing up the results. This afternoon they will be breaking down the drill equipment and bringing it back from Drill Hill to the HMP Research Station to be shipped out. The CRUX drill has shown to be extremely robust and the team is pleased with the results.
Simulation and Telemedicine in space analogue environments:
The study into the capabilities of high fidelity simulation to study telemedicine in remote settings and space analogue environments (McMaster University / CSA) is winding down. To date they have completed 9 simulations of medical events, each with a different research question or demonstration of untested capability. Dr David Musson (Director, Center for Simulation based learning, McMaster Univ.) and his student, Bosco Law (MSc Student in Health Research Methodology), returned to McMaster University on July 24th and continue to support the project from down South, while Dr Musson's student, Matt Turnock (MSc Student in E-Health), remains on site at the HMP Research Station to train any last participants and to coordinate on site activity in the remaining days of the project.
Stress and coping in extreme environments:
The study of coping and stress in an extreme environment (McMaster University / Mars Institute) continues at the HMP Research Station. The number of participants was much higher than anticipated, and they would like to extend a very big thanks to everyone who took part in this study and made it a big success. Matt Turnock continues to supervise data collection on site.
UTIAS Robot and Lidar Teams:
Dr Tim Barfoot (PI, UTIAS) and his team has led their robot on several routes, including 5 kilometer-long autonomous traverses. He and his PhD student, Paul Furgale, took advantage of clear weather to collect celestial data with the robot in the Mars-like terrain near the HMP Research Station. Dr Mike Daly (Senior Engineer, MDA), Matthew Izawa (University of Western Ontario), Pat Carle (University of Toronoto) and Marwan Hussein (systems engineer, OPTECH) did lidar imaging and field geology at Lake Trinity inside the Haughton Structure. Laura Thomson (University of Western Ontario) and her team have had several traverses to Lake Orbiter and are processing the data collected.
Arthur Clarke Mars Greenhouse:
Dr Alain Berinstain (Director, Planetary and Space Exploration Astronomy, CSA) worked with Dr Stephen Braham (SFU / HMP Associate Director) on communications for the Arthur Clarke Mars Greenhouse and has closed the greenhouse for the season. His team will continue to communicate remotely and monitor the greenhouse over the next several months until the next HMP field season.
After Dinner Lectures:
HMP Participants become exponentially smarter as they absorb the informative after dinner lectures given by fellow participants. Dr Mark Helper, Distinguished Senior Lecturer from the Department of Geological Sciences, University of Texas at Austin, gave a talk on the evening of the 27th titled: Proterozoic Geology of the Shackleton Range, Antarctica: Implications for the S.W.E.A.T. Hypothesis. Canadian Museum of Nature researcher, Natalia Rybczynski, and her team visited the HMP Research Station and gave another lecture, this time with more information now that her exciting find has been published. Natalia and her team found a fossil last year in Haughton Crater that points to the missing link between seals and land mammals. She gave a talk at the HMP Research Station last season just after her find, and we are once again honored by her presence!
Photo Sets: HMP RS - July 25, 2009 | HMP RS - July 26, 2009 | HMP RS - July 27, 2009 | HMP RS - July 28, 2009 | HMP RS - July 29, 2009
]]>Video by Elaine Walker (EPO, HMP, Mars Institute)
Copyright 2008 Mars Institute
See: marsonearth.org
Video by Elaine Walker (EPO, HMP, Mars Institute)
Copyright 2008 Mars Institute
See: marsonearth.org
Video by Elaine Walker (EPO, HMP, Mars Institute)
Copyright 2008 Mars Institute
See: marsonearth.org
Video by Elaine Walker (EPO, HMP, Mars Institute)
Copyright 2008 Mars Institute
See: marsonearth.org
Video by Elaine Walker (EPO, HMP, Mars Institute)
Copyright 2008 Mars Institute
See: marsonearth.org
Five new arrivals flew in this morning, including Dr Alain Berinstain (Director, Planetary and Space Exploration Astronomy, CSA), Dr Mike Daly (Senior Engineer, MDA), Matthew Izawa (University of Western Ontario), Terry from Grise Fiord, and Michael Morrow and Jeff Thrasher from National Geographic, who will be filming HMP activities for the program Storm Worlds.
A 24 hour Mars-1 Humvee Rover traverse with the new suitport got underway this afternoon. The suitport was installed by the Hamilton Sundstrand team, Addy Overbeeke and Montira Satienpoch. Dr Mark Helper (Geologist, MMAMA) will be performing EVAs as an astronaut/field geologist who is unfamiliar with any prior work at Haughton crater, conducting a day-long traverse to learn as much as possible about the geology of the Haughton site. The traverse simulates, as closely as possible, the constraints of doing such work on the lunar surface, particularly in the times available for EVAs, for roving in a pressurized LER (Lunar Exploration Rover) and for doing field work in a space suit.
Also involved in the traverse planning and research this season is Dr Essam Heggy, a Planetary Scientist at JPL. Dr Heggy has brought some very high tech gear that will be used on the Mars-1 Humvee Rover traverses, including a Ground Penetrating Radar system and other instruments that can scan below the ground surface on different frequencies. Dr Stephen Braham (SFU / HMP Associate Director) spent the day supporting the Rover's communication needs, and the National Geographic team got some beautiful footage of the Rover and the "astronaut" EVAs.
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Several other HMP activities are going on simultaneously. The CRUX drill team, Dr Brian Glass (Senior Scientist, Drilling Automation, NASA Ames) Dr Sarah Thompson (NASA Ames) reached their goal at Drill Hill today. Dr Tim Barfoot (PI, UTIAS) and his PhD student, Paul Furgale, did some celestial navigation with the robot today, heading towards Lake Orbiter. Dr Mike Daly, Matthew Izawa, Pat Carle (University of Toronoto) and Marwan Hussein (systems engineer, OPTECH) went to the hydrothermal vents this afternoon. Matt Turnock, an MSc Student in E-Health at McMaster University, is continuing to give medical training and conduct mock telemedicine scenarios with various HMP participants and remote doctors. Dr Alain Berinstain is hard at work in the greenhouse.
Canadian Museum of Nature researcher, Natalia Rybczynski, and her team are visiting the HMP Research Station today. Natalia and her team found a fossil last year in Haughton Crater that points to the missing link between seals and land mammals. She gave a talk at the HMP Research Station last season after her exciting find. We are honored by her presence!
Photo Set: HMP RS - July 24, 2009
]]>Video by Elaine Walker (EPO, HMP, Mars Institute)
Copyright 2008 Mars Institute
See: marsonearth.org
The Hamilton Sundstrand team, Addy Overbeeke and Montira Satienpoch, supported the BBC film crew, providing them with shots of Dr Pascal Lee (Director, HMP / NASA Ames, Mars Institute, SETI Institute) wearing the space suit. BBC also filmed the Mars-1 Humvee Rover with the space suit attached to the simulated airlock. Addy and Montira completed the resizing modifications for Dr Mark Helper (Geologist, MMAMA) who is 6'4", and finished the latching mechanisms for the simulated pressurized bulkhead door on the Rover.
Dr Stephen Braham (SFU / HMP Associate Director) is setting up a repeater to allow network communication with Drill Hill. The Drilling Automation team, Dr Brian Glass an Dr Sarah Thompson (both of NASA Ames), bore a hole 1.5 meters with the CRUX drill.
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Dr Tim Barfoot (PI, UTIAS) and his team continued their activities, taking the robot on a five kilometer route near the HMP Research Station, and collecting lidar and GPR data for a good part of the day near Lake Orbiter.
The staff at HMP is working hard supporting the Research Station's daily activities, managed by John Schutt (HMP Base Camp Manager), allowing the researchers to focus on their science. Camp cook, Mike Langenhan, cooked some simulated chicken and rosemary potatoes for a delicious analog dinner.
Photo Set: HMP RS - July 23, 2009
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Five HMP participants departed on a twin otter flight today. We gave big thanks and said, "Until next time!" to Drs Robert Ferl and Anna-Lisa Paul (both faculty at the University of Florida), Tom Graham (Univ. of Guelph), Matt Bamsey (Univ. of Guelph / CSA) and Louis-Phillipe Durocher (Space System Engineer, CSA).
Jesse Weaver (field technician) prepared the Mars-1 Humvee Rover for the space suit team. Montira Satienpoch (Hamilton Sundstrand) sewed visors for the space suit helmet and Addy Overbeeke (Hamilton Sundstrand) is working on the space suit hatch on the back of the Rover. The space suit will be attached to the hatch in the same configuration as NASA's latest Lunar rover prototype.
Dr Essam Heggy (Planetary Scientist, JPL) and Dr Mark Helper (Geologist, MMAMA) started planning for the 24 hour traverse with simulated EVAs that will get underway tomorrow. Dr Helper is working with limited slope data to plan the traverses, having no inside scoop about actual terrain roughness collected last field season to add to the realism of the simulation.
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The Drill team, led by Dr Brian Glass (NASA Ames), continued their work with the CRUX drill inside of the Haughton impact structure. The robot team, led by Dr Tim Barfoot (PI, UTIAS) is busy with activities, including traversing to interesting terrain to collect GPR and lidar data, and working with the robot near the HMP Research Station. The robot drove 6 kilometers with no intervention today.
Dr David Musson (McMaster Univ / CSA) gave a stellar after dinner talk titled "The Right Stuff, The Wrong Stuff and No Stuff". He showed us data regarding different categories of people (students, astronauts, commercial pilots, etc) and how they differ on various personality tests. He postulated on which high scores may be applicable to future long duration flights.
Photo Set: HMP RS - July 22, 2009
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