HMP Research Station | Haughton-Mars Project http://www.marsonearth.org/ Welcome to the Haughton-Mars Project Research Station en Copyright 2009 Fri, 31 Jul 2009 23:23:12 -0600 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/?v=3.35 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Dr Pascal Lee, Director of HMP (NASA Ames, Mars Institute, SETI Institute) Dr Pascal Lee, Director of HMP (NASA Ames, Mars Institute, SETI Institute), discusses the focus of his work this season at the HMP Research Station, helping NASA think about how to plan and implement long range and long duration pressurized rover traverses on the Moon and Mars.

Video by Elaine Walker (EPO, HMP, Mars Institute)
Copyright 2008 Mars Institute
See: marsonearth.org

]]> http://www.marsonearth.org/2009/07/dr_pascal_lee_director_of_hmp.html http://www.marsonearth.org/2009/07/dr_pascal_lee_director_of_hmp.html HMP Science Reports Fri, 31 Jul 2009 23:23:12 -0600 Dr Stephen Braham, Chief Field Engineer, HMP (SFU) Dr Stephen Braham, the Associate Director of HMP (Mars Institute) and Chief Field Engineer (Simon Fraser University), discusses communications and exploration systems support at the HMP Research Station.

Video by Elaine Walker (EPO, HMP, Mars Institute)
Copyright 2008 Mars Institute
See: marsonearth.org

]]> http://www.marsonearth.org/2009/07/dr_stephen_braham_chief_field.html http://www.marsonearth.org/2009/07/dr_stephen_braham_chief_field.html Exploration Sysems Report Fri, 31 Jul 2009 21:14:47 -0600 Picture of the Day: Aerial View of the HMP Research Station Photo Set: HMP RS - July 31, 2009

HMP Research Station from Twin Otter

Click here for hi-resolution and zoom in to see the HMP Research Station in the center of the photo.

]]> http://www.marsonearth.org/2009/07/picture_of_the_day_aerial_view.html http://www.marsonearth.org/2009/07/picture_of_the_day_aerial_view.html HMP Picture of the Day Fri, 31 Jul 2009 12:57:57 -0600 Jesse Weaver (technician, HMP) Jesse Weaver, technician for the HMP, discusses his work this season maintaining the fleet of ATVs, the generators and the Mars-1 Humvee Rover.

Video by Elaine Walker (EPO, HMP, Mars Institute)
Copyright 2008 Mars Institute
See: marsonearth.org

]]> http://www.marsonearth.org/2009/07/jesse_weaver_camp_technician_h.html http://www.marsonearth.org/2009/07/jesse_weaver_camp_technician_h.html HMP Science Reports Fri, 31 Jul 2009 01:40:05 -0600 Marwan Hussein, Systems Engineer (OPTECH) Marwan Hussein, a systems engineer with OPTECH of Toronto, Canada, discusses 3D lidar imaging in analog environments such as the HMP Research Station.

Video by Elaine Walker (EPO, HMP, Mars Institute)
Copyright 2008 Mars Institute
See: marsonearth.org

]]> http://www.marsonearth.org/2009/07/marwan_hussein_optech.html http://www.marsonearth.org/2009/07/marwan_hussein_optech.html HMP Science Reports Thu, 30 Jul 2009 14:41:33 -0600 Productive HMP 2009 Field Season Wrapping Up 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

Dr Pascal Lee and Dr Essam Heggy in Hamilton Sundstrand Concept Suits
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.

Mars-1 Humvee Rover SuitportNASA 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.

]]> http://www.marsonearth.org/2009/07/productive_hmp_2009_field_seas.html http://www.marsonearth.org/2009/07/productive_hmp_2009_field_seas.html Status Reports Thu, 30 Jul 2009 11:38:20 -0600 Addy Overbeeke (Spacesuit Engineer, Hamilton Sundstrand) Addy Overbeeke, a Spacesuit Engineer from Hamilton Sundstrand, discusses the Humvee-mounted suitport concept studied at HMP.

Video by Elaine Walker (EPO, HMP, Mars Institute)
Copyright 2008 Mars Institute
See: marsonearth.org

]]> http://www.marsonearth.org/2009/07/addy_overbeeke_spacesuit_engin.html http://www.marsonearth.org/2009/07/addy_overbeeke_spacesuit_engin.html HMP Science Reports Wed, 29 Jul 2009 23:33:00 -0600 Dr Mark Helper (Univ. of Texas at Austin) Dr Mark Helper, Distinguished Senior Lecturer at the University of Texas at Austin, discusses the NASA lunar geologic traverse simulations at Haughton Crater this HMP field season.

Video by Elaine Walker (EPO, HMP, Mars Institute)
Copyright 2008 Mars Institute
See: marsonearth.org

]]> http://www.marsonearth.org/2009/07/dr_mark_helper_univ_of_texas_a.html http://www.marsonearth.org/2009/07/dr_mark_helper_univ_of_texas_a.html HMP Science Reports Mon, 27 Jul 2009 23:29:24 -0600 Dr Essam Heggy (Planetary Scientist, JPL) Dr Essam Heggy, a Planetary Scientist at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), discusses his research with ground penetrating radar this field season at the HMP Research Station.

Video by Elaine Walker (EPO, HMP, Mars Institute)
Copyright 2008 Mars Institute
See: marsonearth.org

]]> http://www.marsonearth.org/2009/07/dr_essam_heggy_planetary_scien.html http://www.marsonearth.org/2009/07/dr_essam_heggy_planetary_scien.html HMP Science Reports Sun, 26 Jul 2009 00:05:03 -0600 Dr Tim Barfoot (PI, UTIAS) Dr Tim Barfoot, from the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies (UTIAS) discusses the CSA-supported rover exploration project this field season at the HMP Research Station.

Video by Elaine Walker (EPO, HMP, Mars Institute)
Copyright 2008 Mars Institute
See: marsonearth.org

]]> http://www.marsonearth.org/2009/07/dr_tim_barfoot_pi_utias.html http://www.marsonearth.org/2009/07/dr_tim_barfoot_pi_utias.html HMP Science Reports Sat, 25 Jul 2009 23:59:43 -0600 Dr. David Musson (McMaster Univ.) Dr. David Musson from McMaster University is the Director for the Center for Simulation Based Learning. He discusses a CSA-supported telemedicine resuscitation project with his students, Matt Turnock (MSc Student in E-Health) and Bosco Law (MSc Student in Health Research Methodology) at the Haughton-Mars Project Research Station.

Video by Elaine Walker (EPO, HMP, Mars Institute)
Copyright 2008 Mars Institute
See: marsonearth.org

]]> http://www.marsonearth.org/2009/07/dr_david_musson_mcmaster_univ.html http://www.marsonearth.org/2009/07/dr_david_musson_mcmaster_univ.html HMP Science Reports Sat, 25 Jul 2009 22:31:57 -0600 24 Hour Mars-1 Humvee Rover Traverse With Suitport and Many Other HMP Activities Photo Set: HMP RS - July 24, 2009

Dr Pascal Lee and Space Suit HatchFive 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.

]]> http://www.marsonearth.org/2009/07/24_hour_mars1_humvee_rover_tra.html http://www.marsonearth.org/2009/07/24_hour_mars1_humvee_rover_tra.html Status Reports Fri, 24 Jul 2009 16:10:21 -0600 Matt Turnock (MSc Student in E-Health, McMaster Univ) Matt Turnock, an MSc Student in E-Health at McMaster University, discusses his research this season with the Center for Simulation Based Learning. The study is led by Dr David Musson (McMaster Univ / CSA).

Video by Elaine Walker (EPO, HMP, Mars Institute)
Copyright 2008 Mars Institute
See: marsonearth.org

]]> http://www.marsonearth.org/2009/07/matt_turnock_msc_student_in_eh.html http://www.marsonearth.org/2009/07/matt_turnock_msc_student_in_eh.html HMP Science Reports Fri, 24 Jul 2009 15:28:10 -0600 Daily Report: BBC, Space Suit and Simulated Air Lock, CRUX Drill Photo Set: HMP RS - July 23, 2009

Addy Overbeeke and Montira Satienpoch
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.

]]> http://www.marsonearth.org/2009/07/daily_report_bbc_space_suit_an.html http://www.marsonearth.org/2009/07/daily_report_bbc_space_suit_an.html Status Reports Thu, 23 Jul 2009 16:23:54 -0600 Daily Report: Rover Suit Hatch, CRUX Drill, Autonomous Robot Photo Set: HMP RS - July 22, 2009

Addy Overbeeke and Space Suit Hatch
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.

]]> http://www.marsonearth.org/2009/07/hmp_2009_humvee_suit_hatch_cru.html http://www.marsonearth.org/2009/07/hmp_2009_humvee_suit_hatch_cru.html Status Reports Wed, 22 Jul 2009 23:26:22 -0600