July 27, 2003

The crew of the Mars-1's Humvee Rover's second traverse, Pascal Lee, Charles Cockell, and Bill Clancey returned to the HMP Base Camp on Friday, July 25, 2003 along with Bill Fox and Sam Burbank who accompanied them on two Kawasaki 220 Bayou ATVs supporting the Mars-1 as scouts. The rover encountered challenging terrain in the direction of Thomas Lee Inlet and the crew decided to return to Base before reaching the final waypoint on this time-constrained traverse. Several investigations were nevertheless successfully conducted, including geologic and geophysical (gravity) surveys, data collection in support of human-centered computing research, and deep-field radio communications tests with Dr. Steve Braham who remained at the HMP Base Camp as acting HMP Expedition Lead.

Today, Sunday July 27, 2003, the Mars-1 Humvee will be departing on a third test traverse in the direction of a broad regional magnetic anomaly located approximately 25 km west of the HMP Base Camp at Haughton Crater. The crew will include Dr. Pascal Lee (Commander and Mars-1 Operator), Dr. Brian Glass of NASA Ames Research Center (Navigator), and Dr. Jeffrey Jones, M.D. of NASA Johnson Space Center (Health, Medical, and Safety Officer). All three will be carrying out a research program covering geology, geophysics, life sciences, and human planetary surface operations research. They will be accompanied by Bill Fox on a Kawasaki quad ATV who will support the Mars-1 crew as a scout. In anticipation of the specific terrain conditions expected to be encountered on this third traverse, the Mars-1 has switched from tracks to tires.

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