Surface Exploration Metrics of a Long Duration Polar Analogue Study: Implications for Future Moon and Mars Missions
- Paper number
IAC-08.B3.5.7
- Author
Ms. Melissa Battler, University of Western Ontario, Canada
- Coauthor
Mr. Simon Auclair, University of Western Ontario, Canada
- Coauthor
Dr. Gordon Osinski, University of Western Ontario, Canada
- Coauthor
Mr. Ryan Kobrick, University of Colorado at Boulder, United States
- Coauthor
Prof. Kim Binsted, University of Hawaii, United States
- Coauthor
Mr. Matthew Bamsey, University of Guelph, Canada
- Coauthor
Ms. Kathryn Bywaters, United States
- Year
2008
- Abstract
With the expected return of humans to the surface of the Moon by 2020 and the eventual human exploration of Mars, it is important to start thinking about the logistics of planetary surface operations for living, working, and scientific exploration. Given humanity’s limited experience with human planetary surface research (i.e., the Apollo missions), high fidelity simulations in analogue environments on Earth offer important opportunities to learn about how to explore on other planets. This presentation will include a summary of results from an Exploration Metrics study conducted during the Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station’s (FMARS) 101-day Long Duration Mission (F-XI LDM) at the 23 km diameter Haughton crater, in the summer of 2007. Data from this and similar future studies will be valuable to the future planning of human planetary missions, as the current knowledge-base of human planetary exploration is minimal. To date, analogue research has been conducted at several locations around the world but very few simulations have been conducted, and most have been based around psychological studies on the effects of isolation and confinement, rather than field research. During F-XI LDM, 7 scientists and engineers took part in a 101-day simulated Mars mission on Devon Island, Nunavut, Canada, where they conducted a rigorous field research program, and collected data on the logistics and metrics of exploration activities. F-XI LDM represents an extremely high-fidelity simulation, as the crew members lived in a simulated Mars habitat; wore simulated surface suits while exploring; faced many dangers due to their extremely isolated location; operated on Martian Sols (24 hr 39 min “days”), facilitated by the polar 24-hour sunlight; carefully mapped out each excursion, and briefed the other crew members according to strict protocol; followed strict delayed communication protocols “with Earth”; and recorded GPS waypoints and tracklogs of each EVA. Six of the seven crew members timed and recorded their daily activities for 63 days (37 of which were Sols), including EVA preparation, travel, sample collection, sample triage and archiving, and time spent on house-keeping and leisure activities. Preliminary results show that during the 101-day simulation, crew members conducted 88 EVAs, and traveled a total distance of 1074 km. We propose to use the findings from this study towards developing a baseline strategy for scheduling and logistics planning of planetary field excursions (EVAs), or an entire planetary surface exploration plan for the Moon, Mars, or any other planetary surfaces.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
IAC-08.B3.5.7.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).
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