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Archive: 08 Dec 2016


Technology Report – December 8th

December 8, 2016 | Permalink

IDEAL UNPRESSURIZED ROVER

Jon Clarke

The twin rovers – Phobos and Deimos.

The twin rovers – Phobos and Deimos.

 

I have written before about the new electric rovers we have at MDRS.  They are Polaris Ranger two seat 4WD vehicles, which have been named Phobos and Deimos, after the two moons of Mars.  We have now had more experience with them and continue to be impressed.  They are able to traverse all the tracks in the primary field area and have sufficient range to do so.  Phobos has been fully modified to allow us to drive it while wearing simulated EVA suits.  We can even wear seat belts while we are in the rovers, a considerable safety advantage.  They are easy to operate, even by the most inexperienced.  As previously noted it has good load carry capacity. Because they are electric they can be recharged from the station’s 15 kw solar array, once this is fully connected.  Currently the science dome is run of the array, and soon we expect the rest of the station to be similarly connected, with a recharging kiosk for the two rovers.

 

Phobos and the new MDRS solar panels.  Rechargeable solar power!

Phobos and the new MDRS solar panels.  Rechargeable solar power!

 

Phobos and Deimos are terrestrial counterparts to the Apollo Lunar Roving Vehicle, used with great effect by the crews of Apollos  15, 16, and 17.  These vehicles allowed the astronauts on these missions to cover about 10 km of traverse on each of their EVAs on the moon, for a total of about 30 km per mission.

 

Apollo 17 Lunar Roving Vehicle (NASA).

Apollo 17 Lunar Roving Vehicle (NASA).

 

Currently only Phobos is modified for use while suited, so backup is provided by the conventional  quad bikes.  Deimos will be converted in the near future.  When both are converted, Deimos and Phobos together can provide effective mutual support for two or four person EVAs.  This will allow more effective simulation of surface operations with equivalent vehicles on Mars (or the Moon for that matter).

 

Phobos rover –some might call it cramped, I call it cozy and effective.

Phobos rover –some might call it cramped, I call it cozy and effective.

 

Astronauts on Mars will almost certainly use small unpressurised vehicles similar to Phobos and Deimos for working at relatively short distances from the station.  The exploration radius of sSingle vehicle EVAs will be constrained by the ability of the astronauts to walk back to the station in the event of the vehicle being immobilised.  During the Apollo missions this was conservatively estimated at 5 km.   Later, un-flown missions were expected to increase this distance to 10 or even 20 km.  On Mars the current expectation is a walk back distance of 15 km, although this may be optimistic. Try hiking across county for 20 km with a 20 kg backpack to get a feel of what this might be like!  This is probably a distance under ideal conditions, more realistic distances might be much closer to the station.  However, using two such vehicles, each with one or two astronauts, would be able to provide mutual support on sorties of up to half a day’s drive from the station, which might be as far as 50 km with reasonable driving conditions.  Depending on the landing site this might be enough to cover most if not all the regions of interest for an initial mission, avoiding the need for a heavy pressurised rover.  This could be sent on a later mission if required.

 

Artist’s conception of an unpressurised rover on Mars (by David Hardy).

Artist’s conception of an unpressurised rover on Mars (by David Hardy).

 

On Mars such vehicles could be fitted with a range of sensors to support crew EVAs such as video cameras, panoramic cameras, geophysical  and surveying equipment, to name a few. In addition be being driven by astronauts they could potentially be remote controlled, or even operate semi-autonomously.  Many of the necessary automation and teleoperation capabilities have already been tested for light military vehicles, such as the John Deere “R-Gator”.  In addition to exploration they could be used to deploy solar arrays and power cables, carry out earth moving tasks (such as burying facilities, smoothing roads, excavating material for water extraction, and for scouting the landing site before the crew arrive.  Unpressurised rovers  could also be used to monitor sites of interest after the crew leave.

 

ToolCat light vehicle with earth moving attachments (Bobcat).

ToolCat light vehicle with earth moving attachments (Bobcat).

 

Another advantage of such vehicles is that they can be rapidly re-configured with a range of basic earth moving tools such as tip trays, buckets, and blades, much as their terrestrial counterparts already can.  While not as efficient as specialised vehicles for such tasks (such as the Bobcat, familiar on building sites the world over), they will be more than good enough for initial Mars missions.  Phobos and Deimos may indeed be the shape of things to come.


Crew Photos – December 8th

December 8, 2016 | Permalink

With Japanese spacefood.

With Japanese spacefood.

 

Welcome signs.

Welcome signs.

 

Sliding rocks.

Sliding rocks.

 

Setting up the photo grid.

Setting up the photo grid.

 

Rover and Panels

Rover and Panels.

 

Parking Phobos.

Parking Phobos.

 

Morning sun.

Morning sun.


Journalist Report – December 8th

December 8, 2016 | Permalink

From micro world of bio organisms to a macro world of crew biologist

It has been a 45 days since our Principal Investigator Shannon Rupert assigned me to learn from crew microbiologist Anushree Srivastava. I was supposed to be cross trained as assistant of microbiologist on the field by collecting samples and in the science laboratory by recording the data. Anushree has a lot of patience to teach some science to a journalist. I don’t know what she thinks about our cooperation but for me the laboratory work or gypsum, hypolith sampling is the most fun and interesting part of the day. Such positive emotions and fast learning due to a good teacher – Anushree Srivastava. At first, she felt uncomfortable to be in that role, but with every day, I can see how beautiful, yet a little bit shy, future doctor of microbiology will develop.

As a kid, Anushree wanted to be a singer but with the years pass her dream has changed. She was born and brought up in a remote part of the Northern India. In order to fulfill her parents’ dream for Anushree working in the administrative services, she moved to Lucknow, which is the capital city of state Uttar Pradesh. There she earned her Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Anthropology at the University of Lucknow. While she was studying, she found out about “space biology”. Since then her interest grew. Anushree was always fascinated towards life sciences and that was the reason she chose to specialize in the biological branch of anthropology. She is the first one to adopt the space sciences in her family. To get a PhD in microbiology in India a Master degree in Natural Science is needed and this was the next big goal for Anushree. She started to prepare for entry exams, as well as she did academic training and research projects in the Biological Research Center in Hyderabad. It took a year. The next step was to apply for Master’s program in science overseas. Anushree admitted to School of Biological Science at University of Essex, UK. After an intense one-year course, almost living in the science laboratory, not seeing the daylight, skipping the lunches and being called a plant by her lab mates – she received her most waited diploma.

Every time the one goal is fulfilled another arises and now Anushree’s new small dream to get the PhD in astrobiology and big dream is to be the first microbiologist to find the traces of life outside the planet Earth. Why astrobiology? “I have always been awed by my own ability to be awed by this wonder of life, the unfathomable vastness of the Universe and Earth’s place in it. I have always been fascinated by big questions. Astrobiology addresses the most profound question of humankind – Are we alone? Astrobiology explores the possibility of finding extinct or extant life elsewhere in the universe, as well as investigates the origin and evolution of life on Earth. Somehow, I feel that the path of my life and of this science intersect with each other, as we both started our journey having this faith in the invisible; having an unshakable optimism” – says Anushree, with an inspiring glow in her eyes.

Those inspiring goals brought her to the Mars Society team. Anushree started her journey to Mars by becoming a volunteer as CapCom for Mars Desert Research Station Mission Support. As she says: “My job as a CapCom was extremely fulfilling to me as I thought in that way somehow I was assisting to make this idea of manned Mars mission come true in terms of making sure the smooth mission operations, and in turn, facilitating the valuable understanding extracted from the Mars simulation mission.”

Anushree proposed to participate in two weeks rotation at MDRS with her research project in astrobiology, particularly studying halophiles in ancient evaporate deposits. The Principal Investigator and Director of MDRS Shannon Rupert decided that Anushree is perfect candidate for Mars 160 mission, since her research corresponds with remote science team project on astrobiology and, in particular, in geo-microbiology. She is the only one from the crew who has never been before to simulation at MDRS and lived with six strangers. It is Sol 75 today, we are almost at the finish line and from a shy laboratory girl, Anushree became advanced science field explorer, who can collect the samples in a heavy space suit, fogging helmet, under burning desert sun, trusting the six strangers and learning to live in an extreme environment.

“I think it is a journey of discovering yourself as well along with the journey to Mars. It is a very humbling experience. This is what this mission told me.”– Anushree Srivastava


Sol Summary – December 8th

December 8, 2016 | Permalink

Sol Summary Report (SSR):

Sol#76

Person filling out report: Annalea Beattie

Summary Title: Another Day Not Like Any Other

Mission Status: on track

Sol Activity Summary:

We are counting down now as the end of the mission approaches. At ten am Anastasiya, Yusuke, Claude-Michel went outside and made a wonderful film for outreach for school kids in Star City (and also for general mission outreach).

Half an hour later Yusuke and Claude- Michel made a dome video measuring human scale against the architecture of the dome.

Anu spent most of the day in the lab and then finished her hypolith report. Then both Anastasiya and Anu cleaned the green hab ready for the next crew. I worked on my last space.com article, interviewing myself.

Jon was HabCom for the EVA and wrote reports. Now he is cooking.

 

I cooked lunch with a bit of an experiment making biscuits out of flaxseed and garlic salt as we are out of flour. But although some people said they were ok, they were inedible to me, bordering on nasty. Too late I worried about everyone eating them as I don’t think we need the roughage.

 

And sadly the brains of my tomato smartpot (Spot 3) stopped responding this morning, a bit like my brains. Claude-Michel saved the day and rebooted all.

 

Vale, John Glenn, first American to orbit the Earth.

 

Reports Submitted to CapCom:

  1.   Sol Summary- Annalea
  2.   Journalist report- Anastasiya
  3.   Electric rover report- Jon
  4. Pictures – Anastasiya
  5. Photos of the Day – yes

 

MDRS lessons for today

Put aside some good food for the end of the mission when you really need a boost.

 

Plans for tomorrow: EVAs.

Crew Physical Status: Perfect.

Weather: chilly

Anomalies: no


Picture of the day – December 8th

December 8, 2016 | Permalink

Home sweet Martian home

Home sweet Martian home