Author Topic: Desert RATS: Field tests simulating NEO and Mars Missions  (Read 4551 times)

Offline Chris Bergin

http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2011/08/desert-rats-field-tests-simulating-neo-and-mars-missions/

Another article via the surge of NEO/Mars presentations in L2. At least one more to come.
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Online Galactic Penguin SST

Ahhh..... I always love these simulated space missions on Earth. Good to see one involving the SEV, a Deep Space Hab and the R2.
Thanks Chris for yet another excellent article on this! :)

GPS
Astronomy & spaceflight geek penguin. In a relationship w/ Space Shuttle Discovery. Current Priority: Chasing the Chinese Spaceflight Wonder Egg & A Certain Chinese Mars Rover

Offline Space101

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Re: Desert RATS: Field tests simulating NEO and Mars Missions
« Reply #2 on: 08/22/2011 01:02 pm »
Cool stuff. That HAB looks roomy!
Let's go and explore space.

Offline Martin FL

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Re: Desert RATS: Field tests simulating NEO and Mars Missions
« Reply #3 on: 08/22/2011 03:28 pm »
Another great article!

Offline Space Pete

Great article!

Desert RATS is cool, although I am biased when it comes to SEVs, 'cos they're so darn awesome. ;)

You can follow all the Desert RATS action live, including pictures, via their official Twitter account:
http://twitter.com/DESERT_RATS
« Last Edit: 08/22/2011 04:24 pm by Space Pete »
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Offline Chris Bergin

Thanks Chaps :)
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Offline simonbp

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Re: Desert RATS: Field tests simulating NEO and Mars Missions
« Reply #6 on: 08/22/2011 04:54 pm »
Just for reference, Flagstaff is _not_ in the "Arizona desert", but rather at 7,000 ft and forested. Our high today is 83F (28C, about as hot as gets), while Phoenix (in the real desert) is getting to 113F (45C, typical for August).

The area that the DRATS team went to is free of trees because it's a cattle ranch that was clear-cut 100 years ago. What we do have a lot of, though, is volcanoes (the most recent only about 1000 years old), and an accompanying USGS station. That was why the Apollo astronauts came here to train (volcanic cinders are a pretty good mechanical analog for regolith), and thus set up the infrastructure that DRATS is using now.

Offline baldusi

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Re: Desert RATS: Field tests simulating NEO and Mars Missions
« Reply #7 on: 08/22/2011 05:35 pm »
I don't know if this applies to this thread, but since you're doing such a wonderful and interesting job showing how much more than HLV an exploration mission is, could you make an article about the current situation of exploration Spacesuits? I know about Ponce de León's "Mars in Marambio" testing of Mars spacesuits. And I know there were lots of work at ILC Dover, Orbital Outiftters and some others. Could you do a wrap up?

Offline manboy

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Re: Desert RATS: Field tests simulating NEO and Mars Missions
« Reply #8 on: 08/22/2011 05:51 pm »
I don't know if this applies to this thread, but since you're doing such a wonderful and interesting job showing how much more than HLV an exploration mission is, could you make an article about the current situation of exploration Spacesuits? I know about Ponce de León's "Mars in Marambio" testing of Mars spacesuits. And I know there were lots of work at ILC Dover, Orbital Outiftters and some others. Could you do a wrap up?
Last I heard the EVA suit was pushed down the road and they're working on an ACES type suit for Orion.
"Cheese has been sent into space before. But the same cheese has never been sent into space twice." - StephenB

Offline bolun

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Re: Desert RATS: Field tests simulating NEO and Mars Missions
« Reply #9 on: 09/22/2011 07:32 pm »
Exploring an asteroid with the Desert RATS

22 September 2011

http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMKCN3UNSG_index_0.html

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