Desert RATS: Field tests simulating NEO and Mars Missions

• Desert RATS: Field tests simulating NEO and Mars Missions by Chris Bergin on 22 Aug, 2011 03:43
• 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.
• #1 by Galactic Penguin SST on 22 Aug, 2011 04:09
• 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
• #2 by Space101 on 22 Aug, 2011 13:02
• Cool stuff. That HAB looks roomy!
• #3 by Martin FL on 22 Aug, 2011 15:28
• Another great article!
• #4 by Space Pete on 22 Aug, 2011 16:23
• 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
• #5 by Chris Bergin on 22 Aug, 2011 16:26
• Thanks Chaps
• #6 by simonbp on 22 Aug, 2011 16:54
• 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.
• #7 by baldusi on 22 Aug, 2011 17:35
• 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?
• #8 by manboy on 22 Aug, 2011 17:51
• Quote from: baldusi on 22 Aug, 2011 17:35

  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.
• #9 by bolun on 22 Sep, 2011 19:32
• Exploring an asteroid with the Desert RATS
  
  22 September 2011
  
  http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMKCN3UNSG_index_0.html