NASA Astrobiology Institute (NAI)

1. FMARS Long Duration Mission: a simulation of manned Mars exploration in an analogue environment, Devon Island, Canada

   Project Investigators: Kimberly Binsted, Chris McKay

   Other Project Members

   Simon Auclair (Masters Student)

   Matthew Bamsey (Doctoral Student)

   Melissa Battler (Masters Student)

   Kathryn Bywaters (Undergraduate Student)

   James Harris (Collaborator)

   Ryan Kobrick (Masters Student)

   Summary

   Seven crewmembers spent four months at the Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station (FMARS) simulating a Mars surface exploration mission on Devon Island in the Canadian High Arctic. We carried out over twenty research projects in biology, geology, mission operations and human factors.

   Astrobiology Roadmap Objectives:

   • Objective 2.1: Mars exploration
   • Objective 4.3: Effects of extraterrestrial events upon the biosphere

   Project Progress

   The FMARS Long Duration Mission (FXI-LDM) was an unprecedented Mars exploration simulation in the Mars analogue environment of Devon Island in the Canadian High Arctic. Seven crewmembers spent four months under strict simulation conditions (limited water use, constrained diet, high-latency communications, no outside activity without simulated life-support equipment, etc.) conducting field research in and around Haughton Crater, a 39 million year old impact structure. There were three categories of research carried out: human factors research, examining the effects of the simulation conditions on crew psychology and performance, and the effectiveness of counter-measures; mission operations research, analyzing resource usage under realistic simulation conditions; and the field research itself, which focused on the winter to summer seasonal transition and its effects on biological activity in the active layer above the permafrost.

   
   

   Kim Binsted in a simulated EVA suit poses outside the FMARS habitat.

   For example, the biology field research looked into the properties of the microbial mass within the seasonally thawing top layer of the soil above the permafrost, and determined the change in the depth of biomass activity in response to the winter to spring seasonal transition. We also identified the microbial communities within the active layer and at the ice table, with the expectation that there are significant differences in quantity and types of microbes in these two communities.

   As of July 2008, we have completed much of the post-expedition lab work, and are preparing our results for publication. About twelve papers are expected to come out of this project.

   Field Expeditions

   Name

   FMARS Long Duration Mission

   Dates

   04/25/2007 - 08/28/2007

   Location

   75deg22min N 89deg41min E

   Description

   Seven crewmembers spent four months at the Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station (FMARS) simulating a Mars surface exploration mission on Devon Island in the Canadian High Arctic. We carried out over twenty research projects in biology, geology, mission operations and human factors.

   Cross-Team Collaborations

   Chris McKay of NASA Ames Research Center was the PI on this project.

Publications

Bamsey, M., Auclair, S., Battler, M., Binsted, K., Bywaters, K., Harris, J., Kobrick, R. & McKay, C.  (submitted).  Four month Moon and Mars crew water utilization study conducted at the Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station, Devon Island, Nunavut.  Advances in Space Research.

Binsted, K. & Kobrick, R.  (submitted).  Operational monitoring and analysis of space, time and schedule as part of a space analogue mission on Devon Island.  Planetary and Space Science, Special Issue: Exploring other worlds by exploring our own..

Binsted, K., O Griofa, M. & OKeeffe, D.  (to appear).  Using space and planetary surface analogue environments to motivate and evaluate technology design.  Designing the user experience of future peripatetic users: New HCI design challenges in space.  Pennsylvania: IGI Global.

O Griofa, M. & OKeeffe, D.  (2008).  Sleeping through the Arctic Martian Sol.  Aerospace Medical Association.