* Astronomy

Technology tested for future manned missions to Mars

Looking around, it is easy to see why: the landscape is a vision in red. Only the odd splashes of greenery give the game away.
Rio Tinto in southern Spain is a former mining area, and with its unusual chemical and geological make up, it is surprisingly similar to the Red Planet.
Expedition leader Professor Groemer, who is based at the University of Innsbruck in Austria, explains: "We have a mineral here called jarosite - and that is exactly what we have on Mars."

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Title: MARTE: Technology development and lessons learned from a Mars drilling mission simulation
Authors: Howard N. Cannon, Carol R. Stoker, Stephen E. Dunagan, Kiel Davis, Javier Gómez-Elvira, Brian J. Glass, Lawrence G. Lemke, David Miller, Rosalba Bonaccorsi, Mark Branson, Scott Christa, José Antonio Rodríguez-Manfredi, Erik Mumm, Gale Paulsen, Matt Roman, Alois Winterholler, Jhony R. Zavaleta

The NASA Mars Astrobiology Research and Technology Experiment (MARTE) performed a field test simulating a robotic drilling mission on Mars in September 2005. The experiment took place in Minas de Riotinto in southwestern Spain, a highly relevant Mars analogue site. The experiment utilised a 10 m class dry auger coring drill, a robotic core sample handling system, onboard science and life detection instruments, and a borehole inspection probe, all of which were mounted to a simulated lander platform. Much of the operation of the system was automated, and the resulting data were transmitted via satellite to remote science teams for analysis. The science team used the data to characterise the subsurface geology and to search for signs of life. Based on the data being received and operational constraints, the science team also directed the daily operation of the equipment. The experiment was highly successful, with the drill reaching over 6 m in depth in 23 days of simulated mission. The science team analysed remote sensing data obtained from 28 cores and detected biosignatures in 12 core subsamples. This experiment represents an important first step in understanding the technology and operational requirements for a future Mars drilling mission. In the past there have been numerous rover field tests that have helped guide the design and implementation of the highly successful rover missions to Mars. However, a drilling mission potentially adds a new level of complexity, and it is important to understand the associated challenges. This paper documents the design of the experimental system, highlighting some of the more important design criteria and design trades. It also discusses the results of the field testing and lists some of the key technological lessons learned. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

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Fossil microbes found along an iron-rich river in Spain reveal how signs of life could be preserved in minerals found on Mars. The discovery may help to equip the next generation Mars rover with the tools it would need to find evidence of past life on the planet.
The Rio Tinto arises from springs west of Seville. These springs percolate up through iron ores that were deposited by geothermal activity more than 200 million years ago.
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Title: The Cyborg Astrobiologist: Porting from a wearable computer to the Astrobiology Phone-cam
Authors: Alexandra Bartolo, Patrick C. McGuire, Kenneth P. Camilleri, Christopher Spiteri, Jonathan C. Borg, Philip J. Farrugia, Jens Ormo, Javier Gomez-Elvira, Jose Antonio Rodriguez-Manfredi, Enrique Diaz-Martinez, Helge Ritter, Robert Haschke, Markus Oesker, Joerg Ontrup

We have used a simple camera phone to significantly improve an 'exploration system' for astrobiology and geology. This camera phone will make it much easier to develop and test computer-vision algorithms for future planetary exploration. We envision that the 'Astrobiology Phone-cam' exploration system can be fruitfully used in other problem domains as well.

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