Arizona’s high desert isn’t quite as tough on equipment
as the moon or Mars, but few places on Earth can give
prototype spacesuits, rovers and science gear a better
workout.
A NASA-led team will head for sites near Flagstaff, Ariz.
next week to test innovative equipment. Engineers and
scientists lead the Desert Research and Technology Studies
(RATS) team from the Johnson Space Center (JSC), Houston, and
the Glenn Research Center, Cleveland. The team includes
members from NASA centers, universities and private industry.
Their efforts may help America pursue the Vision for Space
Exploration to return to the moon and travel beyond.
The sand, grit, dust, rough terrain and extreme temperature
swings of the desert are attractive, simulating some of the
conditions that may be encountered on the moon or Mars. Crews
wearing prototype-advanced spacesuits will use and evaluate
the new equipment for two weeks starting Sept. 14.
“For field testing, the desert may be the closest place on
Earth to Mars, and it provides valuable hands-on experience,”
said Joe Kosmo, JSC senior project engineer for the
experiments. “This work will focus on the human and robotic
interaction we’ll need for future lunar and planetary
exploration, and it will let us evaluate new developments in
engineering, science and operations,” he said.
See: Replicating Mars: NASA JSC’s Remote Field Demonstration Test Site
