NASA/TM-2014-217388 The Antarctic Search for Meteorites: A model for deep space exploration Stanley G. Love, Ph.D. NASA Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center Mail Code CB 2101 NASA Parkway Houston, TX 77059 281-244-2618 [email protected] National Aeronautics and Space Administration Johnson Space Center Houston, Texas 77058 May 2014 NASA STI Program ... in Profile Since its founding, NASA has been dedicated  CONFERENCE PUBLICATION. Collected to the advancement of aeronautics and space papers from scientific and technical science. The NASA scientific and technical conferences, symposia, seminars, or other information (STI) program plays a key part in meetings sponsored or co-sponsored helping NASA maintain this important role. by NASA. The NASA STI program operates under the  SPECIAL PUBLICATION. Scientific, auspices of the Agency Chief Information technical, or historical information from Officer. It collects, organizes, provides for NASA programs, projects, and missions, archiving, and disseminates NASA’s STI. The often concerned with subjects having NASA STI program provides access to the NASA substantial public interest. Aeronautics and Space Database and its public interface, the NASA Technical Report Server,  TECHNICAL TRANSLATION. English- thus providing one of the largest collections of language translations of foreign scientific aeronautical and space science STI in the world. and technical material pertinent to Results are published in both non-NASA channels NASA’s mission. and by NASA in the NASA STI Report Series, which includes the following report types: Specialized services also include creating custom thesauri, building customized databases,  TECHNICAL PUBLICATION. Reports of and organizing and publishing research results. completed research or a major significant phase of research that present the results of For more information about the NASA STI NASA Programs and include extensive data program, see the following: or theoretical analysis. Includes compilations of significant scientific and technical data and  Access the NASA STI program home page information deemed to be of continuing at http://www.sti.nasa.gov reference value. NASA counterpart of peer- reviewed formal professional papers but has  E-mail your question via the Internet to less stringent limitations on manuscript length [email protected] and extent of graphic presentations.  Fax your question to the NASA STI Help  TECHNICAL MEMORANDUM. Scientific Desk at 443-757-5803 and technical findings that are preliminary or of specialized interest, e.g., quick release  Phone the NASA STI Help Desk at reports, working papers, and bibliographies 443-757-5802 that contain minimal annotation. Does not contain extensive analysis.  Write to: NASA Center for AeroSpace Information  CONTRACTOR REPORT. Scientific and 7115 Standard Drive technical findings by NASA-sponsored Hanover, MD 21076-1320 contractors and grantees. NASA/TM-2014-217388 The Antarctic Search for Meteorites: A model for deep space exploration Stanley G. Love, Ph.D. NASA Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center Mail Code CB 2101 NASA Parkway Houston, TX 77059 281-244-2618 [email protected] National Aeronautics and Space Administration Johnson Space Center Houston, Texas 77058 May 2014 Available from: NASA Center for AeroSpace Information National Technical Information Service 7115 Standard Drive 5301 Shawnee Road Hanover, MD 21076-1320 Alexandria, VA 22312 Available in electric form at http://ston.jsc.nasa.gov/collections/TRS Table of Contents List of figures ............................................................................................................................................... iii List of tables ................................................................................................................................................. iv Glossary and acronyms ................................................................................................................................. v Executive summary .................................................................................................................................... viii 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................................... 1 1.01. Overview of Space Shuttle Missions ...................................................................................... 2 1.02. Overview of International Space Station Missions ................................................................. 3 1.03. Overview of a Reference Future Mars Mission ...................................................................... 3 1.04. Overview of NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations (NEEMO) .......................... 4 1.05. Overview of Desert Research and Technology Studies (Desert RATS) ................................. 4 1.06. Overview of Pavilion Lake Research Project (PLRP) ............................................................ 5 1.07. Overview of Antarctic Search for Meteorites (ANSMET) ..................................................... 5 2. Comprehensive characterization of ANSMET ......................................................................................... 8 2.01. Description of the Mission ...................................................................................................... 8 2.02. Transportation To, From, and Within Antarctica ................................................................. 32 2.03. Field Camp ............................................................................................................................ 42 2.04. Collecting Meteorites ............................................................................................................ 54 2.05. Crew Concerns ...................................................................................................................... 64 3. Data from ANSMET ............................................................................................................................... 74 3.01. 2004-2005 ANSMET Calendar Overview ............................................................................ 75 3.02. 2012-2013 ANSMET Calendar Overview ............................................................................ 77 3.03. Example Daily Timelines ..................................................................................................... 79 3.04. Use of Time in Camp ............................................................................................................ 84 3.05. Fatigue and Sleep in Camp ................................................................................................... 87 3.06. Daily Distance Traveled ....................................................................................................... 89 3.07. 2004-2005 Personal Gear Packing List ................................................................................. 91 3.08. 2012-2013 Personal Gear Packing List ................................................................................. 92 3.09. List of NSF-Issued Field Gear .............................................................................................. 93 3.10. Field Equipment Weight and Cube ....................................................................................... 94 3.11. Use of Volume and Consumables in Camp .......................................................................... 98 3.12. Workload and Exertion ....................................................................................................... 102 3.13. Data on McMurdo Station as a Model Space Settlement ................................................... 104 3.14. Informal Wind Speed Measurement Technique ................................................................. 105 3.15. An ANSMET Camp Recipe ................................................................................................ 105 4. Comparing ANSMET to space flight and to space flight analogs ........................................................ 107 4.01. Space Shuttle ....................................................................................................................... 107 4.02. International Space Station ................................................................................................. 111 i 4.03. A Future Mars Mission ....................................................................................................... 116 4.04. NEEMO .............................................................................................................................. 119 4.05. Desert RATS ....................................................................................................................... 124 4.06. PLRP ................................................................................................................................... 129 4.07. Comparison of ANSMET Field Camp to Space Missions.................................................. 135 4.08. Comparison of ANSMET Field Camp to NEEMO, Desert RATS, and PLRP .................. 138 5. Observations and recommendations ..................................................................................................... 141 5.01. ANSMET Resembles Space Flight. NASA Should Treat It as a Space Flight Analog ...... 141 5.02. Astronaut Participation in ANSMET is Mutually Advantageous. It Should Continue ...... 141 5.03. Surface Mobility Enables Exploration. Future Missions Should Provide It ....................... 142 5.04. Surface Navigation Enables Exploration. Future Missions Should Provide It. .................. 142 5.05. Good, Varied Food is Key for Health and Morale. Space Missions Should Provide It ...... 143 5.06. ANSMET Provides a Wide Variety of Clothing. Deep Space Missions Should Too ........ 143 5.07. Logistics Occupy 50% - 75% of a Remote Site .................................................................. 143 5.08. Support Takes Five Times as Much Work as Science ........................................................ 144 5.09. As in ANSMET, Space Mission Commanders Should Have a Say in Crew Selection ...... 144 5.10. ANSMET Cross-Trains Some Critical Crew Skills. It Should Train Even More ............... 145 5.11. ANSMET Plans for Some Contingencies. It Should Consider Even More ........................ 145 5.12. Most ANSMET Participants Have No Expedition Behavior Training. They Should ........ 146 5.13. As in ANSMET, Space Crew Commanders Should Adjust Crew Tasking ........................ 146 5.14. ANSMET Monitors Its Own Progress. So Should Deep Space Crews .............................. 147 5.15. As in ANSMET, Deep Space Crews Should Make Decisions Affecting Science .............. 147 5.16. ANSMET Operates With Limited Bandwidth, As Will Deep Space Missions .................. 148 5.17. ANSMET Uses Simple, Tough, Forgiving, Fixable Gear. So Should Space Missions ...... 148 5.18. ANSMET Does Its Own Manifesting and Stowage. So Should Deep Space Crews .......... 149 5.19. ANSMET Manages Its Own Daily Schedule. So Should Deep Space Crews .................... 149 5.20. Antarctica is a Good Place to Simulate a Mars Mission ..................................................... 150 6. Summary and conclusion ...................................................................................................................... 153 6.01. Key Results of This Work ................................................................................................... 153 Acknowledgments ..................................................................................................................................... 159 References ................................................................................................................................................. 160 Author vita ................................................................................................................................................ 162 ii List of figures Figure 1. ANSMET field camp at Larkman Nunatak ................................................................................... 6 Figure 2. McMurdo Station from Observation Hill .................................................................................... 14 Figure 3. Logistics at McMurdo Station ..................................................................................................... 16 Figure 4. Antarctic vista between McMurdo and the South Pole on an LC-130 put-in flight .................... 24 Figure 5. Bombardier "Ski-Doo" snowmobile, fully loaded and towing two sledges for a camp shift ...... 35 Figure 6. LC-130 ski-equipped Lockheed "Hercules" cargo aircraft at the South Pole ............................. 39 Figure 7. De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter aircraft at an ANSMET field camp ........................................ 41 Figure 8. Interior of a Scott tent, as seen from the entrance ....................................................................... 48 Figure 9. Searching for meteorites on blue ice ........................................................................................... 57 Figure 10. Collecting a small meteorite ...................................................................................................... 61 Figure 11. DeepWorker subs, "EVA" astronauts, and the Aquarius habitat at NEEMO .......................... 120 Figure 12. Rover and crew at Desert RATS ............................................................................................. 125 Figure 13. DeepWorker pilots and crew at Pavilion Lake ........................................................................ 131 iii List of tables 2004-2005 ANSMET Calendar Overview .................................................................................................. 75 2012-2013 ANSMET Calendar Overview .................................................................................................. 77 Collecting ECW gear at the CDC (2012 Nov. 29) ...................................................................................... 79 Ice Flight (2004 Dec. 2) .............................................................................................................................. 79 Gear and food pull (2004 Dec. 4) ............................................................................................................... 80 Snow school (2004 Dec. 7) ......................................................................................................................... 80 Field camp put-in (2012 Dec. 10) ............................................................................................................... 80 Full day collecting meteorites (2013 Jan. 4) ............................................................................................... 81 Half day collecting meteorites (2005 Jan. 17) ............................................................................................ 81 Resupply flight (2012 Dec. 26) ................................................................................................................... 81 Holiday in field camp (2012 Dec. 31) ......................................................................................................... 82 Field camp pull-out (2005 Jan. 22) ............................................................................................................. 82 Gear cleaning and return (2013 Jan. 23) ..................................................................................................... 82 Retrograde flight (2005 Jan. 25-26) ............................................................................................................ 83 2004-2005 camp time breakdown ............................................................................................................... 84 2012-2013 camp time breakdown ............................................................................................................... 84 Combined 2004-2005 and 2012-2013 camp time breakdown .................................................................... 85 ANSMET and ISS time use ........................................................................................................................ 86 JSC Fatigue Rating Scale ............................................................................................................................ 87 Fatigue and Sleep in Camp ......................................................................................................................... 88 Daily Distance Traveled ............................................................................................................................. 89 Field Equipment Weight and Cube ............................................................................................................. 95 Summary of ANSMET volume and consumables use .............................................................................. 101 Likert Workload Rating Scale................................................................................................................... 102 Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion ........................................................................................................... 102 Workload and Exertion by Task ............................................................................................................... 103 Data on McMurdo Station as a Model Space Settlement ......................................................................... 104 Informal Wind Speed Measurement Technique ....................................................................................... 105 Comparison of ANSMET Field Camp to Space Missions........................................................................ 135 Comparison of ANSMET Field Camp to NEEMO, Desert RATS, and PLRP ........................................ 138 iv Glossary and acronyms Achondrite uncommon type of meteorite from the Moon, Mars, or a differentiated asteroid ANSMET Antarctic Search for Meteorites ATV Automated Transfer Vehicle, an unpiloted European cargo spacecraft AU Astronomical Unit, 1.496×1011 m Bag Drag bag check and passenger weigh-in for an Antarctic aircraft flight Beaker unflattering slang term for a science grantee in Antarctica BFC Berg Field Center, the field equipment depot at McMurdo Station Big Red CDC-issued down parka Bivouac Bag 40-kg kit containing supplies to make an emergency camp Boomerang Bag bag with city clothes, to be returned to an Antarctic traveler if an Ice Flight is aborted Bunny Boots CDC-issued white rubber boots Capcom Capsule Communicator, the spacecraft communicator in the Mission Control Center CDC Clothing Distribution Center in Christchurch, New Zealand Chondrite common type of meteorite from an undifferentiated parent body Crash Pad closed-cell foam pad, often placed at the entrance of a Scott tent for knee protection Cygnus an unpiloted cargo spacecraft built by Orbital Sciences Corporation DeepWorker small one-person submersible employed at NEEMO and Pavilion Lake Dehy freeze-dried packaged meals that are easily prepared but unpopular for aesthetic reasons Desert RATS Desert Research and Technology Studies Dragon an unpiloted cargo spacecraft built by Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) ECW Extreme Cold Weather EVA Extravehicular Activity (spacewalk) Find a meteorite discovered on the ground, as opposed to one observed falling Firn hard, consolidated snow one or more seasons old Flat Light overcast weather that makes crevasses, sastrugi, and other snow hazards invisible Food Pull selecting, scanning, and packing food for field camp Freshies fresh fruits and vegetables, a rare treat in Antarctica Frostie Boy the soft-serve ice cream dispenser in McMurdo Station's dining hall Frost Nip mild form of frostbite that does not result in tissue death Galley (1) the dining hall in Building 155 at McMurdo Station; (2) the water dispenser and food heater on the Space Shuttle Gear Pull selecting and testing equipment for field camp v GPS Global Positioning System Herc Lockheed C-130 or ski-equipped LC-130 "Hercules" cargo aircraft HF High Frequency (radio) HTV H-II Transfer Vehicle, an unpiloted Japanese cargo spacecraft Hurdy-Gurdy hand-cranked pump for refueling snowmobiles Ice Flight airplane flight from Christchurch, New Zealand to McMurdo Station, Antarctica ISS International Space Station IV Intra Vehicular crew member, who guides and monitors an EVA from inside a spacecraft. Ivan the Terra Bus 50-passenger all-terrain bus JATO jet-assisted take off JSC NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas Komatik Sledge strong wooden sledge for loads heavier than 500 kg KSC NASA Kennedy Space Center near Cocoa Beach, Florida Lego Box sturdy, stackable plastic case for tools and spares LEO low Earth orbit Mars DRA 5.0 NASA Mars Design Reference Architecture 5.0 MCM Three-letter code for McMurdo Station MEC Mechanical Equipment Center at McMurdo Station Meteo-wrong worthless terrestrial rock that resembles a meteorite Midrats midnight rations, a late meal served in the McMurdo dining hall MLS Microwave Landing System Mogas gasoline for motor vehicles Mountain Bag mountaineering rucksack containing ice travel and crevasse rescue gear Nansen Sledge lightweight wooden sledge for loads lighter than 500 kg NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration NBL Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory, the spacewalk training facility at Johnson Space Center NEEMO NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NPX Three-letter code for the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station NSF National Science Foundation Pax passenger(s) PI Principal Investigator PLRP Pavilion Lake Research Project vi