Field and laboratory validation of remote rover operations Science Team findings: The CanMars Mars Sample Return analogue mission

Christy M. Caudill, Gordon R. Osinski, Eric Pilles, Haley M. Sapers, Alexandra J. Pontefract, Raymond Francis, Shamus Duff, Joshua Laughton, Jonathan O'Callaghan, R. Sopoco, G. Tolometti, Michael Tuite, Kenneth H. Williford, Tianqi Xie

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

8 Scopus citations

Abstract

The CanMars Mars Sample Return Analogue Deployment (MSRAD) was a closely simulated, end-to-end Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission scenario, with instrumentation, goals, and constraints modeled on the upcoming NASA Mars 2020 rover mission; this paper reports on the post-mission validation of the exercise. The exercise utilized the CSA Mars Exploration Science Rover (MESR) rover, deployed to Utah, USA, at a Mars-analogue field site. The principal features of the field site located near Green River, Utah are Late Jurassic inverted, fluvial paleochannels, analogous to features on Mars in sites being considered for the ESA ExoMars rover mission and present within the chosen landing site for the Mars 2020 rover mission. The in-simulation (“in-sim”) mission operations team worked remotely from The University of Western Ontario, Canada. A suite of MESR-integrated and hand-held spectrometers was selected to mimic those of the Mars 2020 payload, and a Utah-based, on-site team was tasked with field operations to carry out the data collection and sampling as commanded by the in-sim team. As a validation of the in-sim mission science findings, the field team performed an independent geological assessment. This paper documents the field team's on-site geological assessment and subsequent laboratory and analytical results, then offers a comparison of mission (in-sim) and post-mission (laboratory) science results. The laboratory-based findings were largely consistent with the in-sim rover-derived data and geological interpretations, though some notable exceptions highlight the inherent difficulties in remote science. In some cases, available data was insufficient for lithologic identification given the absence of other important contextual information (e.g., textural information). This study suggests that the in-sim instruments were largely adequate for the Science Team to characterize samples; however, rover-based field work is necessarily hampered by mobility and time constraints with an obvious effect on efficiency but also precision, and to some extent, accuracy of the findings. The data show a dearth of preserved total organic carbon (TOC) – used as a proxy for ancient biosignature preservation potential – in the fluvial-lacustrine system of this field site, suggesting serious consideration with respect to the capabilities and opportunities for addressing the Mars exploration goals. We therefore suggest a thorough characterization of terrestrial sites analogous to those of Mars rover landing sites, and in-depth field studies like CanMars as important, pre-mission strategic exercises.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number104682
JournalPlanetary and Space Science
Volume176
DOIs
StatePublished - Oct 15 2019
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Analogue mission
  • Mars
  • Mission operations
  • Rover
  • Sample return

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
  • Space and Planetary Science

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Field and laboratory validation of remote rover operations Science Team findings: The CanMars Mars Sample Return analogue mission'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this