Nomad Rover Field Experiment, Atacama Desert, Chile: 1. Science results overview

Cabrol, Nathalie A.; Chong-Díaz, G.; Stoker, C.; Gulick, V. C.; Landheim, R.; Lee, P.; Roush, T. L.; Zent, A. P.; Lameli, C. Herrera; Iglesia, A. Jensen; Arrerondo, M. Pereira; Dohm, J. M.; Keaten, R.; Wettergreen, David; Sims, Michael H.; Schwher, K.; Bualat, Maria; Thomas, Hans; Zbinden, Eric; Christian, Daniel G.; Pedersen, Lasse Heje; Bettis, A.; Thomas, G.W.; Witzke, Brian J.

doi:10.1029/1999je001166

Cited by 34 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 11 publications

(3 reference statements)

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“…Cabrol et al 2001;Navarro-Gonza`lez et al 2003;Quinn et al 2005;Buch et al 2006 ;Skelley et al 2006;Lester et al 2007;Meunier et al 2007). Cabrol et al 2001;Navarro-Gonza`lez et al 2003;Quinn et al 2005;Buch et al 2006 ;Skelley et al 2006;Lester et al 2007;Meunier et al 2007).…”

Section: Mars : a Habitable Planet ?unclassified

Habitability on planetary surfaces: interdisciplinary preparation phase for future Mars missions

Peeters

Quinn

Martins

et al. 2009

International Journal of Astrobiology

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Life on Earth is one of the outcomes of the formation and evolution of our solar system and has adapted to every explored environment on planet Earth. Recent discoveries have shown that life can exist in extreme environments, such as hydrothermal vents, in deserts and in ice lakes in Antarctica. These findings challenge the definition of the ' planetary habitable zone '. The objective of future international planetary exploration programmes is to implement a long-term plan for the robotic and human exploration of solar system bodies. Mars has been a central object of interest in the context of extraterrestrial life. The search for extinct or extant life on Mars is one of the main goals of space missions to the Red Planet during the next decade. In this paper we describe the investigation of the physical and chemical properties of Mars soil analogues collected in arid deserts. We measure the pH, redox potential and ion concentrations, as well as carbon and amino acid abundances of soils collected from the Atacama desert (Chile and Peru) and the Salten Skov sediment from Denmark. The samples show large differences in their measured properties, even when taken only several meters apart. A desert sample and the Salten Skov sediment were exposed to a simulated Mars environment to test the stability of amino acids in the soils. The presented laboratory and field studies provide limits to exobiological models, evidence on the effects of subsurface mineral matrices, support current and planned space missions and address planetary protection issues.

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Section: Mars : a Habitable Planet ?unclassified

Habitability on planetary surfaces: interdisciplinary preparation phase for future Mars missions

Peeters

Quinn

Martins

et al. 2009

International Journal of Astrobiology

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“…The only exception to this general rule occurs in situations where the Hazcam images necessary to support safe deployment of the CMI are not available. The Nomad rover science team [ Cabrol et al , 2001] reached a similar conclusion regarding the desirability of microscopic imaging capability.…”

Section: Lessons Learnedmentioning

confidence: 80%

“…Using data from the FIDO instruments, primarily a false‐color IR stereo panoramic camera (Pancam), a color microscopic imager (CMI), and an infrared point spectrometer (IPS) (1.3–2.5 μm) [ Haldemann et al , 2002], the COT investigated the rock types and geologic relationships at the simulated landing sites and correlated lithologic features (mineralogy, rock types) from the landing sites to a regional scale. The FIDO tests differ significantly from testing of the Nomad Rover at Atacama [ Cabrol et al , 2001] in the focus of FIDO on in situ rock and mineral investigations and not on long‐distance mobility. One of the key conclusions of Cabrol et al [2001] was the importance of having capable instrumentation for determining mineralogy.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The FIDO tests differ significantly from testing of the Nomad Rover at Atacama [ Cabrol et al , 2001] in the focus of FIDO on in situ rock and mineral investigations and not on long‐distance mobility. One of the key conclusions of Cabrol et al [2001] was the importance of having capable instrumentation for determining mineralogy. The 1999 Marsokhod Field Experiment [ Stoker et al , 2001; Johnson et al , 2001] also focused on mineralogy and rock identification.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Remotely sensed geology from lander‐based to orbital perspectives: Results of FIDO rover May 2000 field tests

et al. 2002

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[1] Blind field tests of the Field Integration Design and Operations (FIDO) prototype Mars rover were carried out 7-16 May 2000. A Core Operations Team (COT), sequestered at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory without knowledge of test site location, prepared command sequences and interpreted data acquired by the rover. Instrument sensors included a stereo panoramic camera, navigational and hazard-avoidance cameras, a color microscopic imager, an infrared point spectrometer, and a rock coring drill. The COT designed command sequences, which were relayed by satellite uplink to the rover, and evaluated instrument data. Using aerial photos and Airborne Visible and Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) data, and information from the rover sensors, the COT inferred the geology of the landing site during the 18 sol mission, including lithologic diversity, stratigraphic relationships, environments of deposition, and weathering characteristics. Prominent lithologic units were interpreted to be dolomite-bearing rocks, kaolinite-bearing altered felsic volcanic materials, and basalt. The color panoramic camera revealed sedimentary layering and rock textures, and geologic relationships seen in rock exposures. The infrared point spectrometer permitted identification of prominent carbonate and kaolinite spectral features and permitted correlations to outcrops that could not be reached by the rover. The color microscopic imager revealed fine-scale rock textures, soil components, and results of coring experiments. Test results show that closeup interrogation of rocks is essential to investigations of geologic environments and that observations must include scales ranging from individual boulders and outcrops (microscopic, macroscopic) to orbital remote sensing, with sufficient intermediate steps (descent images) to connect in situ and remote observations.

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“…The arid core region (221S to 261S) of the Atacama Desert has been studied (Dose et al, 2001;Cockell et al, 2007;Gómez-Silva et al, 2008) as an analogue for Mars (Friedmann, 1993;Cabrol et al, 2001;Skelley et al, 2006Skelley et al, , 2007Warren-Rhodes et al, 2007) and reported to contain ''Mars-like'' soil with respect to soil bacteria, organic material and a non-biological soil oxidant (Navarro-Gonz alez et al, 2003;Quinn et al, 2005). There are locales with virtually no culturable soil bacteria (Bagaley, 2006) and only a small number of non-lichenized fungi have been cultured (Conley et al, 2006).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rain infiltration and crust formation in the extreme arid zone of the Atacama Desert, Chile

Davis

Pater

McKay

2010

Planetary and Space Science

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Nomad Rover Field Experiment, Atacama Desert, Chile: 1. Science results overview

Cited by 34 publications

References 11 publications

Habitability on planetary surfaces: interdisciplinary preparation phase for future Mars missions

Habitability on planetary surfaces: interdisciplinary preparation phase for future Mars missions

Remotely sensed geology from lander‐based to orbital perspectives: Results of FIDO rover May 2000 field tests

Rain infiltration and crust formation in the extreme arid zone of the Atacama Desert, Chile

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