NASA Conducts Mission Simulations in Hawaii

July 17, 2012

Joshua Buck
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
jbuck@nasa.gov

Amber Philman
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
321-867-2468
amber.n.philman@nasa.gov

RELEASE: 12-237

NASA CONDUCTS MISSION SIMULATIONS IN HAWAII

HILO, Hawaii -- NASA is conducting a nine-day field test starting
Tuesday outside Hilo, Hawaii, to evaluate new exploration techniques
for the surface of the moon. These mission simulations, known as
analog missions, are performed at extreme and often remote Earth
locations to prepare for robotic and human missions to
extraterrestrial destinations.

The In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) analog mission is a
collaboration of NASA partners, primarily the Canadian Space Agency
(CSA), with help from the Pacific International Space Center for
Exploration Systems (PISCES).

The ISRU analog mission will demonstrate techniques to prospect for
lunar ice. The testing site near Hilo features lava-covered mountain
soil similar to the ancient volcanic plains on the moon. The two main
tests under way are the Regolith and Environment Science and Oxygen
and Lunar Volatile Extraction (RESOLVE) and Moon Mars Analog Mission
Activities (MMAMA).

The demonstration includes CSA's Artemis Jr. rover and a drill. These
devices support the NASA RESOLVE payload. RESOLVE is designed to
prospect for water, ice and other lunar resources. It also will
demonstrate how future explorers can take advantage of resources at
potential landing sites. The rover and its onboard instrumentation
are about as tall as a human and weigh about 660 pounds, three times
heavier than the equipment that would be used on an actual mission.

MMAMA is a group of small projects and tests that will define the
requirements for navigation, mobility, communications, sample
processing, curating and other critical elements that could be used
in future science and exploration missions. Using another CSA rover,
Juno, and payload interfaces, the MMAMA suite of tests includes
analysis of regolith using pryolysis (which is breaking down the
samples by heating them), robotic resource mapping, a miniaturized
Mossbauer spectrometer, and a combined miniaturized Mossbauer and
X-Ray fluorescence spectrometer. A team of engineers and researchers
will monitor all of the tests from a mission control set up in
Hawaii.

Lessons learned from the ISRU project will become increasingly
important as NASA embarks on deep-space missions. Instead of having
to launch from Earth with all the supplies needed, a human crew could
go into space knowing that natural resources already are waiting for
them.

Reporters are invited to the test site for a demonstration beginning
at 9 a.m. HST Thursday, July 19. Journalists should contact Amber
Philman at 321-431-4970 or amber.n.philman@nasa.gov by 2 p.m. HST,
Wednesday, July 18, to attend. Access to the test site requires an
escort and a letter of assignment on company letterhead for
credentials.

For more information about NASA's exploration plans, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/exploration


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