Living on the Edge

We've had a good week of testing on the Canadian Space Agency's Mars Emulation Terrain.  We conducted two long mission scenarios where we hunted for a methane source using a spectrometer.  We also used our spare Husky rover to do a little extra testing on some of the more extreme terrain in the test area.  In this photo the rover is fighting hard to track a path along a steep crosshill slope using our stereo visual teach and repeat algorithm.  It almost lost its balance here, but managed to hold on to complete the drive.  We head back to Toronto tomorrow. 

CH4 Hunter

We've had a productive first two days at the Canadian Space Agency testing our methane-hunting scenario.  The rover drove to many locations on the Mars Emulation Terrain and gathered measurements from an active spectrometer, which bounces a laser off retroreflectors, to try to locate a hidden source of methane.  Tomorrow we'll switch over to a passive spectrometer scenario where we'll be using the sun as a light source (instead of bouncing a laser off a retroreflector).

Arriva!!!

We've arrived at the Canadian Space Agency for rover testing and it's looking to be a sunny week.

Touchdown!

The NASA/JPL-Caltech rover, Curiosity, has successfully landed on Mars this morning and sent back its first images!  You can read more about it on the Mars Science Laboratory webpage.  

Congratulations to everybody involved in this ground-breaking mission.  It is a truly remarkable achievement!

The Countdown Has Begun

ASRL rover being prepared
for mock Mars mission

With the NASA Mars Science Laboratory landing just three days away, we are also counting down to our next field season, coincidentally also centred around a Mars mission concept.  Our robot will be hunting for a methane source in the Canadian Space Agency's Mars Emulation Terrain.  Scientists believe methane may play an important role in understanding Mars.  We'll have two different spectrometers mounted on the robot, capable of detecting methane.  One will bounce a laser off a reflective sign, the other will point at the sun.  Both spectrometers can detect the presence of methane in the direction they're pointing, so the robot will have to wander around until it finds the source; it will be a bit like the game, Battleship.  The test will occur August 20-24, hopefully just as the Curiosity rover is taking its first steps.  Stay tuned for updates on our progress!