First Joint U.S.-Canada Polar Expedition for Educators, Axel Heiberg Island, Nunavut, Canada: Planetary Analogue Research and Lessons Learned

Details First Joint U.S.-Canada Polar Expedition for Educators, Axel Heiberg Island, Nunavut, Canada: Planetary Analogue Research and Lessons Learned First Joint U.S.-Canada Polar Expedition for Educators, Axel Heiberg Island, Nunavut, Canada: Planetary Analogue Research and Lessons Learned

Dec 2008

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2008agufmed33a0628w&link_type=abstract

American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2008, abstract #ED33A-0628

Computer Science

Robotics

5462 Polar Regions

Scientific paper

From July 20 to August 2, 2008, joint activities sponsored by the Canadian Space Agency (CSA - Space Learning) and NASA (Spaceward Bound) were carried out at the McGill Arctic Research Station (MARS) in the Canadian High Arctic. Established in 1960, MARS consists of two sites located on western Axel Heiberg Island along the shore of Expedition Fiord (lower camp), and 8 km inland, at Colour Lake (upper camp). The MARS upper camp is one of the longest-operating seasonal field research facilities in polar regions. The lower camp was established in 2007 through infrastructure support provided by the CSA. The station is located in a mountainous area dominated by ice caps, outlet and valley glaciers, polar desert, arctic tundra, and permafrost, and is internationally recognized for research on cold, perennial springs associated with the presence of evaporite domes. Six educators from the U.S. and Canada participated in field surveys and hands-on demonstrations with the following objectives: (1) join a team of scientists and engineers to explore the topics of Physical Geography, Geoscience, Astrobiology, and Robotics through experiential learning; (2) discover how remote and extreme polar environments on Earth are used by planetary scientists to better understand the evolution of the Moon and Mars, and to potentially train future planetary explorers; (3) bring that experience back to their classrooms, and assist in the development of space curriculum related to science, technology, and engineering projects carried out at planetary analogue sites. In this paper, we present a summary of operational planning and field surveys that led to successful scientific experiments by 16 participants during the Expedition. Research topics explored prior to, and during the arctic mission include Physical Geography, Geomorphology, Geology, Seismology, Earth Observation, Astrobiology, and Terrain Characterization with implications for future human and robotic exploration missions to the Moon and Mars. The Arctic Field Expedition 2008 represents a tangible example of collaboration between our space agencies, to (1) build a dynamic network and 'live connections' in our respective scientific and education communities during International Polar Year, and beyond; and (2) to transfer knowledge on polar regions and planetary analogues to the next generation of space explorers in the U.S. and Canada.

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