Haughton-Mars Project (HMP-2001 REPORT: 010630)

By: Dr. Pascal Lee

The events of our day were the arrivals in Resolute Bay of Dr. Louis D.
Friedman, Executive Director of the Planetary Society, and of HMP veteran
Darlene Lim, graduate student in geobiology from the University of Toronto.

Lou is joining the HMP for a week to explore the feasability that our
research site on Devon Island host a new, Planetary Society-supported “Mars
Outpost” initiative in the years to come. Mars Outposts are envisaged by
the Planetary Society as a way to bridge the gap existing between the
current robotic program of Mars exploration and an actual human mission to
the Red Planet. The outposts would involve establishing at selected sites
on Mars substantial robotic infrastructures capable of supporting a wide
array of surface exploration activities (with in particular opportunities
for broad-based public teleparticipation) in preparation for the actual
arrival of humans.

Originally proposed by Bruce Murray, the “Mars Outposts” idea was further
developed at the Planetary Society by Bruce, Lou, Wes Huntress and others.
I find the idea interesting and worth exploring further. More details about
the Mars Outposts idea can be found in the May/June issue of The Planetary
Report, the magazine of the Planetary Society.

Darlene is joining us to participate in this year’s biology program as a member
of the first phase of occupation of the FMARS habitat. Last summer, she was
a member of the crew that spent five days in the FMARS under command of
Carol Stoker
of NASA Ames.

Our chances of “putting in” on Devon tomorrow are low. Our friend Allan
Huard who
is in charge of the Noranda Camp reported snow precipitation on Northern Devon
this morning. It is now drizzly and foggy in Resolute Bay. First Air pilots
are recommending that we wait for a solid day of sunshine to allow our
airstrip at Haughton Crater to become nearly snow free and to dry up.
Patience is the name
of the game.