AMASE Blog entry for Aug 4, 2009

by Adrienne Kish

Today saw the transformation of bare labs and storage warehouses into fully equipped biology and biogeochemistry facilities and Mars rover assembly rooms. True to form in the adventure of space exploration, most teams had to deal with parts missing or malfunctioning resulting in some inspired McGyvor solutions. Alternatives were found, packages located, and sciences moved along. When you are working in a remote area far from civilization, or on Mars for that matter, you work with what you have and deal with the challenges as they arise. The show must go on, and so does the science. The peace and quiet of NyAlesund was periodically disturbed by the arrival of cruise ships chalk full of ecotourists packing zoom lenses the length of their arm coming to view the quaint scientists and colorful building. Just wait until a cruise ship docks and sees a Mars rover picking up rocks….it’ll be a paparazzi outbreak that will make people wonder if Paris Hilton was visiting the arctic. We are now set up and ready to start hauling in the samples and putting the instruments to work.