Field Report July 21, 2001 – Haughton Crater Report Number: HMP-2001-072

By: Dr. Pascal Lee

“Hard Science” Painting by Pat Rawlings 2111 Foundation Art Collection.

We had another beautiful sunny day. Dr Charlie Cockell and Dr Bill Clancey
took off early on an ATV traverse to Lake Trinity and The Three Sisters
(three massive fragments of an ejecta block perched on top of a hill in the
western rim area of Haughton Crater). The traverse is part of our survey
of ejecta blocks at Haughton both for of their geology and biology.
Gordon “Oz” Osinski and Samson Ootoovak went on another traverse to
explore the far western outer portions of the impact structure. That
traverse is part of our ongoing survey of sites of ancient impact-induced
hydrothermal activity.

The Carnegie Mellon University sun-synchronous “Hyperion” rover began
a second 24-hr run this afternoon. After the brilliant success met on
their very first attempt, Dr Dave Wettergreen’s team is now pushing the
envelope further. The range of the circuit is being increased from 6
to 12 km, more challenging terrain will be traversed, and a major shadow
zone will be encountered. The run is expected to end tomorrow at 3 pm.

The aeromag survey is also making strides. Two thirds of the planned
survey was completed as of this evening. Magnificient magnetic patterns
are beginning to emerge through which we hope to gain a better understanding
of the magnetic signatures left by impact events. For dinner we had baked
chicken, coleslaw with dried cranberries and almond slivers, and cinnamon
sugar empenadas.

After dinner our helicopter was used for some filming
with the Discovery Channel crew. We worked to recreate the vision of
a spacesuited human explorer rappeling down a cliff face on Mars depicted
in the now classic painting by space artist Pat Rawlings. The painting,
named “Hard Science”, is at present part the art collection of the 2111
Foundation, a foundation in support of earth and space exploration chaired
by Charlie Cockell (www.2111.org). My brother Marco (our camp doctor and
an avid mountaineer) and I donned two of the Mars Society’s simulated
spacesuits for the occasion. We climbed up to the top of the Fortress and
Marco rappeled down.

Marco Lee abseils down the vertical cliff face of the Fortress while
Pascal looks on.
(Photo NASA Haughton-Mars Project/Kelly Snook 010721)