Mars Exploration News  
Arctic Mars Analog Svalbard Expedition

illustration only
by Kirsten Fristad
Greenbelt MD (SPX) Aug 09, 2006
Scientists and researchers are spending two and a half weeks in Svalbard, an archipelago in the Arctic Ocean north of Norway. The objective of the Arctic Mars Analog Svalbard Expedition (AMASE) is to characterize the geology, geophysical features, biosignatures, and possible life forms of volcanic centers, warm springs, and perennial rivers, settings thought to be analogous to sites on ancient Mars. AMASE targets the Bockfjorden area of the Norwegian island of Svalbard, in hot-spring-deposited carbonate terraces.

The equipment used in the field is adapted from off-the-shelf instruments to function in the frigid Svalbard temperatures and to detect and characterize low levels of microbiota and organic and mineralogical biomarkers rapidly. These tools assist in a real-time understanding of the environment and permit the team to gather pertinent samples and test hypotheses with minimal sample disturbance, and the sample acquisition and analysis methods are providing tests of protocols for experiments on future missions to Mars.

AMASE consists of an international crew of scientists, engineers and filmmakers. Participating members hail from the University of Oslo (PGP), Electromagnetic Geoservices (Norway), Carnegie Institute of Washington, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA Ames Research Center, NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab, Penn State, the Lunar and Planetary Institute, University of Indiana, Smithsonian Institution, University of Leeds (UK), International Space Science Institute and Optic Verve. AMASE first began four years ago led by Hans Amundsen of Physics of Geological Processes at the University of Oslo.

AMASE is made possible by the strong support of UNIS, the Polar Institute, and the Governor and people of Svalbard.

As the expedition progresses, check back here for updates from Svalbard. These 'Notes from the Field' will be published almost daily on weekdays during the research team's time away in the Arctic. They are being written by Kirsten Fristad, a member of the Sample Analysis of Mars (SAM) Lab at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.

About Kirsten Fristad in her own words...

My name is Kirsten Fristad. I am a budding planetary scientist working in the highly talented Sample Analysis of Mars (SAM) Lab at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. I graduated from Macalester College in 2005 with a major in geology and core in astronomy knowing I wanted to pursue a research career in planetary science.

Through summer internships with several planetary scientists, I developed a background in analyzing martian and lunar planetary remote sensing data and Mars analog field work in Alaska. Since starting at Goddard in May, I have been organizing the Goddard/SAM Team contribution to AMASE 2006. I will continue working in the SAM lab until fall 2007 when I will commence graduate studies in a yet to be decided location to pursue a PhD in planetary science.

Before starting at Goddard in May 2006, I worked and traveled around Australia, coached high school hurdlers, and pondered the mysteries of the universe. Aside from pondering, I love to laugh, dance, listen to music from the '80s, and travel to remote locations. I'm really hoping I can make a career of this expedition thing....

Community
Email This Article
Comment On This Article

Related Links
More at NASA
Mars News and Information at MarsDaily.com
Mars News and Information at MarsDaily.com
Lunar Dreams and more



Memory Foam Mattress Review
Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily
XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News


Russia To Stage Mock Mission To Mars
Moscow (UPI) Aug 04, 2006
Russia's space agency is seeking volunteers for a 520-day mock Mars mission. The announcement of the simulation is posted on the Web site of Russia's Federal Space Agency, Space.com reported. The "flight" will be simulated on the premises of the Russian Academy of Sciences' Institute of Medical and Biological Research in northern Moscow.









  • Could NASA Get To Pluto Faster? Space Expert Says Yes - By Thinking Nuclear
  • NASA plans to send new robot to Jupiter
  • Los Alamos Hopes To Lead New Era Of Nuclear Space Tranportion With Jovian Mission
  • Boeing Selects Leader for Nuclear Space Systems Program

  • SMART-1 Towards Final Impact
  • Linking The Earth To The Moon
  • Japan Plans Moon Base By 2030
  • NASA Chooses LM For LRO Launch Services

  • Space Missions Become More Challenging
  • RSC Energia Outline A Concept Of Russian Manned Space Navigation Development
  • Man Of Many Hats Not Ready To Hang Any Up
  • Griffin Asks For Patience In Pursuit Of Deep Space Goals

  • Nine Years To The Ninth Planet And Counting
  • IAU Approves Names For Two Small Plutonian Moons
  • Three Trojan Asteroids Share Neptune Orbit
  • New Horizons Crosses The Asteroid Belt

  • Junior Spot Zips Past Great Red Spot On Jupiter
  • Gemini Captures Close Encounter Of Two Jupiter Red Spots
  • Gas Giants Consistently Larger Than Their Moons
  • Two Great Jovian Storms Converging

  • Flying Over The Cloudy World
  • Venus Express Spies Double Vortex
  • Venus Express Commissioning Phase Completed
  • Venus Express Reaches Final Mission Orbit

  • ESA Releases Huygens Scientific Archive Data Set
  • A Titanic Methane Cycle Drives Distant World
  • Evidence Strong That It Rains On Titan
  • How The World Watched Huygens

  • Sandia Piezoelectric Film Package To Be Part Of Space Station Experiment
  • NG Begins Work On Dedicated Facility For High-Energy, Solid-State Laser System
  • Boeing Laser Communications Demonstration Validates Critical Element Of TSAT Network
  • NASA Awards Engineering And Scientific Services Contract To ASRC Aerospace

  • The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2006 - SpaceDaily.AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA PortalReports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additionalcopyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement