| We have developed a pilot facility with a Robotic Test Bench (ExoGeoLab) and a Mobile Lab Habitat (ExoHab). They can be used to validate concepts and external instruments from partner institutes. The ExoGeoLab research incubator project, has started in the frame of a collaboration between ILEWG (International Lunar Exploration working Group http://sci.esa.int/ilewg), ESTEC, NASA and academic partners, supported by a design and control desk in the European Space Incubator (ESI), as well as infrastructure. ExoGeoLab includes a sequence of technology and research pilot project activities:
- Data analysis and interpretation of remote sensing and in-situ data, and merging of multi-scale data sets
- Procurement and integration of geophysical, geo-chemical and astrobiological breadboard instruments on a surface station and rovers
- Integration of cameras, environment and solar sensors, Visible and near IR spectrometer, Raman spectrometer, sample handling, cooperative rovers
- Delivery of a generic small planetary lander demonstrator (ExoGeoLab lander, Sept 2009) as a platform for multi-instruments tests
- Research operations and exploitation of ExoGeoLab test bench for various conceptual configurations, and support for definition and design of science surface packages (Moon, Mars, NEOs, outer moons)
- Field tests of lander, rovers and instruments in analogue sites (Utah MDRS 2009 & 2010, Eifel volcanic park in Sept 2009, and future campaigns).
Co-authors, ILEWG ExoGeoLab & ExoHab Team:
B.H. Foing(1,11)*#, C. Stoker(2,11)*$, P. Ehrenfreund(10,11), L. Boche-Sauvan(1,11)*, L. Wendt(8)*, C. Gross(8, 11)*, C. Thiel(9)*, S. Peters(1,6)*, A. Borst(1,6)*, J. Zavaleta(2)*, P. Sarrazin(2)*, D. Blake(2), J. Page(1,4,11), V. Pletser(5,11)*, E. Monaghan(1)*, P. Mahapatra(1)#, A. Noroozi(3), P. Giannopoulos(1,11) , A. Calzada(1,6,11), R. Walker(7), T. Zegers(1, 15) #, G. Groemer(12)# , W. Stumptner(12)#, B. Foing(2,5), J. K. Blom(3)#, A. Perrin(14)#$, M. Mikolajczak(14)#$, S. Chevrier(14)#$, S. Direito(6)#$, S. Voute (15)#$, A. Olmedo-Soler(17)#, T. E. Zegers(1, 15)#, D. Scheer(12)#, K. Bickert(12)#, D. Schildhammer(12)#, B. Jantscher(1, 11, 12)#, MECA Team(6)#, ExoGeoLab ILEWG ExoHab teams(1,4,11) EuroGeoMars team(1,4,5);
1)ESTEC/SRE-S Postbus 299, 2200 AG Noordwijk, NL, 2)NASA Ames , 3)Delft TU , 4)ESTEC TEC Technology Dir., 5)ESTEC HSF Human Spaceflight, 6)VU Amsterdam, 7)ESTEC Education Office, 8)FU Berlin, 9)Max Planck Goettingen, 10)Leiden/GWU , 11)ILEWG ExoHab Team, 12)Austrian Space Forum (OEWF Innsbruck); 14) Ecole de l’Air, Salons de Provence, 15) Utrecht U., 16) MECA Team, 17) Olmedo Knowledge Systems S.L.; * EuroGeoMars Utah crew , # ILEWG Eifel crew, $EuroMoonMars/DOMMEX Utah crew. |