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Mars Analog Research Stations Task Force
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FMARS Crew Lands on Devon Island
On July 2nd, the 2009 crew of the Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station (FMARS) successfully landed on Devon Island. Crew members Vernon Kramer (mission commander), Brian Shiro, Stacy Cusack, Kristine Ferrone, Joseph Palaia, Christy Garvin have now begun to settle in at the hab. The mission has been challenging from the beginning. For the first couple of days, the crew had to contend with 60 MPH winds and snow. However, they have been successfully prepping the hab for their month-long stay. In addition to performing repairs on the hab, ATVs and other equipment, the crew is also active with the spill-containment site construction, the garbage incinerator setup and testing, space suit repairs, gun safety training, bear training and setting up and testing our scientific equipment.
The FMARS 2009 research projects on Devon Island include the aerial and ground geological surveys along with Seismic and Time-domain Electromagnetic Surveys that will be conducted on mineralized structures found around the Haughton Meteor crater wall. This will be coupled with field testing various GPS instruments, cameras, MIT Mission Planner software and the Omega Envoy prototype lunar rover. Other activities include testing Class IV Laser Therapy.
Ongoing mission report from the crew will be posted at www.fmars2009.org as the mission proceeds over the month of July. The FMARS crew will then return and give a full report of their mission to the 12th international Mars Society convention, which will be held at the University of Maryland, College Park, July 30-August 2, 2009. Registration for the convention is now open online.
