A New Approach to Advanced Planetary Field Geology - Robotics Institute Carnegie Mellon University

A New Approach to Advanced Planetary Field Geology

Kip Hodges, Harrison H. Schmitt, and Terrence W. Fong
Conference Paper, Proceedings of Geologic Society of America Annual Meeting, October, 2010

Abstract

Field geologic research is practiced differently on Earth than it was on the Moon during the Apollo program. Limitations of both time and resources on the Moon led to operational modes that required highly choreographed field traverses. Such constraints rob field geologists of one of their more powerful research tools: observational flexibility. The greatest science return from future human exploration of the Moon, near-Earth asteroids, and Mars will be achieved if we find a way to increase the autonomy of astronaut explorers and encourage them to do field geology more like their compatriots who do field geology on Earth.

BibTeX

@conference{Hodges-2010-10548,
author = {Kip Hodges and Harrison H. Schmitt and Terrence W. Fong},
title = {A New Approach to Advanced Planetary Field Geology},
booktitle = {Proceedings of Geologic Society of America Annual Meeting},
year = {2010},
month = {October},
keywords = {planetary exploration, field geology},
}