Away Team Practice By ESA’s Geology Course PANGEA (Planetary ANalogue Geological and Astrobiological Exercise for Astronauts)
Three astronauts from three space agencies are at work looking for interesting rocks at the rim of a volcanic crater in Lanzarote, Spain. NASA astronaut candidate Jessica Wittner, Takuya Onishi from Japan’s space agency JAXA and ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet document samples during a simulated expedition on another planetary body.
Astronauts Thomas Pesquet (ESA), Takuya Onishi (JAXA) and Jessica Wittner (NASA), trainees of the ESA PANGAEA course as they proceed along the main gallery of the Corona lava tube in Lanzarote, Spain. Larger image
The crew stands at the top of an ancient volcano called Caldera Blanca. The remnants of magma eruptions from hundreds of thousands of years ago helped the astronauts in the search for samples from the Earth’s interior. The island of Lanzarote is one leg of ESA’s geology course PANGAEA, now running its sixth edition.
“Among craters and solidified lava flows, this is a very special place that does not look like Earth at all. You can easily picture yourself wearing a spacesuit and walking on the Moon or Mars,” says Thomas, who admitted to having discovered a new passion for geology.
Having identified a significant rock sample, ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet proceeded to document it, in collaboration with JAXA astronaut Takuya Onishi and NASA astronaut Jessica Wittner. Larger image
The astronauts do not wear spacesuits during these field trips but are equipped with a kit for sample collection and scientific analysis. Rock hammers at hand, the trainees carry spectrometers and microscopes connected with the all-in-one tool for future space explorers – the Electronic Field Book. The crew took up different roles and swapped responsibilities as part of the training.
A detail of the observation, using the ESA Electronic FieldBook associated microscope, made by astronauts Thomas Pesquet (ESA), Takuya Onishi (JAXA) and Jessica Wittner (NASA) during the traverse in the Corona lava tube. Larger image
The training course took the rookie geologists from theory-packed lessons to the wild outdoors in locations across Europe, such as the Bletterbach canyon in Italy and the Ries crater in Germany. The astronauts learned to document their findings, to understand the geology behind a landscape, and to unlock unanswered questions about the history of Earth, the Moon and Mars.
Astronauts Takuya Onishi (JAXA) makes observations with the microscope associated with the ESA Electronic FieldBook, while ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet is ready to analyse the site with a spectrometer. Larger image
An overview of the Electronic FieldBook tool suite, equipment that the ESA PANGAEA 2023 course trainers will use intensively during the traverses on the island of Lanzarote. Larger image
Follow the latest news about PANGAEA on the blog and follow their steps with our Flickr gallery.
Astrobiology, Astrogeology, Away Team,
