expedition Archives

In November 2021, AUV Sentry was deployed in the Gulf of California to detect and map hydrothermal plume structures in the deep ocean. Plumes are composed of a buoyant stem and neutrally-buoyant layer. These plumes are dynamic, subject to tidal advection, diffusion, and turbulent mixing. We infer the spatiotemporal structure of plumes from sparse partial-observations and plan informative trajectories that respect operational constraints of AUV Sentry. Field data are shown on the right from two onboard science point-sensors. The dORP/dt sensor shows areas of reactive water, likely indicating buoyant stem detections. The OBS sensor shows areas of high turbidity, which can persist throughout a plume. Combining these sensor signals, we can infer the plume structure and dynamics. -- cs.RO

Artemis & Lunar Exploration, Away Teams & Field Reports, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Exploration Gear & Tech, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Polar / Alpine Expeditions, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Status Report

Away Team Droid Tech: Robotic Planning Under Uncertainty in Spatiotemporal Environments in Expeditionary Science

by Keith CowingJuly 8, 2024July 7, 2024

In the expeditionary sciences, spatiotemporally varying environments — hydrothermal plumes, algal blooms, lava flows, or animal migrations — are ubiquitous. Mobile robots are uniquely well-suited to study these dynamic, mesoscale […]

Results of path planning for selected weights on Top: Aristarchus IMP - Bottom: Herodotus Mons -- cs.RO

Analog Studies, Artemis & Lunar Exploration, Away Teams & Field Reports, Exploration Gear & Tech, Missions & Hardware, Moon, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Status Report

Away Team Droid Tech: Multi-Objective Global Path Planning for Lunar Exploration With a Quadruped Robot

by Keith CowingJuly 6, 2024July 6, 2024

In unstructured environments the best path is not always the shortest, but needs to consider various objectives like energy efficiency, risk of failure or scientific outcome.

Proposed design reference missions for exploration of Venus (left) and Mars (right) (Beauchamp et al. 2018; Lyness et al. 2019).

AI - Data - Apps - Cybernetics, Away Teams & Field Reports, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Exploration Gear & Tech, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Missions & Hardware, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Sample Return, Status Report

AwayTeam Tech: Distributed Instruments for Planetary Surface Science: Scientific Opportunities and Technology Feasibility

by Keith CowingJuly 5, 2024July 5, 2024

In this paper, we assess the scientific promise and technology feasibility of distributed instruments for planetary science. A distributed instrument is an instrument designed to collect spatially and temporally correlated […]

Mt. Erebus, Antarctica as seen from space -- European Union, Copernicus Sentinel-2 imagery. Larger image

Analog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Away Teams & Field Reports, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Exploration Gear & Tech, Icy Worlds, Polar / Alpine Expeditions, Video, Audio, Webcasts, Podcasts

Away Team History: Explorer Journals – Past And Future

by Keith CowingJuly 3, 2024July 3, 2024

When we return to the Moon, and then move outward to Mars and beyond, the people who visit these strange new places will write entries in their journals (or blogs) […]

Uploaded on August 8, 2019 Credits: ESA – A. Romeo Larger image

Analog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Astrogeology, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Courses, Exploration Gear & Tech, Status Report, Tricorders & Sensors

ESA CAVES OffWorld Away Team Training: Astronauts Exploring Underground

by Keith CowingJune 28, 2024June 28, 2024

Astronauts from five space agencies around the world take part in ESA’s CAVES training course– Cooperative Adventure for Valuing and Exercising human behaviour and performance Skills.

An octopus documented during Dive 674, an exploration transect on the southeastern flank of an unexplored and unnamed seamount located within the national jurisdiction of Chile, east of Motu Motiro Hiva, an uninhabited island along the Salas y Gómez Ridge. The dive started at ~800 m depth and traveled upslope to ~270 m. This island is located near the western-central extent of the Salas y Gómez Ridge. CREDIT ROV SuBastian / Schmidt Ocean Institute

Away Teams & Field Reports, Exploration Gear & Tech, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Missions & Hardware, Nomenclature, Systematics, Natural History, Press Release, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Salas y Gómez Ridge Seamount Away Team Expedition Discovers 50 New Life Forms

by Keith CowingApril 12, 2024

International team co-led by a BSC researcher discovers more than 50 new deep-sea species in one of the most unexplored areas of the planet.

Lake Untersee Base Camp 2023 - Dale Andersen/Heimplanet

Analog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Away Teams & Field Reports, Dale Andersen's Field Reports, Exploration Gear & Tech, Science Fiction

That Time Star Trek Tents Were Actually Used In Antarctica

by Keith CowingMarch 27, 2024November 30, 2024

Editor’s note: In the Star Trek Strange New Worlds Second Season episode “Under The Cloak of War” there are battle scenes that feature military base with a lot of tents. […]

Analog Studies, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Habitable Zones, Status Report

Planetary Scale Assay Of Earth Life: The Monarch Initiative In 2024: An Analytic Platform Integrating Phenotypes, Genes And Diseases Across Species

by Keith CowingDecember 3, 2023December 2, 2023

Editor’s note: As we make plans to do orbital and surface sorties on other worlds searching for life it is certainly useful to use Earth and its diverse biota as […]

Lake Untersee Base Camp after the Heimplanet tents were deflated to avoid complete destruction during the last storm

Analog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Away Teams & Field Reports, Dale Andersen's Field Reports, Exploration Gear & Tech, Icy Worlds, Press Release

Dale Andersen’s Astrobiology Antarctic Status Report: 15 November 2023: More Bad Weather At Lake Untersee

by Keith CowingNovember 15, 2023January 11, 2026

The weather at Lake Untersee has been rough lately.

Current weather in the region 9highlighted) around Lake Untersee

Analog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Away Teams & Field Reports, Dale Andersen's Field Reports, Status Report

Dale Andersen’s Astrobiology Antarctic Status Report: 7 November 2023: Bad Weather At Lake Untersee

by Keith CowingNovember 7, 2023January 11, 2026

Hi Keith, Yesterday here at Lake Untersee, we experienced a day of contrasting weather. It started off beautifully with plenty of sunshine and very little wind. The highlight of the […]

expedition

Away Team Droid Tech: Robotic Planning Under Uncertainty in Spatiotemporal Environments in Expeditionary Science

Away Team Droid Tech: Multi-Objective Global Path Planning for Lunar Exploration With a Quadruped Robot

AwayTeam Tech: Distributed Instruments for Planetary Surface Science: Scientific Opportunities and Technology Feasibility

Away Team History: Explorer Journals – Past And Future

ESA CAVES OffWorld Away Team Training: Astronauts Exploring Underground

Salas y Gómez Ridge Seamount Away Team Expedition Discovers 50 New Life Forms

That Time Star Trek Tents Were Actually Used In Antarctica

Planetary Scale Assay Of Earth Life: The Monarch Initiative In 2024: An Analytic Platform Integrating Phenotypes, Genes And Diseases Across Species

Dale Andersen’s Astrobiology Antarctic Status Report: 15 November 2023: More Bad Weather At Lake Untersee

Dale Andersen’s Astrobiology Antarctic Status Report: 7 November 2023: Bad Weather At Lake Untersee

NASA Planetary Protection Handbook

NASA Scientists Search For Clues About Mars’ Past In Scotland

A Temperate Sub-Neptune Transiting The M4 Dwarf TOI-210 Identified By NIRPS And TESS — Uncovering Hidden M-dwarf Planetary Systems In The Near-infrared

Nonequilibrium Formation of Pyridine (C5H5N) in Interstellar Ice Analogs: Implications for Biorelevant Nitrogen Heterocycles in Ryugu and Bennu

The Abundance And Emission Of PAHs From The Local To Early Universe