Brent Garry (left) is trained on how to fly the MMSEV. Photo credits: NASA
PSI Research Scientist W. Brent Garry recently experienced what it would be like to visit and explore a distant asteroid, all without leaving Earth.
Garry served as crew geologist when NASA’s Desert Research and Technology Studies group in December conducted integrated simulations tests of the prototype Multi-Mission Space Exploration Vehicle at Johnson Space Center. Crews could some day use MMSEV to travel to and explore near Earth asteroids.
Garry and NASA Astronaut Mike Gernhardt worked aboard MMSEV to see how functional the MMSEV was for working and living during a mission and to incorporate various training activities in preparation for future Desert RATS testing.
Brent Garry uses translation lines to move across the asteroid surface in ARGOS.
During the mission, they spent three days and two nights in the MMSEV and conducted simulated EVAs (extravehicular activity) using NASA’s Virtual Reality Laboratory, ARGOS (Active Response Gravity Offload System), and air-sleds and air-chairs. A projector screen was set up in front of the cockpit windows so that they could fly the MMSEV around a virtual model of asteroid Itokowa. ARGOS provided multiple degrees of freedom to practice geologic sampling in a micro-gravity environment.
NASA’s Multi Mission Space Exploration Vehicle.
They practiced docking the MMSEV using air thrusters on an air-bearing floor and geologic sample collection using an air-chair, which provided a physical simulation of maneuvering in micro-gravity rather than a virtual simulation.
For more information on Desert RATS:
NASA Desert RATS Homepage: http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/analogs/desertrats/
NASA Desert RATS Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/NASA.DRATS
NASA Desert RATS Twitter: http://twitter.com/DESERT_RATS
NASA Desert RATS Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nasadesertrats/
