Geophysical Sounding Services for Mars In Situ Resource Utilization Field Analog Study (RESOURCE Field Work)

Co-I Nathaniel Putzig of the Planetary Science Institute (PSI) has committed to leading analog fieldwork to support the ISRU study. Drawing on prior and current experience in the areas of project and personnel management and in seismic and radar methods of subsurface sounding on the Earth and Mars, Putzig will lead the planning and participate in the execution of work at a terrestrial field site that serve as an analog to buried ices on planetary bodies such as the Moon and Mars. Putzig will engage PSI Research Associate (RA) Aaron Russell to assist him in these efforts. Subsequent to the field work, Putzig and Russell will participate in the analysis and resource modeling of the data acquired and in the presentation of the results at a conference and in publications. In carrying out these duties, Putzig and Russell will use existing computing equipment at PSI obtained under prior grants and at no additional cost to this project. Funds will support the time of the PSI investigators, their travel costs for field work, software needed for resource modeling, and safety and first-aid training prior to the field work.