The strategic goal of this research is to integrate terrain analysis and science operations to improve operational and scientific outcomes during exploration of mafic detrital environments. With…

This federal contract award, with ID 80NSSC18K1519, was granted to Texas A&M University, a public land-grant research university located in College Station, Texas. The $1,195,329.00 grant is for a 3-year research study that aims to integrate terrain analysis and science operations to improve exploration of mafic detrital environments, using the Argo J-5 rover and an unmanned aerial system (UAS).

The research will evaluate the effectiveness of rover-based semi-automated terrain analysis and UAS imagery for navigating, selecting sampling targets, and characterizing mafic detrital sediments in Iceland. The study has two working hypotheses: 1) rover-based semi-autonomous terrain analysis can create more efficient and capable navigation and target selection compared to other methods, and 2) geochemical and grain-property variability are coupled by environment-specific physical fractionation and alteration along the sediment transport pathway.

This grant, awarded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), does not have a set-aside designation. The research is intended to advance capabilities for planetary exploration, which aligns with NASA's mission priorities.

The strategic goal of this research is to integrate terrain analysis and science operations to improve operational and scientific outcomes during exploration of mafic detrital environments. With this proposal, we will evaluate the effectiveness and capability of rover-based semi-automated terrain analysis (using the automated soil assessment system, asas) and unmanned aerial systems (UAS) for navigating, selecting targets for sampling, and characterizing mafic detrital sediments along a glacio-fluvial-aeolian sand transport pathway in iceland. To achieve this goal, we will test two working hypotheses: (1) science operations hypothesis: rover-based semi-autonomous terrain analysis for path and sample selection creates more efficient and capable navigation and target selection than rover-based optical images only, unmanned aerial system (UAS) images, or on-site human input by reducing the time needed to determine a pathway and sample targets and by increasing the quality of the navigation pathways and sample targets. (2) science hypothesis: for a given sediment source, geochemical and grain-property variability are coupled by environment-specific (e.g., fluvial VS. Aeolian) physical fractionation and geochemical alteration that vary as a function of distance from the source. We propose the following objectives and approaches to test our two hypotheses. Science operations objective 1: evaluate the capability and efficiency of rover-based autonomous terrain analysis, and human analysis of UAS images for rover navigation. Science operations objective 2: evaluate the capability and efficiency of rover-based autonomous terrain analysis, and human analysis of UAS image for sample target selection and their effects on sample target quality science objective 1: examine and determine causes of variability in the geochemistry and mineralogy of fluvial and aeolian sediments along a transport pathway proximal, medial, and distal from a known source of basalt. Science objective 2: examine and determine causes of variability in the physical grain properties of fluvial and aeolian sediments along a transport pathway proximal, medial, and distal from a known source of basalt. To test our hypotheses and achieve our objectives, we propose a 3-year field and laboratory study during which we will execute 2 field seasons in iceland in environments with terrain and geologic characteristics directly analogous to the basaltic detrital environments of mars. We will use the argo J-5 rover and a UAS to test 6 operational scenarios while examining the physical, geochemical, and mineralogical variability of fluvial and aeolian basaltic sediments along a sediment source proximal-to-distal transect of two glacial outwash sand plains lambahraun and askja. We selected these sites based on previous published research that shows lambahruan has mineral-dominated sediments and askja has glass-dominated sediments, thereby allowing US to test the variability in two distinct mars-relevant environments. Our field methods include grainsize analysis, handheld XRF, and handheld vnir. We will collect samples from the field and analyze them in the laboratory using particle size, shape, and microscopic analysis, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, thermal infrared spectroscopy, X-RAY diffraction, inductive coupled plasma mass spectrometry.