In the desert of southern New Mexico lies Kilbourne Hole, a
nearly two-mile long maar crater in the heart of the Potrillo
volcanic field. This crater formed about twenty-four
thousand years ago when underground magma came into
contact with ground water, causing an explosion as the
water turned to steam. The blast scattered ash and rocks from
deep within the Earth and exposed many layers of crust,
making Kilbourne Hole a great site for geological studies.
Today, scientists from NASA Goddard, as a part of the RIS4E
project from Stony Brook University, have come here to
test hand-held instruments that could one day be used by
astronauts exploring the Moon, Mars, or even an asteroid.
One such device is an x-ray fluorescence spectrometer, or
XRF, which can determine the chemical composition of rocks.
Another, known as LIBS, uses laser pulses to detect what
elements are present in a sample. Both instruments provide
information for small and confined points on the surface.
For a broader field of view, the team adds in the use of
hyperspectral and thermal cameras. These instruments would
help astronauts understand the geochemical context of the rocks
at the site they are exploring, which would be beneficial in
deciding what samples to bring back to Earth for further study.
The team also set up LiDAR and GPS equipment to create
three-dimensional maps of the terrain – useful information for
any human or robotic explorer. Joining the Goddard Instrument
Field Team were members from Johnson Space Center and the
University of Texas El Paso. And the list of attendees included
some rather notable names as well. Current astronaut Butch
Wilmore, who served as a commander of the International
Space Station, played an active role by simulating astronaut
EVAs, or extravehicular activities, while hiking the
landscape with a geologist. It was their job to evaluate and
choose spots for data collection with the instruments. Also
making the trip was retired Apollo 17 astronaut Jack
Schmitt. As a geologist who eventually walked on the Moon,
Jack came to this very location to train with other Apollo
astronauts and learn how to explore and sample
diverse rock types.
"Well Kilbourne was primarily a training site for understanding,
for getting, particularly the pilot, the professional pilots
to understand how diverse geological sampling can be.
And Kilbourne certainly is diverse.
And - also just to give them, get them thinking,
about what does it mean to see a set of layered rocks.
That that is actually a history of what was going on
on the Earth at a particular time. All of that, I think,
was very important for people who just never had been
exposed to geological thinking.”
On this excursion, Jack shared the lessons learned from
his career, while also being shown some of the new techniques
and technologies being tested by the current NASA scientists.
Journalism students from Stony Brook University also came to
Kilbourne Hole to shadow the scientists and learn about the
fieldwork process. By working in this embedded capacity, this
next generation of science journalists gained first-hand
knowledge about scientific methods and equipment use.
The overall goal of the field deployment to the Kilbourne Hole
crater was to simulate what data collection might look like on
another planetary body. The lessons that the Goddard
Instrument Field Team and the RIS4E project learn here on
Earth will help ensure that future astronauts are as
efficient as possible when they are exploring
those other worlds.