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Space Science Division Highlight

Space Science Division scientists Chris McKay, Jen Heldmann and other NASA Ames engineers, scientists, and educators traveled to Lassen National Park to perform science and participate in an EPO activity that has involved over 1800 students to date. The science was to deploy instruments to characterize the physical properties of terrestrial snowpacks over the course of the winter. This data will be correlated with known occurrences of snow algae activity and coupled with numerical models of snowpack behavior to thereby improve our understanding regarding the habitability of snowpack deposits on Earth and Mars. The EPO work involved live interactive webcast broadcast for the Quest Web Challenge. The scientists discussed their respective research and the utility of such Mars-analog environments (with special emphasis on habitation infrastructure, transportation, field tools & equipment, and field assistants), and then addressed questions submitted in real-time from participating students. The Challenge allows middle school students to follow the activities of NASA researchers and to then design their own missions to Mars to enable similar research activities on the Red Planet. More information is available at quest.nasa.gov.