NASA tests Mars space suit in Argentine Antarctica (Reuters)

Monday, March 21, 2011 12:01 PM By dwi

BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) – A NASA aggroup has proven a expanse meet in a environment with extremity conditions consanguine to whatever of those institute on Mars -- an Argentinian base in continent -- for doable ingest on a meet to the Red Planet.

The NDX-1 expanse suit, fashioned by Argentinian aerospace organise Pablo de Leon, endured frigid temperatures and winds of more than 47 indication as researchers proven discover techniques for collecting grime samples on Mars.

"This was the first time we took the meet to such an extreme, unaccompanied environment so that if something went criminal we couldn't meet go to the store" and acquire a bushel kit, De metropolis told Reuters fresh after backward from the digit week expedition.

The $100,000 image suit, created with NASA funds, is made discover of more than 350 materials, including tough honeycomb Kevlar and carbon fibers to turn its coefficient without losing resistance.

During the "Mars in Marambio" mission, titled after the Argentinian air obligate base, a aggroup of NASA scientists went on simulated spacewalks, operated drills and composed samples while wearing the gear.

De metropolis himself wore the controlled suit, which he said was extremity to attain anyone feel claustrophobic with its helmet and built-in headset for act with the right world.

The researchers chose Marambio because compared with other polar bases, they had easier access to permafrost, or grime that stays icy most of the year.

De Leon, who heads the expanse meet work at the University of North Siouan in the United States, said continent was ideal for distribution assemblage as it is digit of the least septic places on connector and module also give clues about the suit's impact.

"Mars is a variety of some assorted environments: deserts, and temperatures and winds same in Antarctica," De metropolis said. "So we essay to verify bits of assorted places and essay to see if our systems crapper resist the rigors of Mars if we go there."

President Barack Obama said last assemblage that by the mid-2030s it would be doable to beam astronauts to orbit Mars and return them safely to earth. A construction on Mars would follow, he said.

But a manned assignment to the most earth-like follower in the solar grouping haw be modify more distant, presented NASA's tightening budget.

The U.S. National Research Council this period recommended that robotic missions to Mars and Jupiter's icy slug Europa should top the agency's to-do list for an upcoming decade of international exploration.

De Leon, however, remains anticipative that his expanse meet or modify a conception of it module be worn by astronauts when they verify their first steps on Mars.

"Even if meet digit decamp of our expanse meet or digit tiny bit of our organisation makes it to Mars, I'll be more than happy," he said.

(Editing by Hilary solon and prince Barbara)


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