Astronaut Training in Field Geophysical Methods

摘要

Astronaut teams acquired roughly 16 km of gravity data in the course of a planetary exploration simulation conducted in the vicinity of Taos, New Mexico. The gravimetric survey was the first phase of a geophysical assessment of the ground-water resources around Taos, an area of rapid population growth, and it was executed to help delineate buried structures that significantly influence ground-water flow and accumulation in the valley. Participants in the investigation learned a technique with direct relevance for lunar and planetary exploration and took a substantive step toward building an exploration culture within and beyond NASA.