Overview
PolAres is an interdisciplinary programme of the Austrian Space Forum in cooperation with international partners to develop strategies for human-robotic interaction procedures and to emphasise planetary protection, in preparation for a future human-robotic Mars surface expedition.
"PolAres is set up on the vision to provide a profound impact on the efforts to prepare for the exploration of the Solar System, by both helping to enable a Human Mars Mission through stimulating public awareness and testing out concepts and technologies that might help making such a mission safer and more effective."
During four consecutive years, the interaction between analogue astronauts and an advanced robotic component will be investigated. The programme shall follow a staggered approach: First, a scouting phase shall identify possible Mars analogue sites in Europe and the neighbouring Arctic. In a second step, a stratospheric/mesospheric balloon shall be constructed and launched both as a training project and as a precursor for the Rover phase (phase 3). In a synergetic approach, hardware components like sensors and navigation elements shall be tested before being implemented on the Rover, which shall form the core of phase 3. In a fourth step (phase 4) the man-machine interface between the rover and the analogue astronaut shall be tested, including interactivity requirements development and investigation.
Timeframe
| 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 |
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Progr. develop.
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Site Scouting
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Balloon1 + 2 |
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EVA suit design & construction
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Phileas design & construction
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Tests Rough Terrain
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Tests Desert
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Field tests Arctic |
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Astrobiology Experiments
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PolAres Schedule Update
8. - 11. April 2010: 6. Suit Workshop
Location: Würzburg, Germany
21.-24. May 2010: Glacier field testLocation: glacier in the western part of Austria
