Hilo-based Pacific International Space Center for Exploration Systems will be part of a $4.2 million Mars research project.
Hilo-based Pacific International Space Center for Exploration Systems will be part of a $4.2 million Mars research project.
Spearheaded by the NASA Ames Research Center, the project will investigate volcanic terrains and lava flows on the Big Island and in Idaho, both of which serve as Mars analog sites.
Researchers will compare geochemical properties to rocks on the Red Planet to understand the potential for human habitation there.
“This process stresses the importance of Hawaii with regard to its valuable role in the future of space exploration, and expands our understanding of the universe around us,” said PISCES Operations Manager Christian Anderson, a co-investigator on the project, called the Biologic Analog Science Associated with Lava Terrains, or BASALT.
John Hamilton, PISCES test logistics/education and public outreach manager, also will serve on the BASALT science team.