Professor travels to island to learn about Mars

By: Natalie Messina
Posted: 9/19/07

Astronaut and visiting mechanical engineering professor Leroy Chiao represented the University in the "Earth as Classroom" project, an educational expedition for students to see what life on Mars might be like.

Chiao, the Smiley and Bernice Romero Raborn distinguished chair and Max Faget professor in mechanical engineering, traveled less than 1,000 miles outside of the North Pole to Devon Island in Nunavut, Canada from July 14 to 20.

As the largest uninhabited island on Earth, Chiao explained how the island is a unique place for scientists and engineers to perform research about Mars and the moon. Interwoven with glacier valleys, the rocky surface supports a remote micro-climate area.

"It was striking to see such a large uninhabited area with almost no plant and animal life," he said. "Every now and then we would see some flowers, but there were no mosquitoes or flies. We did not see any animals, although there could have been."

Webcasts relayed the six-day mission through live video feed to students at 12 of the 48 U.S. Challenger-Learning Centers, with one of the centers located in downtown Baton Rouge.

Ally Champagne, psychology freshman, said the expedition will help the University broaden horizons when it comes to space education.

"If we end up on Mars, at least we will have a general idea of what is going on," she said. "I think it would be a good idea if the University offered space exploration electives. I would take them."

Traveling with Chiao was expedition leader Keith Cowing, editor and webmaster for NASA Watch, and Matthew Reyes, space biologist. The trio utilized the Haughton-Mars Project Research Station, situated on the rim of the 39 million-year-old Haughton Crater.

Chiao said the Haughton-Mars Project base functions as an analog to test how scientists would work on Mars. He said the station's lifeless surroundings and remote location from large bodies of water attract NASA astronauts and researchers from around the world.

"During our expedition, a team from NASA was there testing advanced rover models and spacesuit concepts," he said. "A greenhouse near the HMP station was used to study how to operate one on a different planet."

Reyes, Zero Gravity Corporation director of technical operations, described a stark landscape with polar deserts. He said his visual experience on the island was a very strange thing.

"Everything was completely dead and dusty, and the only sound heard was dripping water from glaciers into the gravel," he said. "Even the colors were different from a normal landscape. If you were to wear red glasses and walk around, you would be on Mars."

Officially endorsed by the Explorer's Club, an international professional society, Chiao said each team member paid their own way for the voyage. Reyes said he paid $7,000 for the trip, but the costs differed for each member. Personal contacts led to their involvement with the project, but Chiao said his participation was also to represent the University.

"I brought the LSU flag, purple and gold baseball caps with me and took some pictures," he said. "It is probably the farthest North the LSU colors have been. We were able to reach a large number of kids and I was proud to represent LSU at such a remote outpost."

Chiao began working at NASA in 1990. He flew on four space missions and served as commander for the International Space Station in Russia during a 6 1/2 month flight. After leaving NASA in 2005, he worked as a motivational speaker, consultant and entrepreneur. He said becoming part of the University family as a professor in August 2006 gave new meaning to education for him.

"I work with the mechanical engineering department, and we are talking about different ways to bring space education to LSU," he said. "It was a worthwhile expedition, and I would love to go back."

In addition to research on the island, Chiao's team constructed a memorial inukshuk, a stone landmark used by the Inuit population, in honor of the 1996 Space Shuttle Challenger.

Chiao shared plans to present findings from the project at the University's International Symposium on Risk and Exploration in October. Dr. Matthew Deans, Haughton-Mars Project director, and other Devon Island researchers will attend, Chiao said. As co-chair of the conference, Chiao said he is eager to discuss his research with University science and engineering majors.