As part of the NSERC CREATE “Technologies and Techniques in Earth and Space Exploration” (create.uwo.ca), the Centre for Planetary Science and Exploration (CPSX) hosted mission control for the 2015 Mars Sample Return Analogue Mission run in collaboration with the Canadian Space Agency and MDA. Students from Western, York University, Saint Mary’s University, and the University of British Columbia simulated various stages of a sample return mission at a field site in Utah, USA, including mission planning, commanding the Mars Exploration Science Rover (MESR) and identifying, characterizing and collecting rock samples all while remaining within MESR’s data, energy, and time constraints.
Various television, radio, and print interviews resulted from this mission. Examples include: London Free Press, Global News, The Londoner, CTV News, and the Weather Network.
