An orbit-based remote sensing geological assessment of the CanMars Mars Sample Return Analogue Deployment (MSRAD) landing site situated in the Henry Mountains Basin, near Hanksville, Utah

Abstract

Mars-analogous and relevant terrestrial- and orbit-based remote sensing datasets were gathered and used for both an in and out of simulation geological assessment of a pre-selected “landing site” for the CanMars, Mars Sample Return Analogue Deployment (MSRAD), and Mars Utah Rover Field Investigation (MURFI) analogue missions. The analogue mission site is situated in the Henry Mountains Basin just outside of Hanksville, Utah. The results of a comprehensive multispectral analysis based on Landsat 8 and ASTER of the landing site, landing ellipse area, and surrounding region, were synthesized with other datasets providing information on the morphology and basic physical properties of the spectrally-defined surface units. The synthesis yielded insights into the geologic materials present, the sampling opportunities for the analogue rover available at the site and the geologic history of the site. The datasets provided to the in-simulation science team were determined to be sufficient to generally identify ∼88% of the geologic units previous mapped in the field. The area was determined to be dominated by clastic sedimentary rocks (a high-silica/quartz- and Fe-oxide-bearing geologic materials), but also include a variety of aqueous alteration phases consistent with a complex climate, environmental, and water-rock history. Positive identification of additional phases from orbit include: Al-smectite clay-, gypsum- and carbonate-bearing rocks or deposits. An association between these components with fine-scale layered bedrock exposures and sinuous ridges, consistent with inverted channels, provide evidence of a viably Mars-analogous “landing site”, which yeilds diverse samples for in-situ analysis and sampling by the CanMars and MURFI analogue missions.