WEBVTT FILE 1 00:00:00.433 --> 00:00:02.002 [music] 2 00:00:02.002 --> 00:00:06.940 The human exploration of space is still in its infancy. 3 00:00:06.940 --> 00:00:09.609 The Apollo missions were just the first step 4 00:00:09.609 --> 00:00:15.081 in our goal to have astronauts working on the surface of worlds beyond our own. 5 00:00:15.081 --> 00:00:20.854 And as NASA plans its return of humans to the Moon, and eventually onto Mars, 6 00:00:20.854 --> 00:00:25.258 a team of scientists have come together to test and build some of the tools 7 00:00:25.258 --> 00:00:28.995 our future explorers may use on these journeys. 8 00:00:28.995 --> 00:00:33.099 Based out of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt Maryland, 9 00:00:33.099 --> 00:00:36.236 this group is called the Goddard Instrument Field Team, 10 00:00:36.236 --> 00:00:39.105 otherwise known as GIFT. 11 00:00:39.105 --> 00:00:59.426 [music] 12 00:00:59.426 --> 00:01:04.030 The scientists in GIFT collect data on some of the most unique terrains on Earth – 13 00:01:04.030 --> 00:01:05.832 such as glaciers in Iceland, 14 00:01:05.832 --> 00:01:07.634 lava tubes in Hawai'i, 15 00:01:07.634 --> 00:01:09.736 maar craters in New Mexico, 16 00:01:09.736 --> 00:01:12.939 and the desert regions of Chile. 17 00:01:12.939 --> 00:01:16.376 The goal is to conduct field research in geologic settings 18 00:01:16.376 --> 00:01:21.648 that share similarities to locations on other planets, moons, and even asteroids. 19 00:01:21.648 --> 00:01:25.018 Scientists call these sites "planetary analogs" 20 00:01:25.018 --> 00:01:29.255 as they help us learn how to interpret data from across the solar system 21 00:01:29.255 --> 00:01:33.760 while also getting a better understanding of Earth. 22 00:01:33.760 --> 00:01:37.130 In these environments, GIFT researchers test both commercial 23 00:01:37.130 --> 00:01:40.100 and newly developed scientific equipment. 24 00:01:40.100 --> 00:01:43.770 These are portable devices that could be used by astronauts, 25 00:01:43.770 --> 00:01:48.308 or used aboard future rovers or other types of spacecraft. 26 00:01:48.308 --> 00:01:52.345 These field instruments are capable of multiple types of analysis, 27 00:01:52.345 --> 00:01:55.849 with some providing instantaneous feedback. 28 00:01:55.849 --> 00:02:01.054 The team uses devices that can observe and characterize the landscape around a user, 29 00:02:01.054 --> 00:02:04.357 as well as ones that analyze the chemical composition 30 00:02:04.357 --> 00:02:09.395 and physical properties of materials found at and below the surface. 31 00:02:09.395 --> 00:02:13.600 The team also works with instruments that measure aerosols in the atmosphere, 32 00:02:13.600 --> 00:02:16.970 magnetic fields, and solar radiation. 33 00:02:16.970 --> 00:02:19.506 No matter which field campaign they are on, 34 00:02:19.506 --> 00:02:22.976 the scientists in GIFT are selecting and using their instruments 35 00:02:22.976 --> 00:02:26.446 to answer high priority science questions. 36 00:02:26.446 --> 00:02:29.415 And to more fully capture the essence of how humans would explore 37 00:02:29.415 --> 00:02:31.584 the surface of the Moon or Mars, 38 00:02:31.584 --> 00:02:36.756 GIFT members also simulate astronaut E.V.A’s, or extra vehicular activities, 39 00:02:36.756 --> 00:02:39.159 at the planetary analogs they study. 40 00:02:39.159 --> 00:02:44.764 Both former and current astronauts have accompanied GIFT on these simulations. 41 00:02:44.764 --> 00:02:49.202 Overall, the Goddard Instrument Field Team provides a unique resource to NASA 42 00:02:49.202 --> 00:02:51.237 and the external science community 43 00:02:51.237 --> 00:02:57.377 by combining the studies of planetary science, earth science, and hardware technology. 44 00:02:57.377 --> 00:03:00.346 All of the tests, experiments, and data collected 45 00:03:00.346 --> 00:03:05.451 provide a blueprint for the human exploration of other worlds. 46 00:03:05.451 --> 00:03:10.089 And that’s a great gift for those taking the next giant leap.