Newswise — Lucas Möller, a sophomore at Moscow High School, will visit NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory at Pasadena this week and observe first-hand the Earth-based nerve center for Mars exploration.
Möller is working with University of Idaho soil physicist Markus Tuller and NASA physicist Kimberly Kuhlman to perfect the design of an experimental device to measure the angle of repose of Martian dust.
Möller, 15, is the son of Greg and Laurie Möller of Moscow. He is also an old hand at Mars exploration on the team. He first won a student contest for designing an instrument to send to Mars aboard a NASA spacecraft in 1999.
That experiment was scheduled for launch aboard the 2001 Mars Surveyor Lander mission. It was scrubbed when disaster struck two successive U.S. missions.
The recently selected Phoenix scout mission, which is literally the rebirth of the Mars Surveyor Lander, may carry Möller's experiment in 2007.
The Möller experiment is part of a small package of student experiments now known as SNOOPY (Student Nanoexperiments for Outreach and Observational Planetary Inquiry). The project is endorsed by United Media and the Charles M. Schultz Creative Associates. SNOOPY also includes a pair of students from Ithaca, N.Y., who designed an experiment to investigate the oxidation of materials on the surface of Mars.
The experiment, either a pair of hollow cylinders or several spheres, was part of the Mars Environmental Compatibility Assessment (MECA) instrument package on the 2001 Mars Surveyor Lander mission. If SNOOPY flies on the 2007 Phoenix mission, the instruments will again be constructed by The Planetary Society and Visionary Products, Inc.
The Möller team already has an experimental design that can measure the angle at which Martian dust would stick or slide. The NASA-funded Idaho Space Grant Consortium funded previous work with a $10,000 grant to build an environmental chamber to simulate environmental conditions on Mars.
The consortium recently awarded the researchers another $30,000 to pursue their studies. Others working on the project include UI geologists Leslie Baker and Ken Sprenke.
Möller has constructed a web site geared towards teaching K-12 students math and science through his project with help from Kuhlman at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and The Planetary Society in Pasadena. Kuhlman also serves as a UI affiliate faculty member.
The Internet address is http://www.uidaho.edu/marsdust/index.htm. The web site includes directions for performing his experiment in students' kitchens or backyards with everyday materials.
The angle of repose is important information for Mars missions because it can determine the correct angle for solar panels and other equipment that must remain as dust-free as possible for successful operation.
In May 2003, Möller traveled to the NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va., with his Moscow Junior High science teacher Jim LaFortune as a winner of the NASA Student Involvement Program's Design a Mission to Mars competition.
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