"Best wishes to Leroy, Reads, Matt, and Keith on their Teaching Expedition to Devon Island. I look forward to learning all about it when I return from space." - STS-118 Astronaut Barbara Morgan

Participating Challenger Learning Center Locations

Kenai, Alaska
Tucson, Arizona
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Tallahassee, Florida
Hammond, Indiana
St. Louis, Missouri
New York City, New York
Suffern, New York
Oregon, Ohio
Houston, Texas
Alexandra, Virginia
Richmond, Virginia

Main

Blog Entries: Keith Cowing Archives

July 27, 2007

Keith Cowing: Polar Deserts and Global TV

I am sitting in a Lincoln Towne Car limo headed home from downtown Washington, DC after spending half a day doing TV interviews at CNN and Fox. A week ago - almost to the minute - I was riding aboard an ATV (All Terrain Vehicle) toward a dusty landing strip on Devon Island, less than a thousand miles from the North Pole.

More

Posted by Keith Cowing on July 27, 2007 8:07 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

July 22, 2007

Keith Cowing: The Persistence of Memory

Friday was a day much like all of the others we experienced here on Devon Island. We awoke to a cool, brisk morning with bright sunshine and painfully blue skies. The walk down from Tent City - the small enclave west of base camp where everyone pitches their tents - to the main base camp was routine. Routine except for the fact that this would be the last time I make the trip (unless I return in the future).

More

Posted by Keith Cowing on July 22, 2007 8:09 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

July 21, 2007

Keith Cowing: Heading Back To Civilization

Matt, Leroy, and I left Devon Island yesterday evening around 5:30 pm. After a stay in Resolute Bay (and a shower) we're heading south to Ottawa today. Our plane departs at 10:00 am CDT.

Posted by Keith Cowing on July 21, 2007 8:06 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

July 19, 2007

Constructing the Challenger Memorial Inukshuk on Devon Island

On Wednesday, 18 July 2007, Leroy Chiao, Matt Reyes, myself and a group of Inuit students constructed a memorial inukshuk on Devon Island to honor the crew of Space Shuttle Challenger. Here is a movie of the dedication and the materials placed at the base of the inukshuk. Keith Cowing is shown placing materials in the container and astronaut Leroy Chiao says a few words about the memorial. Below are some photos from that activity:

Continue reading "Constructing the Challenger Memorial Inukshuk on Devon Island" »

Posted by Keith Cowing on July 19, 2007 8:43 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Keith Cowing: Sheer Audacity

You cannot take a bad picture on Devon Island. This place is one stunning photo opportunity after another. Mostly it has to do with the landscape. Every once in a while, it has to do with humans juxtaposed against the landscape. And then in some special instances, the landscape is so evocative it simply jumps into your camera and takes the picture for you.

More

Posted by Keith Cowing on July 19, 2007 8:10 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

July 18, 2007

Keith Cowing: Ancient Memorials for Modern Space Explorers

Today was supposed to have been our third live webcast to Challenger Learning Centers across the U.S. However, just as we were testing the satellite link, it died. After some hours of trying to figure out what went wrong, I decided to switch my team's attention to our other main task while on Devon Island. In addition to doing our webcasts, the other main task we had was the building of a memorial inukshuk to the crew of Space Shuttle Challenger.

More

Posted by Keith Cowing on July 18, 2007 8:11 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

July 17, 2007

Keith Cowing: Webcasts, Robots, Astronauts, and Dogs

Today we set out to do what we came here for: to conduct a series of webcasts that describe Devon Island, The Haughton-Mars Project, and the sorts of research and exploration that goes on here every summer. Our audience was to be composed of several hundred students who were watching live at a dozen Challenger Learning Centers across the U.S.

More

Posted by Keith Cowing on July 17, 2007 8:12 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Keith Cowing's Devon Island Journal: 15 July 2007: Surreal Landscapes and Late Evening Thoughts

Leroy Chiao, Matt Reyes and I went out for a traverse today. Our traveling companions were Pascal Lee, the PI of the Haughton-Mars Project (who led the traverse), Jarloo Kiguktak an advisor and field officer for the HMP 2007 field campaign, and his son, Joseph Atchealak.

We were making both a survey and a tour of the various research points of interest in and around Haughton Crater. Our mode of transport: ATVs, the workhorse vehicle of the arctic.

Continue reading "Keith Cowing's Devon Island Journal: 15 July 2007: Surreal Landscapes and Late Evening Thoughts" »

Posted by Keith Cowing on July 17, 2007 12:35 AM | | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

July 15, 2007

Keith Cowing: Surreal Landscapes and Late Evening Thoughts

Leroy Chiao, Matt Reyes and I went out for a traverse today. Our traveling companions were Pascal Lee, the PI of the Haughton-Mars Project (who led the traverse), Jarloo Kiguktak an advisor and field officer for the HMP 2007 field campaign, and his son, Joseph Atchealak. We were making both a survey and a tour of the various research points of interest in and around Haughton Crater. Our mode of transport: ATVs, the workhorse vehicle of the arctic.

More

Posted by Keith Cowing on July 15, 2007 8:14 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

July 14, 2007

Keith Cowing: Using an iPhone on Mars

One of the things you have no problem fining on Devon Island is electronic gear. It is everywhere. Much of what has been studied over the years up here at the Haughton-Mars Research Project Research Station (HMPRS) has to do with how one communicates in a remote environment - and to do so at sufficiently high enough speeds so as to make use of a variety of experimental hardware and other devices.

More

Posted by Keith Cowing on July 14, 2007 8:19 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

July 13, 2007

Keith Cowing: Teaching About Roses on Mars

I am in the high arctic less than a thousand miles from Earth's north pole in a location chosen for its resemblance to the planet Mars. Here, I, and my small team, will transmit a series of webcasts aimed at children participating in summer activities sponsored by the Mars Institute, Challenger Center for Space Science Education, and The Explorers Club. On the way up to Devon Island I had a chance to fiddle with my latest gadget - er, I mean tool: a new iPhone. One of the things I put on it was a film I saw in high school called "Silent Running".

More

Continue reading "Keith Cowing: Teaching About Roses on Mars" »

Posted by Keith Cowing on July 13, 2007 11:40 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

July 12, 2007

Keith Cowing: Dropping Onto Devon Island

I awoke this morning in Resolute Bay, got a quick breakfast, and headed over to the airport for my flight to Devon Island. We took off shortly after our planned 8:30 am departure and made our way aided by brisk tailwinds. Just after 9:00 am we began the sudden swoop downward toward the airstrip at the Haughton Mars Project Research Station (HMPRS). After we circled around HMPRS to get the right approach from the east our Twin Otter dropped onto the runway. And there I was - my third visit to this amazing place..

More

Posted by Keith Cowing on July 12, 2007 6:30 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

We're Here!

Matt Reyes and I arrived on Devon Island today and are setting up our equipment.

Continue reading "We're Here!" »

Posted by Keith Cowing on July 12, 2007 1:31 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

July 11, 2007

Keith Cowing: Heading North

Our flight today from Ottawa to Resolute Bay began with a little drama. Last night when Matt Reyes flew from Las Vegas to Philadelphia to Ottawa his luggage did not keep up with him. His tent and all of the gear he'd need for the arctic was somewhere in limbo. After multiple phone calls last night and more this morning we were more or less resigned to making the trip up with the hope that his luggage would soon catch up with him. Then, at the last minute, someone from First Air (the airline we were getting on) came running to the gate with the news that his stuff had been found. With that good news we hoped on our initial flight from Ottawa to Iqualuit.

More

Posted by Keith Cowing on July 11, 2007 8:23 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

July 10, 2007

Keith Cowing's Devon Island Journal 10 July 2007: Back to the Arctic

Once again I am headed north to Devon Island, the home of the Haughton-Mars Project. This is a place many have come to call "Mars on Earth" for its similarity to terrain on Mars. Due to this similarity - and a number of other factors (including its isolation) a wide range of scientific and engineering activities are conducted here in an effort learn how to live on other world such as the Moon - and Mars - and perhaps elsewhere.

Continue reading "Keith Cowing's Devon Island Journal 10 July 2007: Back to the Arctic" »

Posted by Keith Cowing on July 10, 2007 6:25 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Copyright © 1999-2009 SpaceRef Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy - Contact Us