Space.com Editor's Note: In the Utah desert, scientists are attempting to recreate what a real-life mission to Mars might be like, and SPACE.com contributor Elizabeth Howell is along for the ride. Here's her latest dispatch.
Hanksville, Utah - As I revved the all-terrain vehicle up the steep hill, I could feel gravity and mud pushing me back from the crest. I leaned forward in my spacesuit and with my right thumb, pressed hard on the throttle. The vehicle shuddered, hopped, and at last reached the top.
Now to make sure Crew 133's commander made it. After rolling forward a few feet, I checked a small mirror on my left arm to watch Paula Crock's progress behind me. She had somewhat more trouble, but managed to get up the hill by maneuvering the vehicle left and right during the ascent.
Astronauts have gone off-roading before, as pictures of the Apollo program will testify. As we ventured several miles away from Utah's Mars Desert Research Station, we were figuring out how to safely maneuver vehicles while wearing mock spacesuits. [See more photos from the mock Mars mission]
For me, a Canadian used to slippery roads, the muddy terrain reminded me of driving on roads slick with freezing rain in Ottawa. The big difference, however, is if something broke or someone fell, we'd be a long way from help.
To read the rest of the story and see more photos, go here: http://www.space.com/24321-mock-mars-mission-driving.html
