From orbit to outcrop: using hands-on analogue rocks to augment planetary science education

Abstract

In planetary science we study a myriad of internal and external geological processes that are shaping the planets and moons inside the solar system. Thanks to the remote exploration by satellites we can reconstruct the geologic, climatic and possibly biologic past of these planetary bodies. Key focal points targeted by the Dutch community are planetary evolution and past and present-day habitability. Herein too, lies an important challenge for our education approach for engineering students. Their curricula are well-aligned to offer training in solving the engineering challenges of space flight and operations of spacecraft. While our students are not trained as geologists, these future space engineers and planetary scientists would benefit from developing sound geological concepts at higher learning levels that help them understand the science drivers for instruments and their potential and limitations on space missions. We believe that the development of such concepts can be supported by an ‘analogue approach’, which involves using materials from Earth that resemble those observed on other planetary bodies [1]. It offers learners an unparalleled opportunity to augment their textbook knowledge with first-hand, real-world observations of materials that drive scientific questions and design requirements for planetary missions.