Devon Island (July 31/06) - In another dry run for future projects on other worlds, NASA scientists are testing a human-sized drill system that could one day aid in the search for life on Mars.

The Drilling Automation for Mars Exploration (DAME) project is at the Haughton Crater on Devon Island, near Resolute, to test artificial intelligence programs that will control drills operating millions of kilometres from Earth, far from humans who can jump in to fix any problems.

The Haughton Crater site was chosen because it's already home to a joint Mars research station run by NASA and the Canadian Space Agency. And the research station is there because the crater itself is similar to the Martian landscape, said Brian Glass, the DAME project's lead researcher.

And the permafrost of the High Arctic provides an environment similar to the places on Mars scientists will one day drill in the hunt for organic material on the red planet.

"This is a Mars prototype drill that would go on a spacecraft, so it's very lightweight, it uses no lubricants down the hole, and only operates on about the same power as a lightbulb-- a hundred watts," said Glass over a scratchy satellite phone link from Devon Island.

The drill has to run on low power because whatever spacecraft it's on will be solar-powered.

In the three years the DAME project has been coming to Devon, Glass said the drill team has made great strides in developing software that can detect problems and make adjustments.

"It's kind of neat to sit there and watch (the drill) back out of things...all with humans just standing around with our hands in our pockets," he said.

"It's like a prodigal child that has grown up."