A death defying descent into one of the most dangerous and remarkable places on earth reminded Sam Cossman that life's too short not to spend it pursuing his passion for adventure fulltime. In November 2014, he quit his tech job in San Francisco to take a leap into the unknown to chase his dream.
On the brink of a new age of discovery, Sam leverages technology and innovation to reinvent the art of exploration.
To learn more about his expedition, please read below or visit:
samcossman.com
Sponsored by Kenu.com, Sam joined by a team of cross disciplinary experts, including award winning videographer Conor Toumarkine, drone pioneer Simon Jardine, volcanic explorer Brad Ambrose, and PhD astrobiologist, Jeff Marlow 1200 feet to the depths of Vanuatu’s Marum crater while leveraging technology to advance the scientific goals of his expedition.
In an unprecedented exploratory application of drone technology, and in partnership with DJI and Pix4d, they successfully surveyed and mapped the crater to scale generating the first of its kind 3d rendering of the world’s most active and inaccessible lava lake.
In partnership with Sensum and Wearable World, Sam wore a hardware device that used lie detector technology to record his emotional response. The data visualized a biometric thumbnail that depicts the physiological and psychological affects of his experience.
Time zero (redhot) lava samples were collected with the goal of better understanding how microbial life colonizes newly formed earth and will help to inform how life could exist in other extreme environments on our planet and beyond. Samples were also taken for analog testing of the recently selected Mars 2020 mission rover instrument, SHERLOC which will be used to search for signs of past life on Mars. In order to approach the 2000 F degree lava for sampling, Sam wore a custom proximity heat suit made by thermal apparel pioneer, NEWTEX, designed to withstand radiant temperatures of up to 3000 degrees F.
As the most culturally diverse country on the planet, Vanuatu takes great pride in it’s many customs and traditions. Sam was humbled to have met Vanuatu’s Prime Minister, to discuss collaborative opportunities to raise awareness for various environmental, cultural preservation efforts, and sustainable development projects. It is the great hope of he and his team that this film inspires others to experience for themselves the beauty of this pristine country and the spirit of the Nivan people.
The expedition was endorsed by the honorable Joe Y. Natuman.
Pix4d Video
• Ambrym Volcano with Pix4Dmapper
A very special thanks to all who helped make this expedition possible:
Kenn Minn and KENU Team (kenu.com)
The Honorable Prime Minister of Vanuatu, Joe Y. Natuman
Conor Toumarkine (conortoumarkine.com)
Simon Jardine and Aerobot Team (aerobot.com.au)
Brad Ambrose (Volcanic Pioneer, Photographer, Journalist)
Jeff Marlow (Expedition's Chief Scientist)
Andy and Ben and Vanuatu Helicopter
Team(vanuatuhelicopters.com)
Eric Cheng and DJI Team (dji.com)
WearableWorld Team (wearableworld.co)
Gawain , Adam and Sensum Team (sensum.co)
Newtex Team (newtex.com)
Mike Thompson(vanuatujunglezipline.com)
ActSafe Team (actsafe.se)
Sam Andikar, Vunaspec Village and Millenium Cave Tour (millenniumcavetour.weebly.com)
Air Vanuatu CEO, Joseph Laloyer and Team (airvanuatu.com)
Music: Fearless by Reaktor Productions (Licensed through Premium Beats)