Sol: 1 02 NOV 2021
Summary Title: Suit Up!
Author´s Name: Adela Genoves
The day began with the crew drinking coffee around 8 a.m. around the dining table. Folks nibbled on some breakfast items and chatted. Theo informed the team that she injured herself climbing down the stairs and planned on leaving early to avoid greater injury to her knee. We brainstormed as a team and decided that we would move the upstairs couch downstairs for Theo to sleep on and avoid the stairs. She would be a support member for the crew.
After breakfast the crew met at the lab where they studied common rock samples that can be found on Mars. The groups looked at sulfur, breccia, hematite, sandstone, vesicular basalt, and gypsum. Shannon presented the day´s challenge for collecting rocks while on EVA. The a.m. crew was scheduled to leave at 10 a.m. and the p.m. crew was scheduled for a 2 p.m. departure.
The crew prepared to suit up for the first EVA. Katie, Atila, and Adela suited up and secured on their packs for the a.m. expedition. The crew members each drove a Rover to the first location for rock collecting.
First location was at Purple Galaxy Rock Mountain. The a.m. crew explored and collected their first samples. The crew spent about 30-40 minutes scouting for black, red, and purple basalt, conglomerate, hematite, and berries.
At the second location, Kissing Camel, the team walked through a large wash where petrified wood was collected. The challenge called for collecting yellow pieces and pieces with bark. They walked back quickly and the crew carried back an assortment of petrified wood pieces.
The a.m. crew drove back to the MDRS and was greeted by the p.m. crew.
The p.m. crew had lunch ready and the whole crew ate together before the p.m. crew´s EVA.
Around 2, the p.m. crew suited up and secured their packs. Brandon, Tracy, David, and Jen made up the p.m. team. They drove the Rovers to the same locations as the a.m. crew to scout and collect rocks specified in the rock challenge. The p.m. crew returned early due to the Opportunity Rover heating up at Kissing Camel. The crew rode back together on the remaining two Rovers and were greeted back to MDRS by the a.m. crew.
The team gathered back at the lab around 4 to inventory their rock samples. Baggies were labeled and used to store the best samples from the haul.
Dinner was made, while some crew members engaged in conversation and other small duties. Shannon and Atila rode back to collect Opportunity. When they returned, dinner was ready and the crew ate communally. The team continued the evening with light cleaning, conversations, report writing, and overall relaxation.