Crew 263 EVA Report 06-03-2022
EVA #17
Author: Cerise Cuny
Purpose of EVA: Re-orienting the HF antenna, Changing the batteries of atmospheric experiments, Looking for gypsum for analysis along cow dung road, AR application testing for geological studies.
Start time: 9:04
End time: 11:30
Narrative: Before going out, we collectively decided to swap the work around the antenna and the battery change ; it seemed so much more logical to start with the antenna instead of going to the atmospheric experiment site, than back to the Hab and then go to the north. After checking the rovers usage and batteries, we thus headed to the antenna, it was a quick and easy task. We left the Hab with the rovers at 9:22 with Curiosity and Opportunity (both were at 100% battery and hour usages were 169.2 and 85.2, respectively). After a quick battery change, we left the atmospheric experiment site at 9:32. We successfully spotted the pole indicating the intersection was a hundred meters further. We then struggled a bit to find the road. When it was obvious we went too far (200m from the pole), we turned back and then found the road. We parked near the intersection at 10:00, (Batteries: 68% for Curiosity, 75% for Opportunity). We walked for an hour, stopping at several interesting spots that might have been relevant for the geological study. Léa and Marine (responsible for the geological experiment), did quick drawings, wrote down the GPS information and did LIBS analysis while Nicolas and I took pictures of the areas of interest to add to their analysis report. Analysis on the field did not reveal any gypsum but the samples we brought back to the Hab were indeed gypsum! The landscape was absolutely breathtaking, once more very different from what we were used too until now. We went back to the rovers at 10:56. On the way back, before Tank Wash, we spotted an outcrop that might have been relevant, stopped at 10:59 to check it out, and went back to the rovers again at 11:10. We reached the Hab, plugged the rovers in and then entered the Air Lock at 11:24. Curiosity had 61% battery charge and 169.9 usage, and Opportunity 65% and 85.8.
Destination: Around Hab (for antenna), Intersection between Entrance Road and Cow Dung Road (for atmospheric experiment), Intersection between Cow Dung Road and Brahe Hwy (for Gypsum search).
Coordinates (use UTM NAD27 CONUS): Atmospheric Experiment: 518288 E, 4250586 N ; Gypsum Search: 517700 E ,4254700 N
Participants: Cerise Cuny, Nicolas Wattelle, Léa Rouverand, Marine Prunier.
Road(s) and routes per MDRS Map: Entrance Road, Cow Dung Road.
Mode of travel: Foot to go to the antenna, rovers to go to the atmospheric experiments, then to the area of interest and go back to the Hab.