Sol 2: Learning to Walk
Sol 2 started out a little dreary – fog covered the Henry Mountains and clouds blocked the crew from watching the sunrise. Our morning started slowly as we were all easing into life in the Hab and on Mars. As the day warmed up (albeit only slightly), we started to get ready for our first EVA on Mars.
Our first EVA consisted of Aditya, Mehnaz, Rajvi, and myself (Clare), and we drove out to the usual training ground of Marble Ritual. While we did enjoy looking at the rocks there and learning to walk and hike up hills in our suits, a few of us felt that our suits hadn’t been fitted quite right (despite the time taken to try fitting them prior to our EVA), and so we returned ten minutes early.
The others back at the Hab had cooked another delicious lunch while we were on our EVA (including bread we had put on in the morning). After this, it was time for the other crew members to start fitting their suits prior to going on their training EVA. Annalea, Bharti, and Daniel managed to fit their suits quickly, so they waited and took photos before their EVA start time. However, the weather had been closing in and it started to rain, so Mission Support advised us to postpone our second EVA.
By 1325 the weather had cleared enough that the second EVA crew was able to get ready to go on their EVA. They all quickly put on their suits and jumped in the airlock, ready for their journey to Marble Ritual. Despite a few wardrobe malfunctions, the EVA crew spotted several things worth investigating such as lichens and concretions. They even spotted some extra-Martian life (Earthling tourists) taking photos of our Hab from the designated photo point. Sadly, the rain came back, forcing the second EVA crew to return early.
Our afternoon was spent looking at the pictures we took preparing for and during our EVAs, writing reports, and listening to the quite pitter-patter of rain on the Hab roof. We also had a crew science meeting to help us all better understand each other’s projects and begin to plan our EVAs.
This evening has been greatly brightened with the harvest of sixteen(!) tomatoes that we have eaten as a pre-dinner snack. Thanks, Mehnaz, for harvesting and thanks to the previous GreenHab officer(s) for their efforts growing the tomatoes. The Mangalyatri Crew are all getting rumbly tummies with the delicious smells of dinner – thanks, Aditya and Rajvi!
Hungry for dinner and fieldwork,
Clare Fletcher (292 Mangalyatri journalist)