EVA Report – February 8th

EVA #13 EVA Summary Follow-up 08Feb2018

Start Time: 10:20

End Time: 13:40

Purpose of EVA: To reconnaissance of Candor Chasma for future EVA mission planning.

Destination: Candor Chasma

UDM27 Coordinates: 12 S 520217 E, 4251607 N

Participants: Ryan Kobrick, Zac Trolley, Sara Jane Pell

Road(s) and routes per MDRS map:

1. Take the entrance road (Driving)

2. Turn left Cow Dung Road (Driving)

3. Turn right Galileo Road (Driving)

4. Turn right Cactus Road (Driving)

5. Park on Cactus Road and walk to the Candor Chasma

6. Return by the same routes.

Mode of Travel: Rover and Pedestrian

Vehicles you will be using (if applicable): Sprit and Opportunity

Mode of travel: Walking and Driving
Vehicles used: Curiosity and Spirit

Since EVA – 13 , several analogue astronauts (of varying height, neck/head girth, lung capacity and fitness) could only maintain a maximal breathing rate for a maximum of a couple of minutes before exhaustion would cause them to reduce their breathing rate, forcing them to suspend their activity, to mitigate CO2 build-up and low visibility condensation/fog inside the helmet. We found that several crew were experiencing the effects of low-oxygen and high-CO2 build up while performing mild walking, even driving vehicles, in warm conditions with low wind.

I t is our assumption that the ambient wind plays a big role in circulating the air within the helmet, and when there is no wind, the internal fans to not have sufficient flow to perform an air exchange at the same rate as the crew members’ breathing level. The fans in the MDRS Analogue Astronaut suits produce 200 Cubic Feet per Minute – this measurement is based on an unencumbered and unrestricted output.

This afternoon we did a full survey of the suit s and their function, and found a systemic fault in the suits. Four of the six suits were running on only one fan. The fan that was on the switch side of the suit has their blades bent and would not rotate. In some cases the fans could be dislodged, and in others the blades were permanently bent. The LEDS still light up, and (half the air) air still flow s through both tubes, so this design flaw was not found until now.

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