Crew 221 EVA Report 08FEB-2020
EVA # 7
Author: Jessica Todd (GreenHab Officer)
Purpose of EVA: The primary purpose was to determine test sites for our Mars rover. EVA#6 photographed some interesting areas of potential interest in Candor Chasma, which we wanted to further investigate. Our secondary purpose was to collect additional geological samples from the stratification layers of the chasma.
Start time: 10:03 am
End time: 1:00 pm
Narrative: Today we decided to return to Candor Chasma, based on some interesting photos taken by EVA #6. We were looking for challenging terrain in which to test our rover, as well as sites of geological interest in the canyon. Driving along Cow Dung Road, we at first missed the Stream Bed Connector trail, as it is not marked and the recent weather has washed away part of the start of the trail. We realized once we hit Galileo Rd, turned our rovers around and headed back towards Stream Bed Connector, passing some very confused Martian tourists on the way. Confirming the start of Stream Bed Connector with our GPS and terrain map, we headed off towards the Chasma. EVA suit #7’s fan started to malfunction at the start of the EVA, delaying our start slightly, but was fixed with a quick power cycle. The walk along Stream Bed Connector took more than 20 minutes, as the sand was very moist and difficult to walk on, particularly with our heavy packs and equipment. We first took some time to explore along the lip of the Chasma, photographing the various rock strata and terrain types. It took some time to find an appropriate location to make our way down into the Chasma, and one of the EVA crew felt the terrain was too challenging for them to make their way down. It took another 20 minutes for the rest of the EVA team to find a suitable path down into the Chasma that all members could navigate. As we were running short on EVA time, the decision was made to focus primarily on collecting photos and locations of rover sites, rather than collection of geological samples. We left the sample equipment at the mouth of the Chasma to be picked up on our return, and explored roughly 1 km of the Chasma, taking photos of various rock overhangs, caves and terrain too challenging for a human in an EVA suit to explore. This will be perfect for rover exploration, provided the sand on the Chasma floor is not too moist! The weather today was extremely warm compared to previous EVAs (roughly 16 degrees) and we were extremely hot in our EVA suits, so stopped for water on the way back to the rovers, returning a little early due to the hot weather.
Destination: Walking along Stream Bed Connector and Candor Chasma.
Coordinates (use UTM NAD27 CONUS): 0520285/4251221
Participants: Jessica Todd (GreenHab Officer), Ghanim Aloitabi (Astronomer), Rawan Alshammari (HSO)
Road(s) and routes per MDRS Map: Drove along Entrance Road then north along Cow Dung Road (0110). Parked at entrance to Stream Bed Connector and walked along it to Candor Chasma
Mode of travel: Driving and Walking