Crew 261 Sol Summary Report 01-05-2023
Sol: 1
Summary Title: First EVA on Mars
Author’s name: Aline Decadi, XO
Mission Status: Nominal.
Sol Activity Summary: We prepared our flight suits, backpacks, helmets, radio, and we prepared ourselves for our first EVA this morning. The purpose was training EVA procedures + communication test with crew members and with the hab.
The group of 7 crew members have been split in 2 EVAs:
– EVA-1 crew members: Aline Decadi (Executive Officer) (EVA Leader), Audrey Derobertmasure (HSO), Julien Villa-Massone (Engineer), Cecile Renaud (Greenhab officer), Kris Davidson (Journalist) (Kris has been added to EVA-1 after the commander asked approval from mission support for the amendment of the EVA request sent yesterday).
– EVA-2 crew members: James Burk (Commander) (EVA Leader), Erin Kennedy (Crew Roboticist), Kris Davidson (Crew Journalist).
EVA-1 crew members started EVA preparation at 8:30 AM and EVA at 9:37 AM. Julien Villa-Massone pronounced the following beautiful sentence when the crew walked for the first time on the Martian soil: “It’s a small step for women, but a giant leap for womenkind”. We drove the Rovers (Curiosity, Perseverance, and Opportunity) for the first time with spacesuits. We accommodated with maneuver to the Marble Ritual, then walked around no farther than 200 meters for communication check. We exercised walking around with the spacesuits, regular health status, made photographs, and performed communication checks & extensive use of the radio. The communication was confirmed to be good on the field. Each crew member has used the radio extensively, experienced the spacesuits, the walking, the driving, the team cohesion, and the overall safety health checks were nominal. The EVA-1 crew members qualified on EVA procedures today. Nevertheless, it took more time than expected to go outside the hab, drive with the 3 rovers, and qualify for the EVA procedures.
The EVA extension has been always made safely and with operational communication (continuous communication with CapCom). We went back at 10:30 am instead of 10:00 AM. Back there, the Commander asked us for a crew debriefing and for a crew discussion. The discussion finished around 11:20 AM which was already late for the entire EVA-2 window. So, the Commander has informed the mission support that the EVA-2 will be cancelled for today. EVA-2 is rescheduled for tomorrow to qualify James Burk (Commander) (EVA Leader) and Erin Kennedy (Crew Roboticist), and they will be accompanied by the crew journalist and the HSO.
We spent the afternoon setting up experiments: the GreenHab, the PhotoBioreactor, the Musk observatory check, the file server for MarsVR and cardiovascular monitoring with requested parameters.
We spent the evening having dinner with MDRS Assistant Director Sergii Iakymov, having a commander briefing, and preparing EVA-2 and experiments for tomorrow.
Look Ahead Plan: We will be in Sim tomorrow for EVA-2 according to mission request approval. We will end the qualification of the overall 7 crewmembers on EVA procedures.
Anomalies in work: None
Weather: Sunny and pleasant. No significant wind during the morning EVA. Wind picked up in the afternoon.
Crew Physical Status: One crewmember was feeling weak and dehydrated today. They had a medical checkup with HSO and rested during the afternoon and worked inside the hab in the shade (it was too hot inside the RAM). A general point of attention was to all members to remember to drink water very often and to keep cool when it is too hot.
EVA: Training EVA to Marble Ritual
Reports to be filed: HSO Report, EVA Request, EVA Report, Operations Report, Crew Bios, Journalist Report, Pictures of the day
Support Requested: None.