Category: EVA Report

EVA # 5
Author: Cesare Guariniello
Purpose of EVA: Scouting EVA for accessibility and location for drone experiments on HAB ridge, and searching for kaolinite at the bottom of skyline ridge.
Start time: 1100
End time: 1428
Narrative: This EVA is dedicated to our friends at Nanohmics, Inc. The EVA began at 1100 led by Hunter and Cesare and joined by Jesus and Jilian. The crew prepared a limited amount of equipment for the long walk (GPS units, rock hammer, flags, sample bags, notepad with paper and ruler, a map, and the outdoor first aid kit). The crew walked north of the habitat, while observing the emplacement of various layers, then identified the intersection with 1103, Sagan Rd, and began ascending to Hab Ridge. This part of the EVA also had an exploratory function, to assess whether the gentle ascend is easily accessible (it is), and to identify a suitable location for an experiment of transportation of small samples with our drone. We also took panoramic context photos for past EVAs. After a brief stop to collect Gryphaea fossils, the crew began the long walk (about 2 miles) to Skyline Rim. A few stops along the way occurred when interesting examples of gypsum made their appearance. Once at the foot of Skyline Rim cliff, the crew identified a location with diverse samples from the various overlying layers, established a station and collected samples under the direction of our crew geologist Hunter. Two and a half hours into the EVA, the crew began its long and satisfied walk back to the habitat. During the walk back, they picked some old trash and played some MDRS-themed game of 20 questions. They began airlock re-pressurization at 1453.
Destination: Hab Ridge + Skyline Rim
Coordinates (use UTM WGS 84): N516000 E4251500
Participants: Jilian Welshoff (Health and Safety Officer), Hunter Vannier (Crew Geologist), Cesare Guariniello (Commander), Jesus Meza (Crew Engineer)
Road(s) and routes per MDRS Map: Walk north and then east from HAB on 1103 up Hab Ridge to the base of Skyline Ridge.
Mode of travel: walking

EVA # 1
Author: Riley McGlasson 
Purpose of EVA: Training EVA to familiarize crew members with rover operation, suits, and navigation.
Start time: 1100
End time: 1230
Narrative: EVA began at 1100 led by Riley (out of sim due to broken leg) and joined by Hunter and Lipi. The crew took Perseverance and Curiosity rovers onto Cow Dung Road and then walked east until Marble Ritual. Perseverance started with 100% charge and 279.3 hours. Curiosity started with 100% charge and 2608 hours. The crew completed the ritual and then continued East to get more comfortable navigating terrain in the EVA suits. The crew stuck to conservative slopes of no more than 10-15 degrees and were comfortable going up and down the small hills near the Marble Ritual site. They also took photos and explored the local geology of the region, with Hunter and Riley teaching Lipi about differential erosion and sediment transport. Hunter gathered some small samples for use in training the rest of the team on how to use the spectrometer. The team made it back to the HAB with Perseverance at 78% charge and 279.4 hours and Curiosity at 82% 260.9 hours. They began the reentry process for the HAB at 1211.
Destination: Marble Ritual
Coordinates (use UTM WGS 84): N518700, E4250800
Participants: Riley McGlasson (Executive Officer), Hunter Vannier (Crew Geologist), Lipi Roy (Crew Journalist)
Road(s) and routes per MDRS Map: Drive on Cow Dung Road and walk east until Marble Ritual.
Mode of travel: driving and walking (Perseverance and Curiosity)

EVA Crew Lead: HSO Duluu
Team Members: Geologist Davaa, Psychologist Tungaa
CapCom: Engineer Muggi
Objective: Our mission was to reach and explore Overlook, take soil samples for geological and microbiological work, utilizing drone technology for remote reconnaissance and surveying areas inaccessible by foot or rover.

Weather Conditions: The weather was favorable, with cloudy skies and temperatures ranging from -4 to 7 degrees Celsius, conducive to outdoor exploration activities.

Activities and Observations:

The EVA began at 11:00 a.m., with our team navigating the terrain in the Spirit and Opportunity rovers.
We haven’t successfully reached the Overlook, but arrived at Brahe HWY which presented a landscape strikingly similar to the Gale crater.
Due to the drone’s restricted remote control range of 2 km, we were unable to track it to Brahe. Nonetheless, we commenced recording from Cowboy Corner.
During the extravehicular activity (EVA), the EVA team aimed to evaluate the rover’s battery capacity by reaching a targeted level of 48 percent. Following this, we temporarily left the rover to explore more extensively and gathered soil samples.
Upon returning to base at 12:30 p.m., we noted the Spirit still had 32% battery left, and Opportunity had 31% of capacity.
Challenges and Solutions:

Battery Concerns: Yesterday there was more snow in the highlands, so our path was quite muddy. Our drivers geologist Davaa and psychologist Tungaa were proficient at handling this situation.
Communication Disruption: Today, we did not experience any specific contact loss. However, there was a connection interruption on the far side of the hill, situated beyond Cowboy Corner, in summary.
Conclusion and Next Steps: The outcome of EVA was geological samples for experiments for building blocks. We were inspired by such a beautiful scene of Mother Nature which helps us understand how lucky we are to have her on Earth and even on Mars. Our engineer made such amazing videos and pictures by drone. Now our geologist and engineer have experience using drones.

EVA # 7

Author: Davaa-Ochir “Davaa” Dashbaatar

Purpose of EVA: Reconnaissance; Soil sampling; Drone testing;

Start time: 11:25 AM

End time: 13:17 AM

Narrative: The extravehicular activity (EVA) #7 commenced at 11:25 AM with the crew led by Muggi. Co-operators included Dono and Sunny, who were equipped with MARS-V Suits and earlier versions of life support helmets. Muggi did not don a special suit or life support helmet, given his task of operating a drone during the EVA.

Upon departure, it was noted that the rovers Spirit and Opportunity had not been connected for charging post-EVA #6 due to an oversight. This error was communicated by CAPCOM Davaa to Mission Support, who acknowledged the mistake and offered an apology to the Alpha team. Consequently, the rover Perseverance was dispatched to the crew’s location near the HAB, resulting in a 20-minute extension of EVA #7. Additionally, the crew was informed that a further 30-minute extension was available if needed.

The EVA team reached White Rock Canyon, their destination, at 12:07 PM. The rovers’ status at this time indicated that Perseverance had 58% battery life and 278.7 life hours, whereas Curiosity had 66% battery life and 259.6 life hours.

At 12:52 PM, the crew departed for Zubrin’s Head, arriving at 12:56 PM. It was noted there was limited activity to be conducted at Zubrin Hill by 13:03 PM, prompting a decision to return to the HAB after completing photographic documentation and drone reconnaissance.

The final leg of the journey saw the crew head back to the HAB, with a brief stop at Kissing Camel before parking the rovers at 1:17 PM. At this juncture, Perseverance’s battery life was at 37%, with life hours at 279, and Curiosity’s battery life was at 44% with life hours at 259.9.

EVA #7 was successfully concluded with a duration of one hour and fifty-two minutes, marking the end of SOL #7’s field operations.

Destination: White Rock Canyon

Coordinates (use UTM WGS 84): 520300;4247500

Participants:

· CAPCOM: Davaa, (Geologist)

· EVA #7 Leader: Muggi (Engineer)

· Co-operators: Dono (Commander) and Sunny (Journalist)

Road(s) and routes per MDRS Map: Hab -> Robert’s Rock Garden -> Cow Dung Rd 0110 -> Zubrin’s Head -> White Rock Canyon -> Cattle Guard

Mode of travel: Driving—Perseverance and Curiosity.

EVA # 8

Author: Enkhtuvshin “Dono” Doyodkhuu

Purpose of EVA: Reconnaissance; Drone testing; Photo shooting;

Start time: 13:40

End time: 16:30

Narrative: The EVA for today was an out-of-sim EVA and all crew members participated. It started almost two hours later than planned because our lunch preparation took a bit longer—we had lasagna. We have been trying to visit Lith Canyon for some time now, and the only way to reach there was to take the crew car. Taking this opportunity, we’ve decided to go altogether, taking 2 of the MDRS suits, 2 of MARS-V suits, and one MARS-V helmet. We arrived at our destination with no problem, and the view on the way was awe inducing. We did drone footage, some photo shooting for public outreach, and explored around the canyon for a bit. Ben served as the Capcom for us, and he did a great job at sharing information along the way. We arrived at the Hab just in time—30 minutes before sunset. All in all, it was a successful and energetic trip. We might take some time to work on our research reports in the following days and put a hold on doing EVAs until the Netflix crew arrives on Sol 12.

Destination: The area between Lith Canyon and Whitehouse.

Coordinates (use UTM WGS 84): (518000,4257000)

Participants: All crew members

Road(s) and routes per MDRS Map: Hab -> Marble Ritual -> Pooh’s Corner -> Cowboy Corner -> Overlook -> Sea of Shells -> White House -> Lith Canyon -> Sea of Shells -> Overlook -> Cowboy Corner -> Pooh’s Corner -> Marble Ritual -> Hab

Mode of travel: Crew car.

EVA # 9

Author: Dulsaikhan “Duluu” Zorig

Purpose of EVA: Geological map hand sketch ;

Start time: 13:05

End time: 16:10

Narrative: The extravehicular activity (EVA) conducted today focused on creating hand sketches of geological maps for Beta mission tasks assigned to geologists. Our destination was Cowboy Corner, marking the concluding EVA within the simulation. Davaa and I engaged in discussions about potential geological tasks for the ‘experience and science takers.’ He provided insights into the fundamental process of drawing geological maps and underscored their significance in a Martian context. It becomes increasingly apparent that specialized tasks for geologists during science activities are limited unless we equip ourselves with high-performance instruments. After that, we head to the Brahi HWY to find a glove that we lost last EVA. And we got it.

Munkh-Erdene ‘Muggi’ Altankhuyag was at CapCom and taking care of us in terms of rover battery level and EVA crew safety and whether we have reached our destination.

When we got back to the hab, Elephant Hill caught the eye of our journalist’s phone camera.

Destination: Cowboy Corner

Coordinates (use UTM WGS 84): (518000,4254000)

Participants:

CapCom: Muggi (Engineer)
EVA #9 Leader: Duluu (HSO)
Co-operators: Davaa (Geologist) and Sunny (Journalist)
Road(s) and routes per MDRS Map: Hab -> Cowboy Corner-> Hab

Mode of travel: Spirit and Curiosity

EVA # 10

Author: Enkhtuvshin “Dono” Doyodkhuu

Purpose of EVA: Drone footage; Photo shooting; Portraits;

Start time: 10:20

End time: 13:00

Narrative: This was our final EVA of the rotation. We took some of the promotional photos and videos that were left and spent some time taking fun portraits. Time management today could have been better, but we were close enough to the Hab, and Ben was kind enough to be flexible with time.

Destination: Below Hab Ridge, 500m north of the Hab.

Coordinates (use UTM WGS 84): (518200;4251500)

Participants: All crew members

Road(s) and routes per MDRS Map: Hab -> South of North Ridge

Mode of travel: Walking

EVA #: 4

Today’s Date: 29 Nov 2023

Requested EVA Date: 30 Nov 2023

Requested start time for EVA: 12:00 PM

Requested end time for EVA: 03:00 PM

Does the weather report support EVA at this time?: Yes

Purpose of EVA: Reconnaissance. We want to also see if we can reach the Gateway to Lith with the rovers and on foot and come back within 3 hours. We understand there may be fossils around the area and duly acknowledge that they cannot be handled in any way.

Destination: Gateway to Lith

Coordinates (use UTM WSG 84): 518100;4255500

EVA Participants: Tungaa, Muggi, Dono

Road(s) and routes per MDRS Map: Marble Ritual -> Pooh’s Corner -> Cowboy Corner -> Gateway to Lith

Mode of travel: Driving and walking

Vehicles you will be using (If applicable): Curiosity and Perseverance

Sol #5: A Journey of Discovery to Somerville Overlook

EVA Crew Lead: Journalist Sunny
Team Members: HSE Officer Duluu, Geologist Davaa, Engineer Muggi
CapCom: Tunga
Objective: Our mission was to reach and explore Compass Rock, utilizing drone technology for remote reconnaissance and surveying areas inaccessible by foot or rover.

Weather Conditions: The weather was favorable, with cloudy skies and temperatures ranging from 0 to 5 degrees Celsius, conducive to outdoor exploration activities.

Activities and Observations:

The EVA began at 10:15 a.m., with our team navigating the terrain in the Spirit and Opportunity rovers.
We successfully reached Somerville Overlook, which presented a landscape strikingly similar to the Martian surface.
Our drone operations were a highlight, capturing stunning images and providing valuable insights into areas beyond our physical reach.
During the EVA, we observed a faster-than-expected depletion of the rovers’ batteries. This led to a strategic pause at approximately halfway, with the rovers at about 55% battery capacity.
Upon returning to base at 12:45 p.m., we noted the rovers still had 30% battery left, an intriguing finding that may influence future planning.
Challenges and Solutions:

Battery Concerns: The unexpected battery drain posed a potential risk to our mission, but careful management and monitoring allowed for a safe return with sufficient power reserves.
Communication Disruption: We experienced a loss of connection with CapCom Tungaa over a long distance. This was promptly reported to Mission Support, who advised patience until the connection was restored, which occurred upon our return.
Conclusion and Next Steps: Today’s EVA to Compass Rock was a blend of successful exploration and technological testing, tempered by the challenges of battery management and communication issues. These experiences provide valuable lessons for future missions, particularly in the areas of resource conservation and communication strategies. Encouraged by today’s accomplishments and equipped with new insights, we are optimistic about extending our exploratory capabilities in the upcoming EVAs.

EVA #1

Author: Enkhtuvshin “Dono” Doyodkhuu

Purpose of EVA: Test

Start time: 10:00AM

End time: 11:00AM

Narrative: Crew commander Dono led the EVA team. Accompanying him was Tungaa and Muggi. CAPCOMM was led by Davaa. We went to Marble Ritual with Spirit and Opportunity and explored the surrounding area on foot for about 20 minutes. All went smoothly.

Destination: Marble Ritual

Coordinates (use UTM WGS 84): 518700;4251000

Participants: Dono, Tungaa, Muggi

Road(s) and routes per MDRS Map: Marble Ritual

Mode of travel: Driving. Spirit and Opportunity were used.