Category: EVA Report

Crew 205 EVA Report 13 FEB 2019
EVA #06
Author: D. Masaitis, Executive Officer
Purpose of EVA: Terrain familiarization and sample collection
Start time: 1500
End time: 1551

Narrative: Meteorological conditions altered the EVA plan immediately, with high winds making flight testing of Crew 205’s unmanned aerial vehicle non-viable. The UAV was therefore left at the Hab prior to departure, but sample collection materials were retained. EVA #06 began at 1500 hours. The team headed to Old Repeater Point to proceed with geological sample collection and photography.

Halfway through, it started to rain. Increasing rain intensity made terrain slippery and the helmets in the EVA suits foggy. These conditions made operations difficult, and after evaluating their situation, the team decided to return to the Hab. EVA was concluded earlier than planned at 1551 hours.

Destination: Old Repeater Point, North Ridge
Coordinates: 4250900/517950 (Old Repeater Point), 4251500/518600 (North Ridge)
Participants: Natalia Larrea (CO), Daniel Robson (HSO), Maria Grulich (MEDIA) Ghanim Alotaibi (ASTRO)
Roads and routes per MDRS Map: Climbing western ridgeline to Old Repeater Point, then proceeding north and then northeast to North Ridge
Mode of Travel: Walking

Crew 205 EVA Report 13 FEB 2019
EVA #05
Author: D. Masaitis, Executive Officer

Purpose of EVA: Terrain familiarization and sample collection

Start time: 1030
End time: 1320

Narrative: Crew 205 received a mission change at 0800 hrs from the MDRS Director, and accepted a destination change from Maxwell Montes to Candor Chasma for their morning EVA. The team began pre-EVA preparations at 0930 hrs and entered the airlock for depressurization at 1020 hrs. The team initiated movement north on Cow Dung Road, using Curiosity and Opportunity to navigate north on Cow Dung Road and then east on Galileo Road. Communications were lost as expected, so the team proceeded east on Galileo Road before assuming a short halt at 0519900/4252950 to perform an orientation map check before descending into less-elevated terrain of S. Cactus Road.

Curiosity and Opportunity tracked southbound on Cactus Road (1104) until connecting with a dried stream bed, identified on the map as Stream Bed Connector. Here the team parked and dismounted to move into the western side of Candor Chasma.

Sample collection began as soon as the team got down into the canyon. V. Trivino (ENG) assisted N. Hadland with sample collection and labeling, while H. Blackburn took photographs of sample locations. D. Masaitis (XO) maneuvered slightly ahead of the collection team to locate follow-on collection sites, and the team continued to work its way east. By the time they reached 0520378/4251094 the team decided that they had collected enough samples as they could carry, and opted to return to the rovers. Upon reaching the rovers, there was still time remaining in the approved EVA window, so the team opted to backtrack up S. Cactus Road to get closer to a unique hilltop in the vicinity of 0520050/4251650.

After relocating the rovers, the team dismounted and climbed the hilltop to take some extra photographs for the Crew Journalist. While there, the EVA team established visual contact of N. Cactus Road heading towards Maxwell Montes and confirmed it against the map. The team returned to the rovers and began moving back towards the HAB, making one additional short halt in the vicinity of 0519900/4252950 to take a few more photos while D. Masaitis (XO) re-established communications with the HAB.

After a successful communication with HAB Control, the EVA team backtracked its route to the HAB, stowed the rovers and reported rover SOC (Curiosity:71%, Opportunity:67%) and hours (Curiosity:74.3, Opportunity:50.1) to HAB Control. At 1320 hours, the EVA team initiated their 5-minute pressurization, ending the EVA.

Destination: Candor Chasma, western end
Coordinates: 0520300/4251100
Participants: Dave Masaitis (XO), Nathan Hadland (GHO), Veronica Trivino (ENG), Hannah Blackburn (COMMS)
Roads and routes per MDRS Map: Cow Dung Road (0110) to Galileo Road (1104) to South Cactus Road (1104)
Mode of Travel: Driving (Cow Dung Rd, Galileo Rd, S. Cactus Rd.) and Walking (W. Candor Chasma)

Crew 204 EVA Report 07-FEB-2019

EVA # 8

Author: Avishek Ghosh.

Purpose of EVA: A short duration EVA to demonstrate how to operate rover remotely.

Start time: 08:00 hrs.

End time: 08:45 hrs.

Narrative: EVA started on time with a bright morning under a moderate wind. EVA crew were able to communicate remotely with the rover group from Sipna Engineering college in India. The group was able to control the child rover remotely over wi-fi and performed a couple of iterations. Probably this is the first time a rover is controlled and operated remotely (around 13,000 km far) on MDRS terrains.

Destination: Surrounding of Hab; mostly close to both sides of the Greenhab.

Coordinates: 518100 E ; 4250750 N

Participants: Kunal and Sonal.

Roads and routes per MDRS map: Close to hab (Route 1103).

Mode of travel: Walking.

Crew 204 EVA #2 Report 30 JAN 2019

EVA # 2 (Afternoon)

Author: Avishek Ghosh.

Purpose of EVA: A general exploration and soil sample collection as per planned EVA. The crew also had an opportunity to participate in a photography session invited by a special guest Mr. Jad Davenport.

Start time: 13:00 hrs.

End time: 15:45 hrs.

Narrative: It was a planned EVA. A wonderful opportunity to exhibit the MDRS crew’s preparation for the simulation. The rest two crews also had an opportunity to participate in a photography session by Mr. Jad Davenport.

Destination: A low mountain region just after Pooh’s corner and before the stream bed

Crew 204 EVA #1 Report 30 JAN 2019

EVA # 1 (Afternoon)

Author: Avishek Ghosh.

Purpose of EVA: A general exploration. The crew 204 had an opportunity to participate in a photography session invited by a special guest Mr. Jad Davenport.

Start time: 14:00 hrs.

End time: 15:00 hrs.

Narrative: Although an unplanned EVA but, it was a wonderful opportunity to exhibit the MDRS crew’s preparation for the simulation. And also crew 204 feels honoured to participate in a session invited by personnel associated with a prestigious organization like National Geographic.

Destination: A low mountain region just after Pooh’s corner and before the Stream bed connector on Cow dung road, 0110.

Coordinates: X-518750; Y-4251250

Participants: Avishek Ghosh & Kunal Naik.

Roads and routes per MDRS map: Pooh’s Corner.

Mode of travel: Rover Spirit.

EVA # 8

Author: Liza Forero

Purpose of EVA:

A walk to make a regional geologic recognition of the western part of the MDRS zone.

Start time:
11:00

End time:
13:15

Narrative:

The purpose of this EVA was to make a regional recognition of the geologic features of the zone. We went by walking to the Hab Ridge and we decided not to go to Pooh´s corner so we didn´t make use of the rovers this time.

The weather was okay and we did not have any trouble with suits.

Destination: Hab Ridge (walking)

Coordinates: 517600 E, 425000 N

Participants:
Oscar Ojeda, Freddy Castañeda, Yael Mendez, Liza Forero

Road(s) and routes per MDRS Map: We surrounded the HAB and walk to west to get to the Hab Ridge

Mode of travel: Walking

Vehicles used: None

Crew 203 EVA Report 23-01-2019

EVA # 7

Author: Liza Forero

Purpose of EVA:

Geologic recognition of the zone. Take samples and data for microbiology test and take some physic-chemical parameters of the ground using a LabQuest. The main parameters that are going to be taken are conductivity, pH, and temperature.

Geology recognition of outcrops, topographic highs, sediment, canyons, and lithology.

Start time: 13:00

End time: 16:00

Narrative:

The EVA was successful; the weather helped us today, it was sunny and there were no winds so we could walk and work in the best possible way. We arrived at Cow Dung Road a few meters of Zubrin’s Head, leave the rovers over the Road and started to walk at east till get to the North Pinto Hills. During the walk, we covered some geologic data. During the walk, we took samples that are going to be analyzed at the laboratory with the LabQuest. We described the lithology or the zone and found different types and colors of clays and clasts.

During the EVA there was no trouble with rovers or suits. When we finished the activity, we went back to the rovers and go back to the HAB. During the walk, we were taking pictures and the register of the stratigraphy of the zone.

Destination: North Pinto Hills (vehicle and walking).

Coordinates: 521000 E, 4248430 N

Participants: Liza Forero, Oscar Ojeda, Hermes Bolivar

Road(s) and routes per MDRS Map: Cow Dung road to the southeast till we get to the Pleiades Road where we will start walking to arrive at North Pinto Hills.

Mode of travel: Walking and Driving

Vehicles used: Spirit and Curiosity

[end]

EVA # 6

Author: David Mateus

Purpose of EVA:

Show EVA protocols and part of MDRS to the journalist Sole Moller and his photographer Noel Spirandelli

Start time:
11:30

End time:
15:30

Narrative:

The purpose of this EVA was to show our EVA protocols and the most beautiful views of MDRS, so we decided to go to pooh´s corner with rovers and climb one of the hills. After Noel took a lot of pictures we came back to the hab, We parked the rovers at the hab and Oscar had to change his space suit.

Then we walked to Hab Ridge

Destination: we are going to Pooh´s Corner and after Hab Ridge (walking)

Coordinates: 517600 E, 425000 N and 518800 E ,425850 N

Participants:
David Mateus, Oscar Ojeda, Freddy Castañeda, Hermes Bolívar, Sole Moller and Noel Spirandelli

Road(s) and routes per MDRS Map: To get to Pooh´s Corner we are going to take the Cow Dung Road 0110 to the north to get to that corner and Walking to Hab Ridge .

Mode of travel: Walking and Driving

Vehicles used: Spirit, Curiosity and Opportunity