Day 06 of the Pisces One Expedition started with overcast sky and about 30 minutes of light rain. Hugh woke us up with his CD of Pisces One Wake Up Music, themes to Sci-Fi movies, TV shows and space documentaries he recorded before leaving his home in Vancouver, Canada to fly to analogue Mars. Some of the selections he included were the theme music of Fireball XL-5, Enterprise, Firefly, Babylon 5, From The Earth To The Moon, Spaceflight The Series and more.

Todays schedule has two objectives, an entended range ATV EVA and more internal Hab clean up post the refit crew's departure.

During breakfast, we got a good scare when a light rain came down for about 30 minutes. This prompted a high priority search of the internet for weather information and when it was found to be too generic for our needs, our computer scientist Anthony delved deep into the realms of streaming electrons and found the USA's National Weather Service. Having two fully trained and licensed pilots on the crew (namely the Commander and the 2IC (XO)) came handy for they are both fully trained in weather data interpetation. After 30 minutes of watching and collating data, they agreed on Weather Safety Ground rules and timings for safety and the ATV EVA was given a provision GO!

Hugh reconfirmed Anthony as EVA Commander, Kevin moved up to EVA vice and Felip was assigned to EVA scientist. The route was plotted and mapped out and then the EVA team was suited up and sent on their way. (See EVA Report for more details.)

The weather got better as the day went on and when the EVA team swung by the HAB from the south bound leg to the north bound leg, I had our day's HABcom Adam tell them that Wx was good and all restrictions lifted and that had a GO to extend into the 3rd target area of Lith Canyon at the EVA Commanders discression.

Adam prepared a lovely tomato left over soup to help declutter our fridge a bit more and thus when the EVA team returned, after decontamination and de-suiting, there was a hot lunch awaiting them. Then it was into report writing while our Scientist-Chef extraordinaire Anthony struck again to prove he IS the best Chef on analogue Mars. He pulled out all the stops for a lovely baked salmon dinner.

Now evening meal on Day 06 was to be a lively affair. For those of you who were watching us LIVE on our webcam, you would have seen a royal commotion as the Mightly Martian Mouse made an appearance. Between our Brazilian Doctor, the Chief Engineer and our Scientist-Chef it was rapidly cornered and exterminated. This was no ordinary cute field mouse, this was another of the 30cm (1 foot) long Pack Rats. Dinner was put on hold while Kevin gave the hidious disease carrier a field burial in the Engineering Area garbage cans and Felipe, Adam and Anthony sanitized the area concerned. These cute little critters carry a deadly virus called the Haunta Virus and it is spread in their dropping, so although it may sound cruel to exterminate it, we were following Mission Protocols when we did so as Safety of the Crew is always a number one priority.

Our dinner was resumed and the Commander ordered the beverages light turned on so that the crew could celebrate our victory over this dastardly invader. Then it was back to reports and E-mails with most of us in bed by mid-night but as the ole' man I was up to about 03:00 with the paper work.

Tomorrow will see another long range ATA EVA, weather permitting and more in Hab clean up to try and get our home ready for the next crew.

To all of you back on the good Earth, Good Night from the crew of Pisces One, the thirty-fifth crew to inhabit the MDRS research station on analogue Mars.