The wind is howling around the hab tonight. A dust storm has enveloped us, and the structure groans and creaks in response. This late weather is in contrast to the bright sunshine during the day, which baked us in our suits as we journed to the east on Cactus Road. With the sun focused on my face through the helmet bubble and the ventilation working full-time, I felt like a roast chicken in a fan-forced oven. This was all forgotten, however, as we were again treated to a spectactular scene of flood plains and huge rock formations at our destination.

As we continue to explore our Martian surrounds, new equipment will come online from the engineers. The Cliff Reconnaissance Vehicle (CRV), which has been trialled via a rover expedition a few days ago, can now travel to more inaccessible locations with the development of an ATV harness. The lookout today is now a prime candidate for further CRV trials. Further, the new MarsSkin spacesuits will be ready for crew deployment on Monday as an adjunct to the standard MDRS suits. This will allow the EVA astronauts to experience the difference in gas-pressurized and mechanical counter pressure suits.

We are all looking forward to the discoveries which await us on our second week! But first, tomorrow is our rest day, and while EVAs and other work will still occur, a much needed sleep-in is on the cards for some, while a dawn EVA beckons for others...