Week one is almost complete. The crew has come together with the aid of humour to form a tight cohesive group that is quite efficient at completing work and research.

Today we accomplished two EVAs with the 5 engineers going on a GPS training EVA in the morning and the 3 scientists using the ATVs for an EVA to Candor Chasma. Both EVAs accomplished their mission goals and witnessed awe-inspiring landscapes. There was an extraordinary task accomplished by Lealem today, as he had to remove a bucket from one of the Green Hab gray water treatment tanks. Wow, that was messy!

The crew also had a night visit from the film crew from Spain who will be spending three days filming the crew for a 50-minute documentary that will air prime-time in Spain.

The night was highlighted by a radio communication talk given by Danielle and a SCUBA hand signal refresher by some of the crew- members. Communication is one of the key components to successful fieldwork, and with these two talks, the efficiency of EVAs is bound to increase.

Some engineer issues plagued the day with the electric heater for the water failing, but the crew was informed that the LP (liquid propane) gas heater could be used. Unfortunately the hot water benefit could not be utilized since the sump pump broke and the crew must minimize water consumption related to the Green Hab connections. This is because the water cycle works by the water flowing from the showers and sinks to the settling tank. The water is pumped from the tank to the Green Hab with the sump pump to be processed, named “gray water”, which is then used to flush the toilet. These settling tanks are full, so the water cycle is essentially on hold. We will have to use fresh water to help flush the toilet if the sump pump is not fixed or replaced.

Regardless of the problems, the crew is optimistic that the mission will continue on the road to success and on to Mars!