EVA: Today the F.L.A.M.E. crew split up into two EVA teams to spearhead our science objectives. Our Exopaleontologist and CDR were the EVA team leads for these excursions. The Green crew headed up Hab Ridge to help our Exopaleontologist with the study of fossils found up on Skyline Ridge. The Red crew headed up Hab Ridge and traversed towards the Martian Squeeze to study concretions. These were both pedestrian EVAs. Samples were collected on both EVAs and will be examined within the MDRS Science Laboratory throughout the rest of our rotation.

Crew Physical Status: Everyone is healthy and happy. Some are a little tired with our busy schedules of EVAs, painting and other daily tasks related to research.

Brief Narrative of Today's Results: The goal during F.L.A.M.E. mission is to determine the sleep patterns of the crew and mission control while living a Mars Sol. The exact length of a Sol changes slightly based on the season, therefore, we will estimate the Sol to be approximately 24 hours and 39 minutes long (the same assumption made during the MER mission). The Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) crew bed times and wake up times will be scheduled to occur 39 minutes later each day, thus day one bedtime will be 10pm and day two at 10:39 pm (see Table 1 for example bedtimes and wake times in F.L.A.M.E.'s Presskit). In reality, emergencies will always take precedence over scheduled sleep times.

At MDRS, the crew will attempt to mimic the Mars lighting conditions. To view current times on Mars please Click Here.

After our EVAs, we started to clean and paint the Hab to prepare for our media visits this week which start tomorrow afternoon. The F.L.A.M.E. crew touched up areas within the EVA room, MDRS Science Laboratory, the galley, and the MDRS Communications desk. Our HSO printed new labels for the kitchen draws and cabinets. We did not get an opportunity to do ATV training today. That will be done tomorrow.

After dinner the CDR will give a powerpoint presentation on concretions as well as give a brief overview of F.L.A.M.E.'s first rotation at the MDRS which took place in June of 2005.

Plans for Tomorrow: Tomorrow we plan to continue our house keeping within the hab and then conduct our ATV training for our Chief Engineer and HSO as it is their first time at MDRS and their first time on ATVs. If time allows we will conduct two more EVAs and finish work on Crew 45's "Robert A. Heinlein Memorial Tunnel".

Report Transmission Schedule:

1. Commander's Check-in, 19:00
2. Engineering Report, 19:30
3. EVA Reports, 21:00
4. Journalist Report, 21:00
5. Photographs, 21:00
6. HSO Report, 21:00
7. Human Factors: 21:00

Maintenance: The F.L.A.M.E. crew painted the 1st and 2nd floor of the Mars Desert Research Station. The MDRS Science Laboratory was cleaned, swept and polished.

Inventory: We have all that we need.

Miscellaneous: The CDR is very impressed on the relations that have developed between the crew members and has also noticed increased productivity.

Support Requested: None at this time.

Veronica Ann Zabala-Aliberto
Commander, MDRS Crew 46