iMAS (individual Mobile Agent System) is a self-contained, portable, scaled-down, solo version of Mobile Agents that we have tested in the previous field seasons. All of the main features are preserved, such as voice notes, sample bags, and naming of locations, but the system is not connected directly back to the Hab through a wireless network. Information is downloaded once the astronaut returns back to the base. This version allows more freedom by the users to do work where network connection would be difficult to maintain continually as well as does not require the complex setup of a network.

Today I was able to test the iMAS for my first time; Shannon Rupert and Penny Boston tested iMAS during Crew 41. The purpose of my EVA today was to do recon work for Stacy Sklar for a future project on an upcoming mission. The goal was to document slopes, boulder coverage, and traverse possibilities on a hill complex N/NE of the Hab. I was only able to survey the southern flank of the hill complex and did so by going from West to East along the base.

For the recon work, I took several images, both context and close up, of the hill complex, recorded voice notes of my observations and thoughts on climbing routes, and created locations at the base of the hill complex to associate the voice notes and images to. I divided the complex into3 distinct hills (west, central, and east) for descriptive purposes. Approximately 3/4 of the hill is a mudstone or siltstone unit banded in colors of red, white, and gray, moderately dissected by some erosion valleys and capped by a cross-bedded pebble conglomerate unit. Slopes at the base of the hill ranged between 22° - 60°, though some areas were moderately terraced, but slopes appeared to get steeper toward the summit, below the cap rock.

My recommendations for Stacy are that the "easiest" access to the summit is on the western end of the hill complex, where the slopes were minimal, 22° - 27°, and the area had at least 3 terraced or flat areas that could be used as resting points along the way. The central hill had slopes of 45° - 60° and boulders 2 x 2 x 4 m in dimensions that blocked the drainage valleys and the boulders were present at the base of the hill. The Eastern hill should pose the most complex route to climb, with boulders filling the drainage valleys and only one decent route to get 2/3 of the way up the hillside. The slope looks too steep to attempt in suits without technical gear. The material at the base of the slope is dried up, mud cracked dirt, and is very loose once stepped on, so stabilizing pix or pegs or ropes will be necessary to help one get up in a suit. I did not have time to survey the north side of the hill complex, but may attempt that tomorrow in another EVA.

The performance of the iMAS was great. The battery for the computer lasted ~1.5 hours and overheated ~ 50 minutes into the EVA, so I had to open up the laptop and tell the computer not to shut down, it was fine after that. Image collections and voice notes jumped in numerical sequence and naming of locations were difficult because they seemed to overlap. I am not sure of the quality of the GPS as I had it in a mesh portion on the side of my backpack normally used for water bottles. For most part, iMAS performed ideally and we can fine tune it as we use the system more.