EVA-5 Report:

On EVA-5 First Officer Heike Wierzchowski and biologist Patrick Diel showed geologist Sigi Belzer the dry riverbed that they had observed on EVA-3. Patrick had decided to take their samples for his biological experiment and the trip was dedicated to find first geology sample sites. EVA-5 started at 11:20 AM with Heike, Patrick and Sigi on ATVs. They took some marking materials with them, to mark the exact position for the drillings EVA-6 should do. They headed out with Patrick and Heike as leaders, because they knew the right way. Some minutes later radio contact to the Hab was lost. Sigi had her first ATV trip in suit, so driving was stopped sometimes to wait for each other. After approximate 15 minutes they reached the riverbed and found the right Site and stopped. Geologist Sigi agreed with the biologist Patrick Diel, the sampling site was good to bring down a drill. They marked the position and looked out for other places.

Sigi as EVA-commander decided to climb up a little hill, to settle a radio relay with the Hab and was successful. On the hill she noticed, that she lost the heart rate monitor. The group searched for a while, but after half an hour they decided in agreement with hab control to interrupt the simulation for the searching. After an hour of search they decided that they would not find the monitor in the sand, and that the search could get dangerous, because several footprints of a cougar were observed. Simulation was continued. Sigi planned some drillings on the hill, additional to the place marked in the riverbed. These different drillings are necessary to test the drilling equipment after the first test (EVA-4) was not successful. They returned on ATV back to the Hab, where they arrived at 1:10 PM. Patrick stayed suited to take part in EVA-6.

EVA 6 Report

Objective: Gather geological at EVA-5 selected site. The team consisted of Patrick Diel (Commander), Tom Dirlich and the reporter Tom Noga, who was suited as well. The EVA begun at 2 pm. Via ATV the team went to the riverbed site taking with them the drilling equipment. The drive to the site was slower than normal as the equipment had to be transported carefully. The first drilling was not successful because the drill was not inserted vertically. The second try was much better, and the drilling work out fine. Using the large mallet can not be advised as the physical stress leads to fogging of the EVA helmet. The drill was inserted 70 cm into the soil and then screwed out. Retrieving the drill was quite difficult as the lower soils held some humidity and stuck closely to the drill. Using two persons the drill was slowly screwed and pulled out. The sample worked out very well and was divided into 7 plastic bags (10 cm sample per bag).

Filling the bags was quite difficult, the bags could hardly be opened with the EVA gloves. For the next EVA this has to be optimized. Other findings are it was impossible to use the Swiss army knife and quite hard to write on the sample bags.

The samples and the drilling process was documented with photographs. The radio reporter taped the whole EVA and also the communications between the crew members.

Due to the drilling processes stress on the physiology, the EVA declined to do more drilling that day. The samples gathered will be sent to a laboratory in Washington and analyzed there.