Time: 7:33 Thursday

Weather: low 30.7F (-.7C same as Tuesday; forgot to reset?); high 77F (25C)

Crew Physical Status: Guess -- a week of 12 hour days

Narrative of Field Mission Results: At the morning briefing we planned to set up the repeaters to LIth Canyon (about 5 km) and walk through Scenario #3 to prove computer connectivity back to the hab. We also planned to use the "IP phones" provided by our networking NREN-GRC collaborators, having determined that the government-issued radios were inadequate unless someone stood on a high cliff (either Hab Ridge or to the north of LIth) to relay messages. However, setting up the first repeater took most of the day and we didn't drive out to LIth to set up the second at 18:00. Consequently, by the time we had established a solid internet link back to the hab, it was too late to run the walkthrough (allowing for safety in driving ATVs in the dark). So a tired group returned to the hab after 20:00 for a late evening meeting.

Meanwhile, the Brahms Mobile Agents team made progress (we believe) wringing out the identified bugs and improving the language. The commander prepared a scenario 3 script, using the Terra Server map to interpolate a missing GPS coordinate. We reviewed the map and plan with Abby and Brent, with the idea that although they will see Lith for the first time during the EVA, on Mars they would have reviewed an aerial map and helped prepare an exploration plan.

Using the available time to round out Abby and Brent's awareness of the area, we explored the area we call Oyster near the narrow passage on a long spine of uneroded rock, about a mile south of MDRS.

Successes for the day include: We set up one computer network repeater on the west side of the hill about a mile north of the hab; we set up a second repeater about 2.5 miles further south on a ridge visible from Lith Canyon. We determined that the signal to this point was sufficient for wireless computing. We completed most of the improvements to the Mobile Agents models and voice commanding software that we wanted to demonstrate during this field test.

Plans for Tomorrow (Friday): Rick Alena will complete repeater testing to the Rocky Red ATV placed at Lith; when the IP phone works, we will join him to walk through the planned EVA scenario with backpacks to confirm that steady GPS signals are received at the hab. We are cautious that the system will work and that we will complete this final, suited EVA test. Alternatives are to move the second repeater (for the computer link) or to run the agent monitor on a laptop at Lith (to replace the need for the voice link).

Report Transmission Schedule: Photos for April 10 will be uploaded Friday morning; photos for Friday will be uploaded Saturday.

Maintenance: Following Frank Schubert's instructions, we added about 1.5 quarts of oil to the Generac about 20:30. Fresh oil is running on the wooden platform. Maintenance in the next week is mandatory.

EVA Narrative/Data/Interpretations: The two-hour hike to the Oyster area confirmed observations made during the previous baseline explorations of this rotation: The folk view of geology is to go around classifying rocks and layers according to textbook diagrams. Doing this, we would have said, "This is Dakota limestone" and "We are passing from the Jurassic into the Cretaceous Period." Instead, geologists who are truly exploring devote most of their effort to describing what they see. They may be reminded of home rocks and layer patterns. But if it is truly exploration-as on Mars or even an unfamiliar region of Earth-the activity involves following layers through hills, determining inclines, comparing grainsize, comparing hardness, thinking about mineral types, etc. They combine a highly detailed local investigation of specific rocks (often opening them up to dsitinguish colorations from weathering effects) with broad relations across the horizon.

Inventory: Suggestions have been transmitted to mission support for restocking MDRS for the next crew.

Miscellaneous: After a day of waiting for repeaters to be deployed, we watched "The Dish," a comedy about the Parke, Australia dish used to relay Apollo 11 video. When the engineeers read out a 90 decibel signal, we understood what they meant.