Today the crew supported its longest EVA yet, over 5 hours, so that Mark could attempt his drilling experiment in simulation. Everything went so well. Suit- up and egress were ahead of schedule even though we had some backpack power problems to overcome. Joan found the one cable in the Hab that allowed us to record and digitize the radio chatter so that Mark's collaborators could later hear how it went. It is hard to believe that just a week ago we were total strangers, wondering if we would ever make it out of Salt Lake City, let alone onto analog Mars.

The pictures we submitted to mission support last week just do not do the experience justice. All 7 of us met at the airport Comfort Inn in Salt Lake excited to head to analog Mars. The provided transportation, however, did not seem as enthused. The pick-up truck we were to take had a dead battery. Fortunately Petra also had her rental car so getting a jump start was not a problem. The real problem was the red alternator light staring me in the face as we pulled out of the hotel parking lot.

As we headed out to buy our supplies, the pick-up quickly consumed the small amount of charge the jump start provided the sickly battery. Whatever the particular electrical problem was, driving slowly on side streets, stopping for traffic lights and running with the headlights on, only made the problem worse. Soon the truck was gasping for breath, unable to make it up the first big hill, and then collapsed along the side of the road. Seeing the crew's disappointed faces as we stood there in the rain with the hood up couldn't help but make me worried.

Fortunately someone suggested trying the other battery sitting in the back and before you knew it, Dave Scott whipped out his Leatherman and changed us over from a known depleted battery to one that was unknown. When I turned the key it sounded strong, so we decided to push on as far as we could.

After buying our supplies, we started making our way down the long highway to Hanksville, the red light on the dashboard serving as a constant reminder that help was getting further and further away. Surprisingly after a couple of hours of unimpeded travel, the alternator light stopped bothering me and I started to have some faith in the old blue Ford we were driving to Mars.

When it started again after a fill-up about halfway into our trip, I was sure our luck had turned. We turned back on to the highway with renewed optimism. Sure, we were bleeding electricity as we went, but perhaps it was just a small cut. Besides, laid out before of us was some of the most beautiful desert landscape that God had ever put in front of our eyes. I asked Simone to take some pictures for me.

When we finally rolled into Hanksville, we were a couple of hours late but relieved. I thought our problems were over. We met our contact who gave us the keys to MDRS and wished us the best. After dinner in town, where most of the entrees were named after a John Wayne movie (we were told the Katie Elder was good), we decided that we needed to make the most of the last remaining 40 minutes of sunlight and headed off to find the Hab.

Unfortunately every small desert turn-off looks like the other and we quickly used up our last remaining sunlight with wrong turns and dead ends. With Elia reading the GPS we finally made a right turn and there before us was the Hab in evening splendor. The truck died just as we rolled up in front with yet another dead battery.

I unlocked the front airlock and switched on the light or at least the light switch. We just needed to turn the generator on and the Hab would be brought back to life. First the generator needed to be unlocked. Fortunately we had the right key. Next we checked the oil since we were told that it had a nasty oil leak, nothing on the dipstick. We poured oil in until it registered at the center of the recommended range. Then we flicked the on switch - nothing.

The Hab generator runs on propane. Were the tanks empty? A quick inspection under flashlight revealed that they were not. Were they connected to the generator? The line out of the tanks looked like they were going where they should. But who knew? None of us had run a large propane generator before.

We finally found some valves on the tanks, one on each tank, that appeared to be closed. We turned them only to hear a hissing sound, not a good sign. But it was clear that the generator was not getting the fuel it needed to start so Joan decided to turn the propane valves all the way open. The hissing stopped!

Hitting the on switch this time brought the generator humming to life, but there were still no lights on in the Hab. Using our flashlights we searched the Hab for a circuit breaker. Someone remembered reading that it was on the lower deck. It was and we found it. Reading the diagram carefully on the inside of the door we threw the mains and could not believe our eyes when nothing happened.

The generator was running. All the switches were on. What else could it be? We looked under the Habitat and started to follow a large cable that ran back toward the generator. There about halfway was another cable, close to but unplugged from the cable to the Hab. We turned everything off again and plugged the two cords together. This time, when we repeated the process, we had lights! We all unpacked, settled in and over the next two and a half days got the other major systems functioning until full simulation began.

It is a week later now and I still cannot believe this team has made it all work. None of us had been here before. The only thing we knew about the systems was what we had read online in outdated manuals. With help from mission support we are now sitting here, 7 days later, having completed 7 EVA's and 4.5 days in full simulation! It seemed quite improbable just last week at this time.

Indeed, this crew has earned a break. And tomorrow I have ordered a light day. Elia and Simone will do a very short EVA in the morning to retrieve some of their biology samples. But after that, we are going to relax. I am looking forward to it. It seems like there is still so much to learn about everyone. We now know that we are all competent but what is it about each of us that makes us unique? I'm sure more interesting facts will come out during a game of chess or a hand of cards. Or perhaps a rousing game of Yahtzee will lead to more lively conversations. Living on analogue Mars is a pleasant experience when you go there with the right people.