EVA Team:
Mark Moran - EVA commander
Dave Scott
Petra Rettberg

The objective of this EVA was to find suitable locations to sample soils for methane vapor. The model Dave suggested was based on finding deposits of decaying organic matter too far from the surface to have aerobic respiration.

Unfortunately, this area is dominated by erosional, not depositional, features. It also has very little vegetation to contribute to the soil, and a combination of low water table, very little soil and porous rocks that makes anaeobic respiration less likely. This suggests that a different model might have to be tried. Their first challenge was to find deep soil. The best luck was on river banks and on resevoirs - good depositional environments. They also tried near an ant hill (sample 4), since some ant colonies collect enough organic matter to start fermentation processes. By the end of the day they had managed to get two samples from White Rock canyon, a sample from a disused resevoir north of White Rock Resevoir, and a sample from near an ant colony.

After five hours, we didn't mind that rainclouds were threatening to soak our EVA: we were ready to call it a day. The rover had treated us well, though driving it with a full suit on proved to be cumbersome. Hopefully Mark finds what he's looking for in today's gas samples. They will try to collect 5 more gas samples before their time is up.

HabCom: Joan Roch
Brent Bos

Other documents: Map file - Yes



Waypoints:
067 - E:519943 N:4247998 - White Rock Canyon parking spot
068 - E:520166 N:4248025 - Samples #1 and #2
069 - E:520329 N:4249761 - En route to samples #3 and #4
071 - E:520452 N:4249870 - Sample #3
072 - E:520517 N:4249871 - Sample #4
073 - E:518672 N:4253542 - Drilling location south of Tank Wash

Timeline:
0932 - Enter airlock
1002 - Egress airlock
1004 - Petra's dosimeter exposed
1005 - Trash bags removed from back airlock
1005 - First dust trap put in the back airlock
1006 - Trash dumped
1008 - Ladder deployed at the back of the rover
1011 - Second dust trap retrieved from 'Repeater Hill'
1014 - Second dust trap put in the back airlock
1015 - Rover ladder up - door closed
1016 - Rover engine started
1017 - Rover is leaving
1025 - EVA team preparing the drill inside the rover
1029 - Rover parked - drill being prepared
1038 - Petra's backpack died
1042 - Rover door opened
1043 - Driver has some trouble getting out of the rover
1046 - Location: south east of White Rock Canyon
1053 - Waypoint 067 E:519943 N:4247998
1055 - Rover on its way to White Rock Canyon
1119 - Radio contact tested and established
1120 - Drilling is about to start
1121 - Waypoint 068 E:520166 N:4248025
1121 - Dave's backpack died
1142 - EVA team coming back to the rover
1151 - Rover heading toward White Rock Reservoir to collect samples for Simone and Elia
1202 - Rover on its way toward White Rock Reservoir
1222 - Waypoint 069 E:520329 N:4249761
1244 - Radio contact tested and established
1251 - Waypoint 072 E:520517 N:4249871 - taking sample #4
1251 - Heading back to the Rover, than going to the wash north of the Hab
1254 - EVA informs HabCom that no sample has been taken in the Reservoir
1314 - Radio contact tested and established
1316 - EVA team requested a weather forecast
1333 - Radio contact tested and established
1333 - EVA team will be heading back to the Hab shortly
1340 - Rover passing the Hab, going north
1345 - Possible rainshower near Skyline Rim - Starting evasive maneuvers
1403 - Collecting sample than heading north
1404 - Communications are breaking up
1406 - Rover heading south
1408 - Rover heading back to the Habitat
1416 - Radio contact tested and established
1416 - Rover 3 km north of the Hab, heading south
1423 - Rover is in visual contact from the Hab
1428 - The Rover is back at the Hab
1430 - EVA team exiting the Rover and about to drill
1434 - First batch of samples in the airlock, than heading back for drilling
1445 - GreenHab checked
1451 - Petra's dosimeter retrieved
1451 - Airlock entered
1456 - Recompression complete

EVA ends - 325 minutes