Time: started 18:54, completed 19:33 (with interruptions to instruct today's cook)

Weather: low 10.2c (50.4F) high of 31.6c (88.9F), hot and dry (12% humidity) with local late afternoon dust storms

Crew Physical Status: A bit more rested.

Brief Narrative of Field Mission Results: We had learned last night that it would take more time to get the computer network backbone in place. In fact, this work continued until early afternoon. This was a blessing in disguise for me, because I was obliged to write a white paper for NASA's Exploration program. Fortunately, sitting in my hab stateroom, with all the EVA preparation work going on around me, it was relatively easy to recite research requirements for lunar and Mars EVAs. Here at MDRS, potential issues are right under our nose: Consider leaving a truck parked near the EVA site-pre-positioning equipment-versus hauling all the stuff to LIth Canyon each day for a series of EVAs.

The EVA team headed out to Lith Canyon about 230 PM, once we had the word that network bandwidth was stable and more than sufficient. I could see the truck with a canopy attached, a generator, several tables and laptops, network hubs, coolers, and portable chairs. Off to the side the ERA stood, ready for the astronauts' command.

We began the process of suiting up Brent and Abby and loading the activity model into the computer systems (all done remotely from the hab computer). However, within an hour, just as we were about to take the computers off generator power and put on the astronauts' helmets, we were beset by a dust storm. Although lasting less than 15 minutes, this ferocious wind not only disrupted our preparations (covering us and our bags with a fine layer of silt), it disrupted our network communications. Apparently the repeater antennas had both swung out of alignment and the software couldn't recover to re-attain communications. We had to send people up to two very remote locations to reboot the systems.

Around 530 PM we scrubbed the test for the day. The support crew in the hab came to join us for a briefing at LIth. We decided to follow a plan we set up a few days ago. We will start at 8 am tomorrow and aim to complete the EVA in the morning.

Meanwhile, I had time to meet with my NASA Ames technical area lead, Barney Pell, who had arrived to observe and learn more about the Mobile Agents field test. Today's photos will be delayed so I can work more on my white paper. Perhaps a mission commander on Mars may have paperwork to do, too. Or might that finally count as being away?

Plans for Tomorrow: Do EVA segment #1 in the morning.

Report Transmission Schedule: GreenHab reports are pending.

Maintenance: Frank Schubert reviewed the systems. He will change Generac oil tomorrow. We are using air conditioning in the upper deck of the hab in the evening (currently still over 80F). Then we forgot to turn it off when we started cooking--circuit breaker flipped.

EVA Narrative/Data/Interpretations: NA

Inventory: Sufficient supplies for the week.

Miscellaneous: You feel a bit sad when a mission is scrubbed for the day. But at least you know you're officially part of space exploration tradition.