EVA-04: Sklar FDM Field Training

Time: 1135 - 1345
Site Location: Sklar FDM site survey centered at UTM 519024 4250732
Crew: Adrienne, Anna, Brogan, Cassie, Liz, Seth (John and Ryan not in sim)

Objectives: To gain experience with the Sklar FDM site survey technique

Tasks Performed: Collected a primary site panoramic at UTM 519024 4250732 and separated into two teams. Each team collected a secondary site panoramic at (UTM 518982 4250821) and (519074 4250663) and two point of interest image sequences in the vicinity of the secondary panoramics.

Pre-Mission Training: Our pre-mission training started last night and continued this morning on the Human Expedition Research for Mars Expedition Survey (Sklar FDM) technique. Crew Commander Ryan and Executive Officer John lead the crew in this training. Our training involved the technique for initiating a site survey, tools such as the PDA, data logger software and GPS transmitter, and techniques for verbal and pictorial documentation.

Lessons Learned: Maintaining Bluetooth connections between the GPS transmitter and PDAs proved to be challenging during pre-mission training. We decided to tape the transmitter and PDA to a stick (paint stirrer) to maintain a small, constant separation between them. This resolved all communications problems between the transmitter and the PDA during the EVA. Also Pixel the Hab cat enjoyed tagging along on his first EVA experience with our crew.