Crew 315 EVA Report 22-04-2025
EVA : #4
Author: David Laude
Purpose of EVA: Travel to Candor Chasma area to look for desiccated soil for Elena’s project, look for easy entrance into the Chasma without entering and survey for Koi’s 100cameras potential project location. Then travel up Cow Dong Rd about 2 KM further where the Commander has seen desiccated soil in two, within 1KM, walking distance locations from where rovers will park next to Cow Dung Rd.
Start time for EVA : 1:33 pm
End time for EVA: 4:16 pm
Narrative: We got suited up paying particular attention to radio transmit switch location for easier access. That paid off. We were all in one piece suits. Traveled to Compass rock and spent 20 minutes scouting a route to Somerville Overlook as I know from previous experience it can be difficult to know where to turn off of Galileo. Both Koi and Elena from this EVA will travel there tomorrow. We did find a reasonable turn off and further route. While there Elena took a desiccated soil sample. Next, we drove to the west end of Candor Chasma to look for easy entrance. On first try too steep and then success further up along it to the west where it begins. One would take Galileo road to its end just pack Compass Rock and there is a nice open parking area to the left. On foot, one heads SE staying on the flat, following an erosional path while staying close to the elevated area to the right. Follow that to where one can easily walk down some rocks to the sandy bottom. The descent is only a few meters. Then, we went to the Cowboy Corner area where we found plenty of desiccated soil where Dave said it would be. Next, we viewed an area for later investigation on the west side of Galileo with perhaps the best collection of such soil for KMs around. Finally headed back to hab, arriving several minutes before the deadline.
Coordinates (use UTM WSG 84):
- Candor Chasma: 4252000N, 520000W.
- Galileo Road (probably Cowboy Corner): 4253500N, 518500W.
EVA Participants : David Laude (Commander), Elena Saavedra Buckley (Journalist/Greenhab), Urban Koi (HSO)
Road(s) and routes per MDRS Map: The EVA will begin on Moonwalk Road, then proceed along Cow Dung Road 0110 to Galileo Road, parking the rovers near the west end of Candor Chasma as close as permitted. Then drive back to Cow Dung and north ~2KM. Return to MDRS via Cow Dung and Moonwalk.
Mode of travel: Driving and walking.