Category: EVA Report

Crew 305 EVA Report 11-12-2024

EVA # 04

Author: Ian Pamerleau

Purpose of EVA: Gather paleosol samples and ephemeral stream width measurements in Candor Chasma.

Start time: 10:00 hr

End time: 13:45 hr

Narrative: Ian led the EVA, accompanied by Hunter and Rashi. When we departed from the Hab, Perseverance and Curiosity were at 294.8 and 290.8 hr respectively, and both had 100% battery. We checked the tire pressure of Curiosity before leaving, and it seemed fine (though for safety, Rashi drove alone in it). We took the rovers to Compass Rock via Galileo Road and down a rover-careful route until we were at a pull off to an ephemeral stream that connects to the main channel into Candor Chasma. We took a measurement where we disembarked and headed back into Candor. We passed the location where we took the measurements on EVA 03 quickly and got further into the canyon to take new measurements. On the way in, Hunter spotted a good outcrop with paleosols for later. We were able to get into the wider part of the canyon with many tributaries running down from the sides into the main channel (which was good for Ian’s measurements). After a few stream widths were taken, we headed back to the outcrop Hunter saw before. Rashi and Ian helped Hunter collect multiple samples of different paleosols there, but we couldn’t safely get a sample from the top strata. Luckily, as we exited Candor and were heading back to the rovers, we saw that same layer again exposed along the channel, so Hunter got the samples he was looking for (one of our daily images). We then returned to the rovers and headed back to the Hab. On the way, we saw a great view of Factory Butte (another one of our images). At the end of EVA, Perseverance had 295.4 hr with 63% battery, and Curiosity was at 291.4 hr with 70% battery remaining.

Destination: Compass Rock & Candor Chasma

Coordinates (use UTM WGS 84): 591800E, 4251450N (Compass Rock) & 521482E, 4250999N (interior of Candor Chasma).

Participants: Ian Pamerleau, Hunter Vannier, Rashi Jain

Road(s) and routes per MDRS Map: MDRS driveway, Cow Dung Road to Galileo Road, down to the Candor Chasma stream. Walk along the stream into Candor Chasma. Same route going back.

Mode of travel: Rover to Compass rock and a bit south of that, then disembark and walk into Candor Chasma.

Crew 305 EVA Report 09-12-2024

EVA # 1

Author: Ian Pamerleau

Purpose of EVA: EVA training day: become familiar with the conduct on and protocols of an EVA.

Start time: 10:00 hr

End time: 11:00 hr

Narrative: EVA was led by Ian; Hunter and Peter accompanied. We started Perseverance and Curiosity with 100% battery (we forgot to take hour range measurements). We drove the rovers out to Marble Ritual. We then each found a “marble” of our choice and put one in each of the baskets. We walked a little east (~150 m) and then about 500 m south until we found the fossilized dinosaur bone exposed in the region. We looked at some cryptobiotic soil, small outflows (which were too small for my project), and some green alterations to carbon rich, black shale. We then turned around and headed towards the rovers and took them back to the Hab the way we came. At the end of the EVA, Perseverance had 94% battery with 294.8 hr, and Curiosity had 89% battery with 290.8 hr.

Destination: Marble Ritual

Coordinates (use UTM WGS 84): 518800E, 4251000N to 518800E, 4250500N

Participants: Ian Pamerleau, Hunter Vannier, Peter Zoss

Road(s) and routes per MDRS Map: MDRS driveway, Cow Dung Road to Marble Ritual

Mode of travel: Rover to Marble Ritual and then walk south to dinosaur bone

Crew 305 EVA Report 02 09-12-2024
EVA # 2
Author: Hunter Vannier
Purpose of EVA: EVA training day: become familiar with the conduct on and protocols of an EVA.
Start time: 1130 hr
End time: 1300 hr
Narrative: Hunter led the EVA, joined by Rashi and Monish. Opportunity started with 100% charge and 196.6 hours, and Spirit started with 100% charge and 256.9 hours. We drove the rovers out to Marble Ritual via Cow Dung Road. After parking, we took time finding a “marble” of choice and put one in each of the baskets. We walked ~500 m south until we found the green fossilized dinosaur (thigh?) bone exposed in a light-toned sandstone/conglomerate outcrop. We then traveled northeast for ~600 m, exploring different outcrops along the way. We observed widespread differential weathering, affecting both pebbles and boulders alike, though the boulders were more mushroom-like. Atop one large hill, a rock looked like a springboard perched for a Martian diver. Freeze thaw-altered boulders and outcrops embedded in the ground were observed, where the freezing and thawing cycles have taken advantage of faults in the rock, usually parallel to bedding planes, and pushed them apart through expansion of water that infiltrate cracks and freeze during winter. One boulder looked smashed by a large hammer, and some ground-level examples looked like spinal bones of a whale carcass. After returning to the rovers, we performed beautiful three point turns and drove directly back to the Hab the way we came. Opportunity finished with 94% charge and 196.4 hours, and Spirit finished with 95% charge and 257.0 hours.
Destination: Marble Ritual
Coordinates (use UTM WGS 84): 518800E, 4251000N to 518800E, 4250500N
Participants: Hunter Vannier, Rashi Jain, Monish Lokhande
Road(s) and routes per MDRS Map: Cow Dung Road to Marble Ritual
Mode of travel: Rover and by foot

Crew 305 EVA Report 10-12-2024

EVA # 03

Author: Ian Pamerleau

Purpose of EVA: Initiation for Spruha and then data collection near and in the western part of Candor Chasma.

Start time: 10:00 hr

End time: 13:05 hr approximately

Narrative: EVA was led by Ian; Hunter and Spruha accompanied. We started the Spirit and Opportunity rovers at 257.0 hr and 196.7 hr, respectively, both with 100% charge. We traveled to Marble Ritual where Spruha was able to find a nice pebble sized rock to complete her initiation. It didn’t take long before she was ready to go onto our next destination, the fork in the road of Cow Dung and Gateway to Candor. Hunter was able to use his GPS to make sure we were at the correct location, at which point we disembarked the rovers. Right next to where we parked along the ephemeral stream, we were able to take our first measurement of the mission! We measured the width of the dry stream 3 times at around the same location and marked down the GPS coordinates for later analysis. Measurements were taken with a 100 m tape I brought along. We also began dropping flags in the areas where we stopped to take data. This way, if we forgot to take some form of data, we could do it on the way back for the flags. We continued walking in the stream bed and took multiple data points using the same process as before. We got a little bit into the Canyon before we had to turn back. We were able to find some fun features that were not stream measurements. Hunter was able to find a piece of petrified wood and either another one, or a dinosaur bone stuck in a conglomerate. We also saw many beautiful shades of chert and different animal tracks coming from low, shaded points in the stream where there were some ice pools still melting. We got back to the rovers and drove them back to the Hab. At the end of the EVA, Spirit was at 257.2 hr and 76% charge, and Opportunity was at 197.0 and 90% charge.

Destination: Marble Ritual; Candor Chasma

Coordinates (use UTM WGS 84): (518800E, 4251000N); (519100E, 4251490N) walk to (520199E, 4251403N).

Participants: Ian Pamerleau, Hunter Vannier, Spruha Vashi

Road(s) and routes per MDRS Map: drive MDRS driveway, Cow Dung Road to Marble Ritual. Then drive to the fork of Cow Dung Road and Gateway to Candor walking trail. Walk Gateway to Candor and a little bit of Watney Road, mostly following the river bed into the canyon itself.

Mode of travel: Rover to Marble Ritual (short stop) then rover to fork, walk river bed to the canyon.

Crew 301 EVA Report 10-22-2024

EVA # 1

Author: Jen Carver-Hunter

Purpose of EVA: Geologic sample collection

Start time: 13:00

End time: 15:00

Narrative: Rachel, Alex, Steve, Jason, Mike, and Jen were prepped and ready for the EVA on time. EVA team loaded up in rovers to drive to the first EVA destination, at the intersection of Cow Dung Road and Brahe Hwy. They continued a short distance on foot, circling the area to look for selenite specimens. After collecting specimens to add to their collection and to use for the selenite experiment/investigation they plan to conduct in the science dome, EVA team loaded back up into the Hab car to drive to their second collection site, at the mounds by the balancing rock south of dry wash. They walked toward the west of Cow Dung Road, where they collected two more samples for their specimen collection. After collecting samples, the crew returned to the Hab car and drove back to the Hab.

Destination: Intersection with Brahe Hwy followed by mounds near the balancing rock south of dry creek wash

Coordinates (use UTM WGS 84): 518000, 4254750 and 518000, 4254000

Participants: Rachel Johnson, Michael Ho, Steve Kirsche, Alex Grab, Jason Trump, and Jen Carver-Hunter

Road(s) and routes per MDRS Map: Crew took rovers from the Hab to Cow Dung Rd, turned north onto Cow Dung Rd, and followed it to the intersection with Brahe Hwy. From there, they turned south on Cow Dung Rd to the second collection site south of dry creek wash. From the second site, they returned to the Hab on Cow Dung Rd.

Mode of travel: Spirit, Curiosity, and Perseverance Rovers

EVA # 2

Author: Jen Carver-Hunter

Purpose of EVA: Geologic sample collection

Start time: 09:00

End time: 11:00

Narrative: Rachel, Alex, Jason, Mike, Steve, and Jen drove to 1101 (the road to Barrainca Butte), where they stopped to collect specimens from the wash on the west side of Cow Dung Rd. After collecting specimens, they returned to the rovers and drove north on Cow Dung Road to the southwest side of Kissing Camels Ridge. There, they collected additional rock specimens along the wash on the west side of Cow Dung Rd before returning to the rovers and continuing back to the Hab.

Destination: Road to Barranca Butte and Southwest Kissing Camel Ridge

Coordinates (use UTM WGS 84): 519700, 4247300 and 518200, 4249300

Participants: Rachel Johnson, Michael Ho, Jason Trump, Alex Grab, Steve Kirsche, Jen Carver-Hunter

Road(s) and routes per MDRS Map: Crew took rovers from the Hab, turned south on Cow Dung Road, and continued to Route 1101 (the road to Barrainca Butte). They did collect specimens on foot in the wash near the road. From there, they returned North on Cow Dung Rd, stopping at Kissing Camels Ridge before continuing back to the Hab on Cow Dung Rd.

Mode of travel: Crew drove rovers (Spirit, Curiosity, Opportunity) to the collection sites and walked a small area on foot to collect specimens.

Crew 299 EVA 10 Report 5-21-2024

EVA #11

Author: Aravind Karthigeyan

Purpose of EVA: Travel to Hab Ridge to get interesting pictures and to see the Hab from a higher elevation. We also tested the UV detector and Geiger counter at different elevations.

Start Time: 10:18 AM

End Time: 11:47 AM

Narrative: EVA crew embarked on a hike up Hab Ridge. We started on a riverbed which eventually led us to a more path-like area up the ridge. We were eventually able to get to the highest local elevation and then were able to see the Hab and have people in the Hab see us and take photographs.

Destination: Hab Ridge

Coordinates:

518000, 4250000 (Hab Ridge)

EVA Participants: Noah (Biologist), Avery (XO and Astronomer), and Aravind (Chemist)

Road(s) and routes per MDRS Map: Hab Ridge Trail

Mode of travel: Walking

Hello Mission Control,

Crew 299 EVA 10 Report 5-21-2024

EVA #12

Author: Kristina Mannix

Purpose of EVA: Collect final samples from Marble Ritutal.

Start Time: 2:00 PM

End Time: 2:45 PM

Narrative: The crew drove to marble ritual, then took samples and drone footage at marble ritual.

Destination: Marble Ritual

Coordinates:

518750, 5251000 (Marble Ritual)

EVA Participants: Kristina (HSO), Pari (Commander), and Rishab (Engineer)

Road(s) and routes per MDRS Map: Cow Dung Road

Mode of travel: Driving

Crew 299 EVA 1 Report 5-14-2024

EVA #1

Author: Rishabh Pandey

Purpose of EVA: Test EVA up to Marble Ritual to get certified.

Start Time: 8:30AM

End Time: 9:25AM

Narrative: The EVA team took curiosity and perseverance rovers up to Marble Ritual for their first-ever EVA. The crew took some fun pictures to be uploaded to social media and for the journalist. After walking around the area and climbing the hill for a short period, the crew returned to the HAB.

Destination: Marble Ritual

Coordinates:
4251000 5187500 (Marble Ritual)

EVA Participants: Prakrut (Crew Commander & Journalist), Noah (Biologist), Aravind (Chemist)

Road(s) and routes per MDRS Map: Cow Dung Road

Mode of travel: Driving Opportunity + Walking

Crew 299 EVA 2 Report 5-14-2024

EVA #2

Author: Rishabh Pandey

Purpose of EVA: Test EVA up to Marble Ritual to get certified.

Start Time: 10:39AM

End Time: 11:23AM

Narrative: The EVA team took curiosity and perseverance rovers up to Marble Ritual for their first-ever EVA. The crew took some fun pictures to be uploaded to social media and for the journalist. After walking around the area and climbing the hill for a short period, the crew returned to the HAB.

Destination: Marble Ritual

Coordinates:
4251000 5187500 (Marble Ritual)

EVA Participants: Rishabh (Engineer), Avery(XO), Kristina(HSO)

Road(s) and routes per MDRS Map: Cow Dung Road

Mode of travel: Driving Opportunity + Walking