EVA Duration: 90 minutes

Crew:
Mark Hernquist
Mike Turner
Kari Cheek
Amber Church
Randy Moore
HabCom: Stacy Sklar

EVA Goals:

Familiarize ourselves with EVA procedures (suits, ATVs and geological sampling)

EVA Description:

It was a slow process getting everyone suited up today. Hopefully we'll be able to go faster in the future. Only three of the backpacks are properly functioning so we took shifts for the EVA.

We exited the airlock at 15:30 MST. Mark and Mike drove the ATVs to the reconnaissance site while Kari walked on foot. Here they observed some of the stratigraphy of the Morrison Formation.

Then they passed off the equipment to the second shift of Amber and Randy. They drove the ATVs to a site to sample the Dakota Formation. Photos were taken of the general area, the outcrop, the sampling site before and after the sample was taken and the sampling procedure. They then returned to the Hab. We re-entered the airlock at 17:00 MST.

Two crew members found that the EVA boots rubbed uncomfortably. The other two crew members did not use the EVA boots, but instead their own hiking boots for ankle support and sizing issues.

Samples:

Two samples were collected but these were used mainly to familiarize the crew with geologic sampling procedures.

Lessons Learned:

1. Situation awareness of other EVA crewmembers (hand-held mirror on ATVs)
2. Don't forget equipment (aka ATV keys in the Hab after you exit the airlock...ooops!)
3. Make sure to take the key out of the ignition when walking around
4. Crew health should be considered before embarking on an EVA, especially if it is necessary for the crew member to walk long distances
5. Make sure that it is well understood by all crew members what is to be accomplished during the EVA, especially when dealing with multi-disciplinary teams