The day began with sleepy breakfast and coffee around 9, like most mornings. The first EVA of the mission was on everyone's mind. Alex and I prepared to depart as early as we could and gathered the 40-50 pounds of gear we had to bring. We suited up excitedly with the support of the rest of the crew until we were looking good. Pictures were taken, energy was high, the working radios were finally discovered and we climbed into the airlock.

Two minutes into our airlock time, Alex tries to take a drink inside his helmet and accidentally pulls the valve tip off his water bag line. Needless to say, water starts pouring out and we go back inside to fix the problem for about a half hour. The water leak is rectified and back into the airlock we go.

We step out into the hot Martian desert sun around 11:45. The mission objective was to determine walk-back range for emergency preparedness, and our plan was to walk as far as we could in an hour and then turn around, noting speed and distance. After the scouting mission yesterday, it was clearly established that radio communication was to be kept every half hour or more. So, back to the desert, we walked. And we walked. The walking isn't so bad. The 30+ pounds of backpack was pretty heavy. But the sun, oh the Sun! It was a mass of incandescent gas, a gigantic nuclear furnace that shone down on us with fury that has never been felt before. We sure could have used some Persians to blot out the sun with their arrows...but then we wouldn't have been on Mars.

After a while, all those little ergonomically incorrect little annoyances that seem fine at the Hab amplify themselves considerably under such conditions. We trudged forward like good little astronauts, checking in after 15 minutes, which was also the last line of site for the radios. We went another 15 minutes and tried to check in, but there was no radio response whatsoever. Alex and I couldn't even talk to each other! Protocol dictated that we turn back, and so we did (I didn't mind). Through some wrinkle in space time, our walk back was twice as long as our walk there. We went about 4 kilometers total. We came inside (finally!), and I kept pawing at my suit in order to remove it that much faster, much to Chip's chagrin. Gatorade was then consumed en masse.

After lunch, Chip (who wants to be Santa Claus when he grows up) began the speech and the reach into his pocket that signifies the daily trinket distribution ritual (its like secular Martian Hannukah) we've come to expect and love since we got here (but are not supposed to). He told us all how special we were in a heart warming speech and gave us little medals with a star on one side and "winner" on the other. Except for Dr. Love's, of course, which had a purple heart on it to commemorate his sun burn. Other days we have received our crew shirts, hats, two pins, and a sticker.

The Italians commenced working (our afternoon EVA was most definitely scrapped) until Pablo's wife Anna fainted. Like I said, it was hot. Later in the afternoon we were teased twice as we heard ATVs approach (we are greatly anticipating our water resupply), but it was just some local Martians and Martian cubs. We interacted with them through our "pressurized tunnel" and they warned us of the likely invasion we would experience Easter weekend. Dinner proceeded normally with a loud discussion of religion and politics (no Lichtenstein this time), but thankfully no one was hurt. The crew hit the sack early because most of us (not me though) have to wake up at four to support Fabio and company's suit testing. Coffee on the morrow!