Brief Summary: There were two related EVA tasks conducted today.

EVA Support Task-4:

Context: NDX-1 Suit Test
Duration: 05:57-07:22
Weather: Clear (dawn)
Maximum distance from Hab: 800m

Participants: EVA Support Task Team-4 (Alex Diaz, Marcus Medley, Irene Schneider Puente, Chip Shepherd), NDX-1 Crew (Pablo De Leon, Ana De Leon, and Fabio Sau), and State University of New York, Buffalo student (Amanda Schmidt). Media from ABC-TV/Houston, Telemundo, and independent documentary covered the event.

Equipment: NDX-1 Spacesuit and supporting equipment (i.e. ATV, compressor, and generator), video camera, digital camera, GPS, radios, rock hammer, and notepad/pen.

Route: NDX-1 suit subject (Fabio Sau) headed north on Lowell Highway to perform several mobility tests.

Objectives - Work Done: The objective was to assess the mobility of the NDX-1 suit. Major tasks included NDX-1 donning, Thermal Garment donning, walking w/ backpack, sample collection with rock hammer, cart moving, and sample flag planting. All operations were conducted successfully.

Lessons Learned:

• Starting early (before dawn) is very important to avoid overheating of pressurized suited crew.
• NDX-1 suit mobility is very good. Test subject is able to get on one knee comfortably to collect samples, able to use rock hammer, able to walk up a low sloping hill, and able to maneuver around rocks of various sizes.

EVA-3:
Elizabeth Wolfe Reporting

Context: Geology and Biology EVA in Tank Wash
Duration: 07:25-10:30
Weather: Partly cloudy, sunrise

Maximum distance traveled from Hab: Unknown (GPS ran out of batteries), but approx 1 km East of Tank Wash and Lowell Highway intersection.

Participants: EVA Team-3 (P.J. Van Asbroeck, Elizabeth Wolfe); HABComm (Myrnal D'Arcangelo); Suit Techs (Myrnal D'Arcangelo and Amanda Schmidt)

Equipment: GPS, map, radios, notepad/pen, sample baggies and tubes, rock hammer, HCl, cameras, and truck.

Route: EVA Team-3 headed north on Lowell Highway in the bed of Elizabeth's truck and disembarked at Tank Wash, then walked east downstream approx 1km.

Objectives - Work Done: Identify geological and biological items of interest and sample or image accordingly. Focus on objects likely to occur on Mars such as blueberries and cryptogram soil.

Lessons Learned:

• EVA donning in the dark is extremely difficult (we had no lights due to Hab power difficulties). Although EVA was successfully accomplished with one EVA suit tech to assist 2 crew, it would have been substantially easier with one tech per EVA crew.
• Sample bags are very difficult to open in the field with suit gloves.
• Early morning EVA was a success in terms of temperature; this is recommended over late afternoon EVA.
• Pick-up trucks are an excellent alternative when there are not enough ATVs, if someone stays out of sim; much simpler than using and driving V-ger in the suits and trying to stay in sim.
• Extra batteries and GPS are recommended. Only one GPS was obtained (other three were in use at the other EVA Support Task-4) and spare batteries were not brought. However, the route was pre-planned on the scouting mission and the map provided ample location information.