EVA Report
Date: 10 Dec 2012
Written by: Dan Wilcox
EVA Sol 10 A
Transit Mode: Walking
Duration: 1h 24m 14:44 - 16:08
Distance: 2.77 km
Crew & Equipment
Leader: John Reynolds, Suit 1
Nav & Steno: Dan Wilcox, Suit 3
The EVA team changed due to duty requirements after the power failure in the morning, with Habib watching systems and Lisa & Paula double checking the status of current experiments.
Points of Interest
1 518321 4251140 Approx location of magnetic anomaly detected on EVA Sol 8
2 518431 4251152 Interesting banded rock, took photo
3 518286 4251364 Marked trail head up to rim above Hab
4 518427 4251140 Marked western summit of hilltop North of Hab
Est distance: 3.1 km
Est duration (not counting stops): ~1.25 h, at 2 kph
Est duration (counting stops): 2.25 h
Objectives
1. Photograph the Hab & Greenhouse
2. Return to area with magnetic anomaly
3. Repeat conditions of EVA Sol 8 to determine if compass readings were correct or due to some other cause (backpack EMF, etc)
4. Map perimeter If existence of the anomaly is confirmed
Additional Objectives
5. Practice use of the handheld GPS units for finding waypoints
6. Investigate the hills ~1 km North of the Hab
Results
All objectives completed except for 4.
We have determined the magnetic anomaly detected on EVA Sol 8 was most likely the result of an instrumentation failure. We returned to the area but were not able to replicate the movement of the compass needle. We also checked for magnetic EMF from our suit backpacks, but there was no discernible change in the compass heading.
After this determination, we decided to add two additional objectives in the local area to the EVA: mark the position of the trail up to the rim to the west above the Hab and the summit of the hill ~1km north of the Hab. We were able to summit the western half of the hill, but the eastern half is separated by a ravine and we were running out of time on the EVA. We returned afterward.
Lessons Learned
1. instrument readings are not always gospel, make sure to double check them
2. astronauts must be *extremely* careful with every step, a turned ankle is a big deal in this hostile environment
3. following footprints would be easier if each boot tread had the suit number embedded in it