Journalist's Report
Date: December 10, 2012
Written by: Dan Wilcox
Early this morning the power went off.
This is an annoyance on Earth but a *big* deal on Mars. We’re completely
reliant on our vital systems for oxygen, pressure, water ... everything
we need to survive. Just when we were comfortable, here comes a quick dose
of reality.
As the power went dead, a cacophony of alarm buzzers went off and we all
jumped from a sound sleep into crisis mode. Emergency heaters were
activated, spare oxygen brought out, seals checked, and a power plan
assessment survey mounted. Those of us not checking the energy systems
went back to our bunks to stay warm. The Martian night is a cold one and
it doesn't take long for it to seep into the Hab.
In the end, one of the fuel pumps for the methane generator had
malfunctioned as a result of the extreme cold. It seems a faulty heating
element failed and was quickly replaced. We were back to Situation Normal
in 3 hours. It was a simple enough problem, but a reminder of how quickly
we could disappear if we’re not careful.
The same goes for when we’re out and about. As Commander Reynolds and I
were out in the afternoon Martian sun double checking the curious magnetic
anomaly detected last sol, I was reminded that even a turned ankle can be
dangerous when speed and mobility are reduced in our EVA suits.
As for the the anomaly, we determined it must have been an instrumentation
failure as we were not able to reproduce the movement of the compass
needle. We even double checked if the EMF (electro magnetic frequency)
coming from our suit backpacks was causing the phenomenon, but negative.
There must have been a false positive last sol which is too bad, I was
hoping to find the entrance to that hidden Martian city.
As a note to suit designers, how about adding unique patterns or
numbers/letters to the bottom of each person’s boots? This would make
following the tracks from previous EVAs even easier. I know there are only
5 of us and we all have MPS (Mars Positioning System) units, but sometimes
you just can’t find the exact spot your buddy went the other day. I wear
suit number 3 and if I see a print with the number 3, I’d know I’m
following a ghost of myself from the past and that would be cool.
As we were returning to the Hab, the wind started to gust up again as on
last Sunday. It was howling earlier but hopefully it will die down
tomorrow so we can continue our roadbed survey. This time we head North
and West.
After the 5 minute pressurization routine in the EVA airlock, we step in
and slowly disassemble ourselves. First gloves, then helmet, then pack,
then boots, then suit, back down to our thermals (premier Martian
fashion). Afterwards, there is a curious, meditative down time where each
person tends to their suit, performing maintenance, checking seals,
performing diagnostics. These are our second skins outside and we cherish
and protect them just as they protect us form the extreme elements.
It’s interesting how the suit doesn’t feel heavy until *after* you’re back
inside.