Eva Report
01/04/2013
Carolyn Newton
Eva Number:
3
Eva Date:
1/4/13
Time Slot:
earlyPM
Purpose:
The purpose of this EVA was to see more animals and the habitats for life forms in this desert region. The area selected has a dried up riverbed, so it was chosen because animals tend to settle near sources of water.
Narrative:
The destination today was called location 2 at UTM 12S 519090 E 4253675 N, while the access point (location 2) was at UTM 12S 0518570 E 4253340 N. There were a lot of views in this location different from those seen in previous EVAs. The crew started by going through airlock and stepping outside for safety tips and instructions. There were four people going: Carlos Giraldo, Carolyn Newton, Gisela Munoz, and Noah Feaster. The ATV ride was very cold, yet shorter than expected. After a 30 minute stop to clear up a few concerns about one of the ATVs, the crew continued on for about 20 more minutes to arrive at the ATV parking area.
The crew spent a few minutes setting up for the cruel, Mars environment. The walk to location 2 was short and full of beautiful sights. The hiking aspect was more exciting and a lot easier than the previous EVA locations. Once over the first rocky hill, the land was mostly flat for the duration of the EVA. The crew carefully stepped down the mountain to see dried up veins running through the hardened surface. The clay soil was hard and cracked from the sun. As the crew looked up, they noticed that the rocks above revealed different shades unseen in the other areas. There were dark black pebbles atop the upper hills, and green layers of soil as the rocks increased in elevation. Tracks and droppings from large animals could be spotted in the snow. The best part of the EVA, however, was when the crew walked straight into the bottom of a rock overhang. The area was a frozen waterfall with icicles still hanging on the upper rocks. It looked to be about 8 feet tall and dropped down to a dried up stream. The amount of twigs and tumbleweeds in the area showed that vegetation in this region was abundant.
Location 1 was easy to get to, stunning, and diverse. The most fascinating aspect of seeing this area was that it was so different from other locations visited in EVAs, yet so close. It was truly amazing that the formations, colors, and life in one area could change so drastically in the span of a few kilometers.
Eva Depart Time:
1202
Check In Time One:
1256
Check In One E:
518570
Check In One N:
4253340
Check In Note One:
EVA crew reaches location 1 and parks the ATVs on the road.
Check In Time Two:
1343
Check In East Two:
519090
Check In Note Two:
The crew calls in to say they have arrived at location 2.
Eva Return Time:
1526
Wp1 E:
518570
Wp1 N:
4253340
Waypoint1arrive Time:
1256
Eva W P1depart Time:
1310
Wp1 Find:
This is the location where the ATVs were parked, so there were no findings aside from the great view.
Wp2 E:
519090
Wp2 N:
4253675
Eva W P2arrive Time:
1343
Eva W P2depart Time:
1410
Wp2 Find:
The rock formations displayed different colors, and the pebbles below reflected it. This was the first location that shades of green and deep black could be seen. The land was more flat, there were more animal tracks, and a lot more vegetation. There was an 8-foot tall, dry, rock overhang where a waterfall would be if the water was flowing.