Commander Report
02/17/2013
Kent Nebergall
We focused mainly on a split EVA today. Dennis, Ase, and Paula went on ATVs to a location with fractured terrain that they identified
in satellite imagery. They then wanted to go to the canyon we originally explored during pre-sim geology training to find a fault line.
Kent and April also wanted to go to this location for gypsum seam drilling.
The EVA was structured so that Dennis, Ase, and Paula left first to explore the fractured terrain and they returned around 1 PM.
Paula and Dennis then accompanied Kent and April on the second half of the EVA. This gave us a larger group of people in the
canyon for safety. Dennis and Paula then split off to find the fault line, but ran out of time. Kent and April successfully drilled
several samples of gypsum varying from fine granular to crystalline. We also got good photographic and video documentation of the
process, as well as context imagery. This will be discussed in more detail in the EVA and science reports. One main sample came
from 520355 4251168, and others from near that site. We also noted many fresh cougar tracks, including ones overlapping ours on
the return trip. We took precautions such as firing the hammer drill periodically to make noise, avoiding overhanging cliffs, and so
on. I’m estimating the animal to be roughly 4 feet (1.22 meters) from shoulder to pelvis based on the tracks. We do have 5 drilled
samples of gypsum, which is probably our minimum adequate sampling for that material.
We had visitors to the hab just as we left on the second EVA. A family pulled up in an SUV just in time to be greeted by four
“astronauts”, followed by the crew still in the hab in casual dress. They gave a nice tour of the downstairs and the greenhab, and
took a picture of one of the sons in a backpack. I instructed the crew not to let them on the stairs for liability reasons.
We returned to an awesome Sunday feast by Tristan and Audrey of four kinds of pizza (our crew is half vegetarian), crapes, and brownies.
We are all now stupidly happy with food satisfaction.
We have instructions on science and PR/instructional film work to do with the rover. Paula and I will be in the hab, as will probably
April and possibly Audrey. We want to do any filming of the rover outside before the snowstorm hits Tuesday and Wednesday.
Assuming we are stuck in the hab for a minimum of two days, we can get reports and lab work caught up at that time. Anything we
can get done after the storm can be bonus science. We knew going into this that dry weather couldn’t last forever, so we’ve been
getting out while we can to gather the research we can. The storm will also provide valuable data on the greenhab for the light and
temperature study.
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CommanderCheckIn Report
02/17/2013
Kent Nebergall
Crew Physical Health:
All are well.
Eva Depart Time:
10:30
Eva Return Time:
1:30
Narrative Of Field Mission Results:
fractured terrain survey with Dennis, Ase, Paula.
Eva Depart Time:
2:00
Eva Return Time:
5:30
Narrative Of Field Mission Results:
Gypsum drilling with Kent and April. and fault survey with Paula and Dennis (same EVA).
Eva Depart Time:
Eva Return Time:
Narrative Of Field Mission Results:
Eva Depart Time:
Eva Return Time:
Narrative Of Field Mission Results:
Eva Depart Time:
Eva Return Time:
Narrative Of Field Mission Results:
Hab Maint:
Rep Sched:
There will be the usual. Since we just got back from EVA before dinner, we will submit the science reports later.
Tomorrow Plan:
Kent and Paula will stay at the hab and work on the rover and the monitoring electronics for the greenhab. We may do a near-hab EVA for the rover if we have enough people at the hab to do both.
Dennis is planning an EVA.
Inventory:
We're basically out of hand sanitizer.
Support Req:
Miscelleneous:
We had a small family of tourists stop by the hab. They were given a very short tour of the downstairs and the greenhab (we avoided the stairs for obvious reasons).