The polar climate has turned on us.
After we arrived on the Haughton-Mars Project (HMP) base on Devon Island, it was cool however clear and dry, and the views in each route have been spectacular. These situations continued for the primary week or so, then we started to see extra overcast, rain, and chilly.
For the previous ten days or so, the gloomy days have continued — chilly, overcast mornings, with transient durations within the afternoon throughout which Mom Nature teases us with damaged clouds unfold out throughout chilly blue skies; with overcast returning within the night. In a single day we get howling winds and rain.
Associated: A month on ‘Mars’: Living on the EDGES
Rod Pyle is a space historian and creator who has created and supplied govt management and innovation coaching at NASA’s Johnson House Heart. Rod has acquired endorsements and recognition from the outgoing Deputy Director of NASA, Johnson House Heart’s Chief Data Officer for his work.
In a single sense that is fortuitous: we’re pushed to spend time within the workplace tent going via experimental outcomes, sorting via photos and video, and writing. However it’s not all indoor work throughout gloomy days — Pascal and Gabriel have continued to carry out experiments with the drone and tethered balloons, whereas I doc their progress.
GET CAUGHT UP WITH A MONTH ON ‘MARS’:
Their experiments contain scouting potential routes throughout generally unmapped territory for tour planning (both by ATV or an eventual pressurized rover analog), close-in investigation of distant websites of curiosity through drone-mounted cameras, and even pattern acquisition executed by drone.
Small hand instruments have additionally been delivered from the HMP base to the location of the EDGES experiment within the area utilizing the drone, an indication of “fetching” in future planetary exploration. Lastly, strategies of controlling the drone from a cumbersome stress go well with (the mockup of which was provided by Collins Aerospace) have been evaluated. Spacesuit gloves are notoriously tough to make use of for delicate duties, and Pascal is kind of fascinated about alternate options to conventional management interfaces.
Within the meantime, we make plans for our departure. Flights throughout the area have been held up by the adversarial climate situations, so we’re unsure once we’ll be leaving. The plan is for us to be picked up in a couple of days, however the pilots want ample visibility and correct wind situations to fly. Till then, we are going to wait.
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Like polar expeditions of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and future human missions to the moon or Mars, we’re working in shut quarters. The dreaded “third quarter,” the time during which individuals can start to show inward and lose motivation, has not but occurred — we can’t be right here lengthy sufficient for such melancholy to set in, although some fatigue is clearly felt. We dine collectively, have no less than two every day briefings, and work on our respective tasks. However there should even be a component of leisure.
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By design, Pascal has programmed science talks most each day — every of us picks a subject of our personal experience to current. The themes differ; mine have been both on books I’ve written or studying out this sequence of dispatches aloud. Gabriel has spoken on orbital dynamics and interstellar propulsion. John Schutt has regaled us with tales of exploration on among the highest mountains on Earth and amassing meteorites in Antarctica; John Barrett has lectured on common physics and neutrinos; Rigel has given briefings on cosmology and black holes; and Jason walked us via an earlier deployment to Antarctica. Sawan continues his sequence of briefings on security and first assist. Pascal has spoken in regards to the evolution of Mars and enhanced strategies for exploring the planet —each very related to our time right here.
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These are full of life discussions with numerous back-and-forth and are welcome on this media-deprived setting. It is also good to get again to dwell, human interplay after three years of pandemic and Zoom conferences.
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The climate continues to alternate between intermittent sunshine and lengthy durations of gusty winds, excessive temperatures, and darkish, moody skies. The rain comes and goes.
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There’s a massive and nasty trying climate entrance shifting in and we might like to drag out earlier than it arrives, because it may delay our departure for every week or extra. We’ll maintain calling our transportation contractor to remain up to date; till then, we’ll maintain working.
Tick-tock. Time for an additional speak!
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