Sol Summary – July 30th

Jon Clarke

Sol 11 (or 91)

Yes, I know I said in yesterday’s Sol summary that today was going to be a rest day, but plans change. The weather forecast said that today’s weather would be good but that the next could of days would not, so we put off the rest period for 24 hours to take advantage of the weather window.

For once the forecast was correct (cue gasps of surprise). The morning proved still and clear, there were even patches of sunlight (Ach! The yellow face, it burns us precious!). So today’s EVA team (Alex and Yusuke in suits, Anastasiya as shotgun) departed at 10 am for an extended scouting mission to the south to test trafficability to the Gemini Hills. The secondary was to do some 3-D scanning of polygons, but time did not permit this to be achieved.

Yesterday’s EVA team wrote up and analysed results of yesterday’s effort. In the afternoon there was a concerted effort of trash and poop burning in the incinerator. This is nowhere near as gross as it sounds, the incinerator burns hot and the smell, although odd is not excessively unpleasant, less so than a smoky wood fire.

On the evening the weather forecast seems to be proving correct, with the wind picking up, shifting to the north, and a sharp drop in temperature.
The clouds have a look of snow about them. Glad we are snug in the hab!