Daily Summary – August 14th

Daily Report
Jon Clarke

August 14, 2017

Our sim ended last amidst wild weather.  Because the sim is over, I
am calling this a daily report, rather than a sol summary.

It blew hard all night but about midnight the rain stopped and was
replaced by light snow. This had stopped by about 8 am.  The
temperature had dropped to -3 C and the puddles were all frozen.
There was a substantial wind chill went I went outside to start the
generator.

Of course, with the sim over, the sun came out. We are enjoying the
best sun since we went into sim, reminiscent of the sun we had when we
first arrived. However the wind chill is distinctly unfriendly!  Paul
and I went into the crater for the last time to recover his data
loggers.  Mixed feelings, glad that we were successfully completing
out mission, but sad that it was the last time.  Still, I feel
immensely privileged to have had the opportunity to come here.  Thank
you Mars Society!

Busy day today preparing to leave.  Packing bags as much as possible.
Boxing up samples.  Checking the landing grounds for suitability for
landing – all rather soggy. Modifying the ATV trailers to move
the expected delivery of fuel.  Did our last group discussion for
IBMP.  We spent four days setting up for the sim after arriving here
on July 16th, we expect to spend a similar time finishing up at the
end.  On Mars to crews will also spend several days at the start and
end of each mission getting set up and then closing things down.  This
is something of a fixed cost with respect to the time required,
something else that argues for longer rather than shorter stays on
Mars.

Tonight we will celebrate our last night together on Devon Island.  We
will finish watching a doco-drama about Sir Ernest Shackleton’s
“Endurance” expedition to Antarctica.  Hopefully we won’t have as much
trouble leaving the Arctic as he and his crew did the Antarctic!

Jon Clarke