SOL 16 : Candor Chasma

Today, we started the day with a yoga session organized by Adele. The last few days have been physically demanding. It is important to vary the practices, and yoga allows to awaken the body and mind without overexerting.

Then, Adele, Julien, and Felix went on an exploration EVA to Candor Chasma while Gaspard acted as CapCom. To get there, they needed 5 minutes in a rover and 1 hour of hiking through a Martian canyon. The journey was physically demanding, but the landscapes upon arrival rewarded them. Knowing that it took millions of years to shape these paths, one feels so small and amazed in front of landscapes that span across time.

Meanwhile, we were editing videos, and Lou continued working on the 3D map for tomorrow’s orienteering race. In the afternoon, Lou and Julien worked in the RAM for the SupaeroMoon experiment. It is a club of the association of students from ISAE-SUPAERO.

They designed a rover that is entirely printable in 3D. For a trip to Mars, it would be useful to bring raw material and build the rover on site to optimize the volume taken during transport. It remains to study the feasibility of its construction by an already on-site crew, and that is what we are doing in our mission.

Celia and Lou went to the observatory to continue repairing the opening mechanism. Celia was still able to use the telescope to observe the sun. At the Science Dome, Julien organized sessions of Neuro Ergonomics for Adele and me. Felix went to take care of the greenhouse. At the moment, temperatures are high, and it is necessary to water twice a day.

In the evening, we did our daily questionnaires, and Julien used the indoor bike. Tomorrow, it will be an orienteering race for the first team!