SOL 8: First steps far from the station
Soon after waking up, we started the day with an upper-body strengthening session organized by Adèle. Then, it was time for Célia, Lou, and me to leave for a photogrammetry EVA. The objective was to head to Compass Rock to set up waypoints and take pictures with the ANAFI AI drone from Parrot. These pictures will allow us to create a 3D map of the site.
We will then organize orienteering EVAs where two teams will look for checkpoints after receiving different training. One team will have access to the 3D map, while the other will only use a 2D map. We will compare their efficiency. The first team, composed of Adèle and Gaspard, will study the 2D map, while Félix and Julien will have access to the 3D map. It was the first time we could go this far, and we were amazed by the views. We truly felt like we were exploring a new world!
During this time, Félix acted as CapCom for the EVA and continued working on his botany project with Gaspard. He set up the webcam and prepared the Python script for the Raspberry Pi. Julien is working on a paper for the SSEA conference in Munich this April. It covers the scientific outreach we conducted in primary, middle, and high schools during our year of preparation and our mission.
Today, Adèle also started conducting interviews with Gaspard, Félix, Julien, and Lou. As the HSO (Health and Safety Officer), she ensures that everyone is doing well. These moments allow for one-on-one discussions, which are rare in such a confined space. Our rooms are 4 m², and the HAB (our main habitat) is 8 m in diameter, divided into two floors and a mezzanine. Since we spend most of our time in close quarters, being able to meet in small numbers is critical for confiding in each other.
This afternoon, Gaspard tried to produce distilled water for the GreenHab, but the equipment was not suitable. Célia went to the observatory, but the dome had a technical issue and would no longer open.
Finally, Félix, Célia, and Lou had a session for the NeuroErgonomics experiment, while Adèle and I participated in Orbital Architecture. These are two human factors experiments involving similar tasks. In both cases, the objective is to study how confinement impacts our cognitive skills, making them particularly interesting to conduct during analog missions.
Tomorrow, Adèle, Félix, and Julien will venture even farther onto the Red Planet.
