Date and time: 25 April 2012
Written by: Haritina Mogosanu, Crew 118, Commander
Today started very early in the morning at 0700 hrs with an EVA to Phobos Peak.
Away team included: Commander Mogosanu, First Officer Bodnar and Flight Engineer Stewart.
Phobos peak is the prominent rock on the top of the hill to the right.
We loaded the coordinates into the expedition's tricorder (my iPhone) and also inside the Garmin GPS tracker, checked the radio connexions, donned the suits and proceeded to the target.
We left on ATV's but only for a short drive until we reached the main road. For once we drove in full gear (and very slowly) and only because the drive was very short so that we can get the idea of how hard it is to drive like this. When we returned everyone used the bike helmets (also desperate for fresh air?)
From the main road we proceeded further to conquer Phobos Peak on foot.
Today the temperature was bearable even through the day so we stayed in sim until we reached the foot of the hill where we removed the helmets and backpacks for safety reasons (very steep to climb to the top).
As soon as I removed my helmet I was struck (again) by how debilitating it feels to wear these suits, which at the end of the day will 'protect' our lives on Mars. One cannot see properly, can smell nothing or only your own breath (the baking soda 'tooth powder' works wonders by the way) and cannot talk properly unless you have a (good) radio attached to you. Of course turning around requires the entire body to move. Above all, one cannot touch anything. What a strange feeling! But there is one thing that kept me going, and that I believe, it would be universal on any planet, moon or daring expedition: a HUGE smile :) for being here. So I am feeling only gratitude to all those before me who imagined this future in which we are today.
...
Whist on Phobos peak I heard the first bird since we 'landed' in Utah. A shriek of life that pierced through the absolute quiet!
New Zealand is just like Utah (magical) but of opposite sensorial stimuli. Birds are singing loud ALL the time, and water surrounds you from everywhere. Life is humming out loud! The daily mist is explained as being Papatuanuku (Earth Mother) crying for her beloved Ranginui (Tamanui Te Ra - The Sun - kinda makes sense doesn't it?). The legend goes that they were very much in love so you can imagine that she cries every day since they split apart. At home in Wellington it rains/is misty on a daily basis. One could not find two places that are more opposite yet familiar. Every step I take through the desert reminds me of the forgotten water. I see ancient shells, sands and finally understand the story of the inverted channels slithering across the landscape from Phobos Peak where I stand.
The strong cry of the unidentified black bird going over the hills in the deafening silence of the desert felt to me like a salute from another world. I dream of the day when Mars too will be our other world.
With that in mind I attend to the very subject that brought me to that peak: lichens.
We are surrounded here by all sorts of layers of time and Jurassic is one of them. We can see it in the Morrison formations, we can see it in the river bands, we can see it everywhere. Since Jurassic our solar system became one galactic year old (what an achievement!!) and dinosaurs lie scattered on the ground throughout the world but the lichens have survived! And this is something I wish for the human race too; entering space may be a way to achieve that!
Walking home a few weeks ago daydreaming about KiwiMars and Utah, I noticed that in Wellington lichens are everywhere, even on the asphalt walkway. You walk on them they come back even stronger. Here I fretted almost every step on my way up to Phobos that I may disturb the fragile equilibrium of the desert environment. Found myself walking carefully just like the Jain monks who must not kill any creature not even an ant. Found myself taking 4 GB and counting of lichens pics past beyond the needs for my project just because they are such fascinating creatures! Found myself going around Phobos (that by the way resembles to a potato-shaped Martian moon - breakthrough at the peak as to why it is called that!!) to understand the pattern of the lichen's distribution. Last but not least I found myself feeling great and happy to live in such interesting times when one is part of the future being able to contribute to further the understanding of this magnificent place, Earth!
Standing in silence,
The Commander of the Trans-Tasman Riot
ENDS.