tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50627154886896279622024-03-13T13:22:02.782-07:00FMARS 2007 Chef EngineerJames Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16077780436028666620noreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5062715488689627962.post-10490508206393594662009-10-07T20:24:00.000-07:002009-10-07T20:31:22.358-07:00Hit Counter HijackedHello those of you who might stumble upon this blog. Just FYI, if you visited the blog in the last few months there is the possibility that my former hit counter may have tried to install a trojan horse program on your computer. Sorry about that, but this is the internet as we have made it.If you are concerned, the anti-malware program I use now for Windows is called avast! (http://www.avast.com/James Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16077780436028666620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5062715488689627962.post-68433008700970895082007-08-24T04:50:00.000-07:002007-08-24T04:52:10.091-07:00OutWeather is good this morning, looks like we'll be in Res tonight. This is Devon Crater signing off.James Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16077780436028666620noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5062715488689627962.post-45064801476946550642007-08-08T21:09:00.001-07:002008-12-11T14:18:56.502-08:00CountPictures first this time, words at the end. Stick around.This is the best picture I've taken this summerJames making "engine degreaser"Me working the runwayKim and Kathy Pose for their Amazing Race EntryA Twin Landing(And just FYI, I've changed my mind. If I ever get wealthy, screw the Lear or the Gulf. I want one of these!)My "room"Ryan on EVAKathy does limnologyKathy finished with limnoMatt theJames Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16077780436028666620noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5062715488689627962.post-22347780728532146152007-07-27T15:09:00.000-07:002008-12-11T14:18:58.020-08:00DesertThese are areas that receive less than 10 inches (250mm) of precipitation per year. The Haughton Crater on Devon Island is one. So where did all that snow that I talked about come from? The answer is the wind. have no doubt we are in a desert here, just like West Texas, Southern Utah, Gobi, Sahara and even Mars. Also just like those places water is at a premium. We collect it and study how we useJames Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16077780436028666620noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5062715488689627962.post-67526038295817156202007-07-13T22:09:00.000-07:002008-12-11T14:19:01.638-08:00WorkOne facet of the science work around here is "extra-vehicular activity". This is an Apollo era term for anytime astronauts are working outside the spacecraft. Some argue that "surface excursion" is a better term to use for exploring Mars since the hab is no longer a spacecraft per se, but more of a permanent structure and not a vehicle any more. I don't really fall to either side of the argument,James Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16077780436028666620noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5062715488689627962.post-31881543457292063232007-07-01T18:12:00.000-07:002007-07-01T21:48:26.417-07:00TimeMore precisely Mars Time. For those of you who may not know all about astrophysics, planets rotate at different rates. What this means is that each planet has a day of a different length. For instance Earth's day is 24 hours long. It takes 24 hours for the spinning earth to make one rotation. Everybody knows that, and as it turns out human physiology is uniquely suited to a 24hr day. Doctors callJames Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16077780436028666620noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5062715488689627962.post-21514708155468253382007-06-22T16:02:00.000-07:002008-12-11T14:19:03.376-08:00SolsticeYesterday was the summer solstice, the first day of summer by the astronomical calendar. Matt, Ryan and I celebrated by digging out a stuck ATV (stuck in snow not mud, very unsummer) and finished off by digging the rest of the snow out (about 50meters worth, some 1-2meters deep) to make a path along the road to the creek to get fresh water. Later that afternoon Matt and I trekked by ATV and foot James Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16077780436028666620noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5062715488689627962.post-47962208622000200742007-06-19T04:59:00.000-07:002007-06-19T05:35:53.448-07:00HousekeepingOr should that be Habkeeping? I'm not sure why, but typing that title I'm reminded of a line from Apollo 13. I don't want to subscribe any special significance to that, other than it is one of my favorite movies of all time...This post was really about the thing I forgot to on Sunday which was wish my father a happy Father's Day. It wasn't so much that I forgot but just that I ran out of time. WeJames Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16077780436028666620noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5062715488689627962.post-34207077971742141682007-06-11T08:35:00.000-07:002008-12-11T14:19:04.582-08:00SleepNOTE:Sanjiv, if by any chance you are reading this I need to get a hold of you. Send me an email. Traditionally when doctors go through residency they work 36hr shifts and put in 100 or more hours per week at the hospital. The idea is to train the mind to deal with stressful situations in extreme conditions. Sleep deprivation is used to accomplish this. It also benefits the hospital since when a James Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16077780436028666620noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5062715488689627962.post-35257082513926159972007-06-03T21:43:00.000-07:002008-12-11T14:19:06.049-08:00TechnologyI know, I know, I don't get a chance to write enough. I really do try, but we are working here a lot. I've literally been trying to finish this post since Sunday (its now Tuesday night...). I'm almost ready to go back to my day job at ACC now just to be able to get some rest. But since I can't do that yet, I think it is time to geek out for a bit and talk about all the cool technology we have James Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16077780436028666620noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5062715488689627962.post-24236977519631563612007-05-27T22:49:00.000-07:002008-12-11T14:19:07.795-08:00SensorsWow, just looked at the date and realized almost a week has passed since my last post. Sorry about that dear readers. Time really does fly here and there is so much to do. In the last week I've done a lot and gone on several EVA's. The weather for the last week has been uniformly beautiful. Highs near freezing (and a little above for yesterday and today), blue sky, unlimited visibility, and lightJames Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16077780436028666620noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5062715488689627962.post-34569931777565450532007-05-22T21:27:00.000-07:002008-12-11T14:19:10.767-08:00EVAI got to go out again today after three days in the Hab. One of the the three was our self imposed day of rest on Sunday, but we were also waiting for the weather to let up a bit. Since Saturday it has been blowing snow and winds that probably gusted to 30 knots and we measured at a sustained 20+ on several occasions. Although sometimes it was sunny and looked nice, as soon as you went out the James Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16077780436028666620noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5062715488689627962.post-74870729706649883252007-05-19T06:11:00.000-07:002007-05-19T06:16:52.825-07:00CamsJust so everyone here can be in the know, we got the webcams up yesterday.Here is the link: http://www.freemars.org/fmarscam/We may be moving them around a bit over the next few days so check back often for different views. Also expect special messages on the floating camera every once in a while. If the message confuses you feel free to ask for clarification in the comments.James Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16077780436028666620noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5062715488689627962.post-81434781663898408242007-05-17T20:59:00.000-07:002008-12-11T14:19:11.598-08:00SnowWell after the last dark post I would like to let everyone know that all is well. The last few days it has really gotten rolling. The weather is very unpredictable, but in all the trend in the temperature is up. Most of the day today it was sunny and warm (a balmy -10 Celsius or 14 Fahrenheit) so we were able to get a flight in with some more of our food, not that we are low, just that it was James Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16077780436028666620noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5062715488689627962.post-70515312316792922832007-05-13T23:42:00.000-07:002007-05-14T22:38:57.523-07:00DoubtSpecifically the "self" kind can be insidious, but is also part of our humanity. That humanity is the same thing that wants us to understand, explore, be creative, love, and have fun. The last couple of days I've had some of all those in one way or another. So I guess I'm human too. Big surprise, right? Well not to me. Although at times I've been accused of being arrogant (and I'm sure I have James Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16077780436028666620noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5062715488689627962.post-70550229989096273132007-05-11T05:45:00.000-07:002008-12-11T14:19:14.897-08:00CrewAs I mentioned in the note to my last post the FXI LDM crew is finally together! Wednesday night Kathy flew in and Paul left for his return to the real world. We are going to miss Paul. The man is a machine with ADD and a force of nature. Some how with very little in the way of materials and the help of most the crew who came early we were able to get the Hab livable and safe.Our plan is to startJames Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16077780436028666620noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5062715488689627962.post-9371802428839967952007-05-08T16:47:00.000-07:002007-05-10T00:35:23.994-07:00IT(Authors note: I actually started this post two nights ago, and intended to upload pics and everything. That didn't happen, so I need to get this out so I can write more tomorrow. Sorry Papa Geo only text this time... like you have time to read now anyway!)As you might be able to tell from the title I've moved back into my current element. This is in contrast to the last couple of weeks spent as James Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16077780436028666620noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5062715488689627962.post-29016699079381129952007-05-06T19:48:00.000-07:002008-12-11T14:19:16.371-08:00OutsideMatt and Paul outside yesterdayAfter the cold and wind yesterday it warmed up a bit today to -16 or so and the wind dropped back to a stately 7 knots. That meant we got to go outside to test some of the drilling equipment. Matt, Simon, and I went about 1.2 kilometers from the Hab to a place our science advisory geologist (the great and powerful Oz, Gordon Osinski, NSERC Visiting Fellow at the James Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16077780436028666620noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5062715488689627962.post-27756212195082220222007-05-04T22:17:00.000-07:002008-12-11T14:19:18.417-08:002007After almost two weeks visiting back in 1987, we have returned to 2007! Not that '87 was that bad, I graduated from high school and went to college for the first time. However the screaming 2400baud data rate we have been using for the past almost two weeks, just sucked. I had to remember technical stuff that was best forgotten, like AT commands and modem init strings. Enough of that subject... James Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16077780436028666620noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5062715488689627962.post-15812424567689788932007-05-02T19:15:00.000-07:002007-05-02T19:16:10.236-07:00ElectricityYesterday was a busy day. Most of the FMARS 11 LDM team arrived, minus Kathy who has stayed in Resolute to finish coordinating the final shipping. This is a bummer, but we have found that having a logistics support person in Resolute helps dramatically. Hopefully she can join us soon. In the meantime, have fun with the puppies Kathy! We also said goodbye to Jason, who left to go back home. James Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16077780436028666620noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5062715488689627962.post-51719790947088837312007-04-27T20:34:00.000-07:002007-04-27T20:40:36.385-07:00NetWhile writing this entry I’m trying to decide how much of the last few days is really important to relay. Since I’ve been disconnected from the ‘Net I’ve realized how important a communication medium it is. I just hope I still have any readers left. In fact, I may still not be the one actually posting this. Emily our crew alternate may actually be the one doing it, if she agrees. Right now we James Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16077780436028666620noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5062715488689627962.post-22105498087702116722007-04-22T04:41:00.000-07:002008-12-11T14:19:19.424-08:00GoIt looks like today is the day! After a couple of extra days in Res working on generators and coordinating parts orders we are scheduled for two more flights today. There may not be internet for a day or so... In the meantime here are a couple of pictures from the last few days:Paul gets a fuel filterRode hard and put up wetTuk TukPuppies!James Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16077780436028666620noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5062715488689627962.post-16362032015000806772007-04-19T05:35:00.000-07:002008-12-11T14:19:21.339-08:00DevonWe made it out to the Hab yesterday. We hitched a ride on one of the supply flights to try and get an idea of the challenges we are facing in getting the station ready for four months of habitation. It was a nice warm day by Arctic standards, about 20 Fahrenheit or -6 Celsius. My first ride on a DeHavilland Twin Otter was awesome.When we got to the station we were immediately challenged. All theJames Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16077780436028666620noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5062715488689627962.post-12911762392909490272007-04-17T11:19:00.000-07:002008-12-11T14:19:22.825-08:00WeatherWell today is mostly beautiful, mostly. Intermittent bouts of overcast and snow, but Polar Shelf says they are catching up on their behind flights. We should be able to go out to Devon for the day tomorrow. Since Paul and I are new to the Arctic Ozzie is sending us out with an Inuit guide to act as our advisor and teach us Arctic safety. Now its not like Paul is any slouch in this area, he has USJames Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16077780436028666620noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5062715488689627962.post-27125294241736577752007-04-15T17:02:00.000-07:002008-12-11T14:19:23.668-08:00StuffMan I got some readers today! Wonder what happened? Oh, one of my posts which I copied to the FMARS blog site got completely misinterpreted at NASA Watch. Thanks Keith! I'm sure you will post a correction once you figure out what I was actually saying. Given your anti-Mars Society slant, I won't hold my breath. Since you missed some of the things NASA is doing with TMS, look at this site for James Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16077780436028666620noreply@blogger.com8