Science and Exploration

Update from Camp II: Resting, Science, and Photography

By Keith Cowing

May 24, 2013

Filed under OnOrbit

Keith Cowing: I just spoke with Scott at Camp II by radio (precise location sent via SPOT). He sounds cheerful, rested — and excited. Scott is currently on a rest day before tomorrow’s push to Camp III – but he is not just “resting”.

Today Scott completed a panoramic scan of the view from Camp II using my Gigapan camera rig – a panorama that we think may be among the highest (if not THE highest) ever taken on Earth (6,500 m – 21,300 ft).

Gigapan Unit in operation at Camp II

Scott also took UV level readings with the Jaz spectrophotometer loaned to us by Ocean Optics via NASA Ames Research Center. Simultaneously, Scott exposed a set of DNA samples to the full force of the high altitude sun as part of a collaborative project with Dr. Lynn Rothschild at NASA Ames.

Scott then began a systematic survey of the region for potential habitats for endoliths and deployed a series of iButton data loggers as part of a collaborative effort with Dr. Chris McKay, also at NASA Ames Research Center.

Tomorrow: Camp III.