Off to Portugal

Portugal is not yet another feature of ASH1, e.g. a new den or a new channel.
Portugal in the context I use it now is a political administrative region of planet earth.
This is where I go for a little bit more than a week.
I have to leave the crew alone now, even though the times are difficult.

They should be fine without me. Antworks(R) say you only have to lift the lid once a week or so to keep them happy.
So I will give them an extra portion of oxygen befor I go.

Sorry there will be no status report this week. Picturs of the week will be posted when I am back.

Mausoleum Of Zacatón (RRR.III.PPP.)

Three more ants have died.

Zacatón Den is desintegrating slowly. I think they ran out of oxygen.

Unease in the Coruisk System

Meanwhile, whilst Zacatón Den is literally breaking away, ants created another connection from the Vietcong to Highway 1.
Yes, another bonk and at least some progress.
But this new passage has cut off C2 (the tunnel below Highway 1) from the rest of the Coruisk system, leaving another ant trapped.

Strange Transformation

Strange things are going on. Just look at the pictures!

I have no explanation why this can happen.

First somebody seems to carry gel rubble in order to obstruct the passage from Vietcong to Zacatón Den.

Then slowly these deposits seem to melt back to pure gel, cutting off the cave from the rest of the world, virtually leaving 3 ants trapped in an enclave.

And yes, there is a black bar on the very right picture: One of those ants most likely has already become a victim of this scary new development.

R.I.P.

Another ant has died.

Unfortunately.

That is very sad, indeed.

Pictures of the Week 03 (Expedition I)

Expedition I Weekly Status Report (Week 03 - 09/03/07->15/03/07)

STATUS REPORT
Date Released: Sunday, 18th March 2007
Source: Space Ants Blog
Current crew: Expedition I, ~23 members

The crew is in a stable condition.

This weeks highlight was the connection of a side arm in the Birnie system with Highway 1, which resulted into the creation of Avenida General Paz.

There was a security issue with one member who managed to escape the habitat via an air-hole. It was recaptured quickly and was safely brought back.
In the light of this incident, security measures have been reviewed and tightened. A fact-finding committee has been nominated.

Unfortunately, three heroes died this week whilst on duty. They were heroes.

The next status report will be issued in a weeks time.

For more about the crew's activities and habitat sighting opportunities, visit:
http://www.spaceants.blogspot.com

RRR.III.PPP.

Three ants died.

I do not want to go into details out of respect for relatives and friends.

Such this one: They died like Alexis Zorbas: Upright. With their fingernails clung into the windowsill. Well, sort of.

Another Bonk

When you just think it will not happen anymore, it happens: we have another Bonk.

The left arm which outgrew from the looping which once so elegantly created the connection between Loch Ard and Birnie Loch, finally bumped into Highway 1, and therefore brought to existence the habitat's third channel, which shall be named Avenida General Paz.

Well done, team!

Cenote Zacatón

I myself didn't believe it anymore, but there is some progress on the building sites. It is very slow though and humble when compared with the rush during the early days. Those times are history now, but it is good to see there is no complete standstill.

The crew shoveled a nice hole on the floor of Zacatón Den. This dip is now the most abyssal geological feature of ASH-1, and will be therefore - not surprisingly - named Cenote Zacatón, which is - as already explained here - the deepest sinkhole in the world, ever.