Dr. Sheri Wells-Jensen conducting an EVA in the Mars yard at SAM, Biosphere 2

Dr. Jensen has completed a sample return EVA while wearing a fully pressurized space suit. As a woman who is blind, she relies heavily on audio cues to navigate the world. But when in the pressure suit, the sound of the air moving from the umbilical into her helmet drowns all but the radio communications, making it nearly impossible to hear the crunch of the basalt beneath her boots, or the tap of her cane against the rocks. She must rely entirely on tactile feedback, and did so expertly.

Sheri has concluded what just might be a world-first. The smile on her face says it all.