Today is our 7th day. During certain time of my life I had practiced open water swimming. I did some crossing spending more than 3 or 4 hours. Then, my feeling about this mission in MDRS, I would compare as a sea crossing when you are swimming, and also at same time, start to do some statistics in your mind, about how many percent have you swum. In both situations, your mind just to be fine. In our case, in our crossing, the main issue is to keep the good relationship, kindness and respect with each other. Now I’m looking our days here.
| Sunday |
Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
Saturday |
| 4 |
| 5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
| 12 |
13 |
14 |
15 |
16 |
17 |
18 |
Something that would be annoying in the space missions is be part of an experiment, or to be compelled to be a subject in a research. This is related when We need to eat some kinds of food or use some kinds of specific products. I can imagine what the astronauts as Scott Kelly, in the International Space Station, would need to deal with it. But, I understand that is all about a “good” cause. If you see, all of us are being a part of a great experiment just agreed by us, with our consent. It is part of a movement to a broader new scientific results.
Yesterday I tried to manage the data space in my computer. It almost full and I need to delete some content and have more space. The mission in MDRS just have had generated a lot of content of photos and videos, hard to process all these data.
In the 7th day I’m just considering MDRS as my home. I like good and bad things here. I just prepared my entire life to this, just traveling to far and urban places, sharing rooms in hostels and visiting different desert areas. I love the landscape in Hanksville.
7h – 8h20m – I did 80 minutes of the exercise. I just walked 8 km or 5 miles. The temperature was -1oC. Watching the second episode of the National Geographic miniserie Mars the crew of Dedalus need to walk in Mars surface after de vehicle broke. The cold would be a high threat to the crew exposed to Extravehicular Activities.
9h40m – Breakfast. Carmen is taking the weight of everyone for her research. Bad news for me: I’m weighing two kilos more. When you travel to space, your body is affected by different ways. So, my diet and exercises here is not helping to loose weight. Good to know just in the middle of the mission and try to adopt new behaviors here. Because of that, is so important keep the control of the different health indicators of an astronaut. I need to be fine with myself and guide the crewmates.
10h25m – The EVA Briefing: Brandon Ferguson, Crew geologist and EVA Lead, proposed some guidelines to communication in ExtraVehicular Activities (EVA). He recommended the use of the Phonetic Alphabet, as can been seen in the next Chart.
Chart 1 – Phonetic Alphabet
| A – Alfa |
H – Hotel |
O – Oscar |
V – Victor |
| B – Bravo |
I – India |
P – Papa |
W – Whiskey |
| C – Charlie |
J – Juliet |
Q – Quebec |
X – X-Ray |
| D – Delta |
K – Kilo |
R – Romeo |
Y – Yankee |
| E – Echo |
L – Lima |
S – Sierra |
Z – Zulu |
| F – Foxtrot |
M – Mike |
T – Tango |
| G – Golf |
N – November |
U – Uniform |
Was also proposed some voice procedures to be used in the EVA, as can be seen in the next Chart.
Chart 2 – Voice Procedures in MDRS EVAs
| – Affirmative / Affirm = Yes
– Negative = No
– Niner = The Number Nine
– Out = I’ve finished talking to you and do not expect a reply
– Over = I’ve finished talking to you and listening for your reply
– Roger – “I’ve received all of the last transmission”
– Say Again – Repeat
– Wait, over – I don’t have the answer or information on hand. I will attempt to find it, until then, I’ve finished talking and do not expect a reply
– Wilco – will comply (after receiving new directions) |
10h40m – EVA with Brandon, Camila and Carmen.
11h – I’m aboard of the Hab. I’m and Atila are supporting Brandon, Camila and Carmen in their EVA. During this time I will try to update my writings. But is no easy. There’s no free time here.
12h – End of the EVA.
14h – Lunch. We recycled beans prepared 2 days ago adding rice and frying everything.
14h30m – I received the information that the interview in
15h – Preparation of commander report.
15h50m – I walked more 40 minutes, 5,7 km or 3,5 miles. At total today, I walked 13,7 km or 8,5 miles.
18h – We debated about how to save water. In the Chart 3 is presented some guidelines.
Chart 3 – Guidelines to Save Water
| 1 – Communication and Education about save water;
2 – Use body wipes only for shower (unless you have a long hair);
3 – Harvest all dishwashing and cooking water;
Dishwasher => Graywater +> poop
Cookwater => reuse for cooking/redytrating food
4 – Redytrating water:
– reuse for more redytrating or
– grywater
5 – For dishwashing, limit water output to lowest possible setting;
6 – use personal mug;
7 – use of paper towels and wipes to clean up dishes;
8 – Try to let almost possible clean the dish after the meals;
9 – Be quickly when press the flush mechanism;
10 – Don’t shave the beard everyday;
11 – Don’t take a shower everyday;
12 – Not change the clothes everyday.
13 – Storage used water to reuse.
14 – Create recipients to collect water with recycled water bottles, as water cases of 2,5 galons.
15 – Use of hand sanitizer to clean up hand. |
I consider the Guidelines to Save Water an important contribution of the mission 182 to MDRS. Our proposition about it is connected with Sustainable Development (SDG) 6: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all implies. One important topic to MDRS improvements would be invest in a system of water reuse. In International Space Station (ISS) all the water is reused as closed system. MDRS would also like this. An important guideline is have the control about how much water is been used and how much sewage is been generated.
Tomorrow We will be discussing how the activities developed in MDRS would contributes to the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) were approved in September 2015 during the Sustainable Development Summit, when it was discussed and approved by the United Nations General Assembly in New York. 193 countries signed the document. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) are composed of 17 aims and 169 goals to be achieved by 2030.
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