Month: May 2018

[tittle Journalist Report – May 22]

MDRS Crew 195
Sol 2

Dubbed Nerd Day, our EVA centred around finding evidence of life on Mars using the drone. It was a longer ride on the quads and buggies (gee life is tough) and a few short strolls up and down the gentle hills en route.

Even with the wind picking up and a spattering of Martian rain, the drone buzzed about, up and down the wash and sticky-beaking on the crew. Hey "Lead", do you ever get that feeling you’re being watched?

We’ve said goodbye to one crew member today and will gain more on the resup ship. Afternoon downtime was filled with a bit of reading, electronic Chess games, snoozing, exercise in the Engineering tunnel, trading "war stories" and rehydrating freeze dried blueberries with orange Gatorade. As you do.

For tonight’s entertainment: The Martian. Most of us have seen it before but this time it will be with new eyes. Freshly ultrasound gelled eyes.

MDRS Crew 195
May 21, 2018

It’s hard to settle into a routine when you’re mostly doing non-routine things. Lessons over breakfast, big pots of coffee, shared cleaning and cooking duties, yeah, mostly routine. Sleeping in a cupboard, clambering up and down a steep ladder with gnarly teeth, fitting your fishbowl helmet and ventilation backpack while your mate radio checks to Nav, then jiggling around for a few minutes in a rather snug airlock to prebreath prior to an EVA on Mars to check Comms relays? Decidedly not routine. Until now.

Lunch is followed by more aerospace medicine lessons to fuel our curiosity and prove there are no mundane career paths for this group! So three grown men CAN change out of flight suits into dry-suits in a landing capsule about as spacious as the back seat of a VW Beetle. The mind boggles.

Here’s hoping the heavens are clear for a glimpse of the ISS overhead tonight.

More role plays tomorrow. Whose turn to shine in the next total action patient drama? Break a leg! Oh wait, we’ve done that one.

[end]

MDRS Crew 195
May 21, 2018

It’s hard to settle into a routine when you’re mostly doing non-routine things. Lessons over breakfast, big pots of coffee, shared cleaning and cooking duties, yeah, mostly routine. Sleeping in a cupboard, clambering up and down a steep ladder with gnarly teeth, fitting your fishbowl helmet and ventilation backpack while your mate radio checks to Nav, then jiggling around for a few minutes in a rather snug airlock to prebreath prior to an EVA on Mars to check Comms relays? Decidedly not routine. Until now.

“Distance” team were given the task today of taking a quad and an electric buggy out to a few sites for a “can you hear me? check”. Not the technical term of course. But alas we were sabotaged with some coordinates cunningly chosen to delay our efforts and our return to the “Peak” team who played radio relay with Base. Time was running out to get back. Oh and just in case “Distance Nav” wasn’t already occupied enough, her Russian speaking prowess was called upon to translate and respond to a few relayed messages from Base. No sweat, all in a day’s work. Or two hour EVA.

“Peak” team, as the name suggests, had climbed to high ground, making for a cool photo op of “Peak Comms” as he perched on near the rocky outcrop, but also gave “Peak Nav” his chance to one-up the problem caused by “Geo’s” suit tear yesterday. He took a tumble and rather than a simple knee sprain, thought it might be a fun challenge to fracture his femur. And pelvis. And bust his suit. But wait! There’s still more! It’s on the side of a scree covered steep hill. I’ll take the steak knives,instead thanks.

“Medic” called ahead for an emergency repress, some splints and a bit of extra advice. Base came to the party with medical supplies, Ultrasound investigation, an instantaneous cure and chicken pot pie.

Lunch is followed by more aerospace medicine lessons to fuel our curiosity and prove there are no mundane career paths for this group! So three grown men CAN change out of flight suits into dry-suits in a landing capsule about as spacious as the back seat of a VW Beetle. The mind boggles.

Here’s hoping the heavens are clear for a glimpse of the ISS overhead tonight.

More role plays tomorrow. Whose turn to shine in the next total action patient drama? Break a leg! Oh wait, we’ve done that one.