Crew 202 Sol Summary Report / Commander Report 31-Dec-2018
Sol: 2
Summary Title: So it begins..
Author’s name: Cesare Guariniello
Mission Status: The crew is now in full simulation. We are on Mars, though it looks like we landed somewhere close to the polar cap!
Sol Activity Summary: What an exciting day here! We woke up to an unexpected 2 inches of fresh snow, in a winter wonderland. Since we still had to complete our training with Rover driving and EVA suits training, we were not in simulation yet, so we could sweep and shovel the tunnels, the front porch, and the solar panels without wearing suits. The Rover training got all of us slightly cold, so we decided to get back in the habitat and enjoy some hot chicken noodle soup before completing the training. In the afternoon, we finally celebrated the beginning of our simulation, which started immediately with two short EVAs that gave every crew member a chance to experience how driving and hiking in a heavy suit feels.
What a great feeling for me to be back into my space suit. I am also lucky because the two-piece suit fits me perfectly! But the top for me today was to look at my crew mates during the airlock pressurization, and outside in the field: in their eyes and their enthusiasm I saw a reflection not only of me last year, during my first experience in EVA, but also the same joy that I feel this year. It is good to be here, and it is great to see a completely different face of Mars, an icy and snowy face. But the cold did not stop us, each member of the crew has aspirations to go to space or to help our effort to reach Mars, and some discomfort is a small price to pay in exchange for being a part of this!
Look Ahead Plan: Due to the large amount of snow, we will not attempt any EVA tomorrow (except for engineering EVA to keep our front porch clean of snow), and we will spend an amazing New Year’s Day getting to explore our home for the next two weeks. We will start a few outreach and crew conditioning projects, and enjoy the day on Mars!
Anomalies in work: None
Weather: cold, with some snow precipitation during the day
Crew Physical Status: In perfect health, and all EVA-tested
EVA: Two short EVAs to Marble Ritual, to get the crew used to EVA protocols, communication protocols, and the joys and pains of activity in a space suit.
Reports to be filed: Sol Summary, Operations Report, Greenhab Report, Two EVA Reports, Journalist Report
Support Requested: None
Cesare
Commander, MDRS 202