Photo-of-the-day: "A Curious Astronaut"
Crew Photos – November 9th
Sol Summary – November 9th
Sol: 2
Summary Title: Rain on Mars???
Author’s name: Madison Rooth
Mission Status: Nominal
Sol Activity Summary: This morning our crew gathered around our kitchen table and discussed our EVA plans over a breakfast of coffee and Cliff bars. EVA Team 1, consisting of CO Crisman, XO Rooth, and MCA Murphy, headed out via rovers Curiosity and Perseverance to Kissing Camel Ridge on the East side at 0900 to sample the regolith for later analysis. Team 1 returned at 1200 and relaxed over a lunch of cheese and broccoli soup.
EVA Team 2 consisting of GHO Montanez, ENG Moga, and HSO Milne embarked for their EVA to the West side of Kissing Camel Ridge at 1300. However, though the wind started at 10 mph at EVA start, it increased to around 15 mph shortly after embarkation with light rain while on EVA, so Team 2 turned around per EVA Briefing and returned to Hab. They arrived back at base at 1340.
After this, the crew worked on individual research for the rest of the day.
Look Ahead Plan: Conduct EVA to West side of Kissing Camel Ridge for EVA Team 2
Anomalies in work: Poor weather lead to an aborted EVA
Weather: Windy with a little bit of rain
Crew Physical Status: All good, 1 minor abrasion during morning EVA
EVA: 2 to Kissing Camel Ridge, the second one was aborted after about 30 minutes
Reports to be filed: Operations Report, HSO report, Images for SOL 1 and SOL 2
Support Requested: None at this time
Operations Report – November 9th
Crew 239 Operations Report 9-11-2021
Name of person filing report: Aidan Moga
Non-nominal systems: toilet, generator
Action taken for non-nominal systems: Toilet continues to leak from fitting, the temporary solution of closing the valve has successfully reduced the water leakage. The generator is still down, so power is continued to be conserved. Due to the cloudy weather, the power was more rationed. As per Outpost’s request, the heating was turned off, along with all nonessential lights and unused crew suits. Additionally, all device charging was minimized, and rovers weren’t charged according to power-saving protocols.
Daily crew water use: 20 gallons
GreenHab water use: 4 gallons
Hab toilet tank emptied: Yes
Rovers used: Yes
Notes on rovers (report nominal or any anomalies): The ignition in Curiosity was loose, making it more difficult to start the rover during EVAs. Will do an engineering EVA tomorrow, in better weather.
Summary of Crew and Mission Support internet: Nominal
Summary of suits and radios: Nominal
Campus-wide inspection, if action is taken, what and why?: Nominal
Summary of general operations: The tunnel system was inspected
Summary of Hab operations: The Hab toilet tank was emptied.
Summary of GreenHab operations (note any harvested crops):
Temperature throughout Sol 2:
9:31 a.m. -> 70.4 degree F with 19% humidity
2:22 p.m. -> 71.1 degree F with 19% humidity
5:51 p.m. -> 67.3 degree F with 20% humidity
Hours of Supplemental Light:
From 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. for watering, transplanting, and cleaning the GreenHab
Time(s) of watering for crops: 6:00 p.m.
Narrative:
Organization and cleaning the GreenHab happened most of the day. I rearranged all the pots and placed them along with the watering cans and stakes on the front most shelf of the hab.
Harvested 0.75 lbs of rosemary
We plan on making either mozzarella rosemary bread or a rosemary garlic butter
Transplanted the mint and rosemary plants from the herb bed to the hanging pots closest to the blue tank. Since these plants are known to ‘take over’ a garden, it is best to separate these plants into their own pots for better control.
All the zucchini’s have a disease on the leaves that cannot be identified. Need assistance on how to handle this (images attached to this email).
The crew measured the blue tank to figure out how much liquid it can hold and calculated it to be ~242 gallons. We figured it out by measuring the volume of a dodecagon cylinder.
Support/ Supplied Needed: Would it be possible to have a type of manure?
Summary of ScienceDome operations: Nominal
Summary of RAM operations: Nominal
Summary of any observatory issues: NA
Summary of health and safety issues: HSO report filed
Questions, concerns, supplies needed, and requests:
The crew is requesting some waste removal. Burnable and non-burnable waste was placed in the rear airlock. Additionally, the oil change receipt was put in the airlock.
Journalist Report – November 9th
Journalist Report 09 Nov 2021
By Madison Rooth and Brian Murphy
MDRS Crew 239 Sol 2 (11/09/2021):
We began our morning with a breakfast of water, coffee, and Cliff bars while preparing for our EVA at 0900. The crew studied our Martian Map and began suiting up for EVA Team 1 to embark on their mission. CO Crisman led the EVA, and XO Rooth and MCA Murphy joined with goals of geologic sampling and rover training.
We had a very productive EVA with samplings of sediments, marble, and local regolith to analyze later. MCA Murphy is excited to analyze the grain types in the regolith for their compatibility in clay pottery.
Upon Team 1’s return around 1200, the crew shared a meal of broccoli and cheddar soup with rice.
Then, Team 2, consisting of GHO Montanez, ENG Moga, and HSO Milne, suited up to begin their EVA to the West side of Kissing Camel Ridge. At this time, however, dark clouds were appearing on the horizon, but the wind was still holding steady at 10 mph. CO Crisman informed EVA Team 2 Lead GHO Montanez that if the wind speeds faster than this, to turn around and return to Hab. About half an hour after leaving, MDRS Director Dr. Shannon Rupert contacted the Hab Support Team and informed them of the dangerous weather situation.
However, EVA Team 2 was already out of the radio contact perimeter. Luckily, according to the team briefing earlier, with the winds now speeding at around 15 mph, EVA Team 2 had already begun to return to Hab and safely arrived only at 1330.
While this is a disappointing setback, as Team 2 was excited to explore the rocky Martian terrain, we are preparing to reschedule their EVA to the following morning when the weather will (hopefully) be more cooperative with human exploration of the Red Planet. The safety of our crew must always come first.
When Team 2 returned, the crew worked on individual research projects. GHO Montanez trekked through the Hab Tunnels to the Green House to care for the plants. ENG Moga and HSO Milne worked to ensure a safe and comfortable Hab environment, while XO Rooth and MCA Murphy worked with sediment samples.
Since the generator is still misbehaving, the Hab, unfortunately, does not have power (including heat!!), but this does not discourage our astronauts from putting their best boot forward in this dusty terrain. The crew worked until dinnertime, where GHO Montanez and HSO Milne prepared a dinner of Au Gratin potatoes and meat from the food resupply probe, delivered in the evening.
All in all, Crew 239 continues to push humanity further (and farther) than it has gone before and is looking forward to the following Sol when the Martian atmosphere will not be as harsh.
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