Mission Plan – April 11th

Crew 245 Mission Plan 11th April 2022

SOL: 01
Name of person filing report: Vittorio Netti

The SMOPS crew has 13 experiments, both passive and active, mainly focused on crew monitoring and support. They are divided into four main categories: crew health, space suits and monitoring, space support technology, and planetary science. For the first category, Benjamin Pothier (crew journalist) will make use of electroencephalography to observe the changes in his brain during meditation sessions and we will perform a spit test for cortisol measurement to estimate two crew members’ stress levels before and after an EVA (PI: Nadia Maarouf, HSO). In the second category, crew gear (prototype flight suit and boots) and wearable sensors will be tested to monitor the movements of crew members during EVAs (PI: Paolo Guardabasso, XO), and each crew member will also wear an undergarment for continuous monitoring (PI: Nadia). We will also test some technologies that will support astronaut activities in future missions, such as purification of air from bacteria and satellite communication (PI: Luca Rossettini, crew engineer), 3D scanning of station modules and geological features (PI: Benjamin), 3D Printing of tools and drone flight (PI: Vittorio Netti, commander). Last but not least, we’ll take advantage of the geological analogy between MDRS site and Mars, collecting samples in search of micrometeorites and DNA traces (PI: Simone Paternostro, crew scientist).

This challenging list of experiments will require intensive EVAs, with the following main objectives: 3D Scan of MDRS modules and of geological features around the MDRS site; test of 3D printed objects in sample collection and other operations; drone flight to search for interesting geological features; test of shoes, flight suits, lower suit, helmet for ergonomy on different terrains and record data with wearables; sample collection (10 to 30 locations) for micrometeoroids and DNA samples. 1 EVA walking in the area around Hab (4 locs), 1 South (4 locs), 1 East (4 locs), 1 West (4-8 locs); antenna assembly and maintenance.

Throughout the mission we will also perform outreach and filming activities: Benjamin is currently working on a documentary on analogue missions and he will film the crew performing operations with cameras and drones; there will be an attempt to leave a camera outside during an EVA and leave it on overnight for a sky timelapse. We will also take time to acknowledge our sponsors.

Commander, out

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