Month: May 2022

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Crew 265 EVA Report May 2nd

Crew 265 EVA Report 02-05-2022

EVA # 7

Author: Laude

Purpose of EVA: To conduct remote communications project testing.

Start time: 12:00

End time: 16:20

Narrative: We left Percy at the junction of Lith Canyon and Cow Dung Roads as it was down in charge more than Spirit and Curri and then proceeded to the Green Mars View overlook for radio testing. Just several plants were along the wheel tracks. The ground below us where the Muddy River runs was thick with vegetation from the creek up to the base of the escarpments. We then traveled back passing Percy to end up on rover to near the end of Lith Canyon Rd. We hiked about for a couple hours with variations in elevation for more radio testing. All prescribed radio tests were completed and then we headed back to the hab picking up Percy on the way.

Destination: Green Mars View. Lith Canyon area.

Coordinates (use UTM NAD27 CONUS): (4256658 N, 520662 E). (4256474 N, 518949 E) .

Participants: Laude (EVA Commander) Sergii Iakmov (Engineer) Benny Blanco (Comm Tech)

Road(s) and routes per MDRS Map: To Green Mars View at Cow Dung Rd north end then back track to Lith Canyon Rd 1106 and park at west end to proceed on foot in canyon area at various elevations for comms checking.

Mode of travel: Rovers and Walking

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Crew 265 Operations Report May 2nd

Crew 265 Operations Report 2 MAY 2022
SOL: 8
Name of person filing report: Dave Laude/Sergii Iakymov

Non-nominal systems: Furnace. Room#2 door knob. Percy left rear tail light non-functional, but brake lights working.

Notes on non-nominal systems: Furnace is functional and we remain cautious over limiting to early morning only. Infrequently used now. Door knob feels like it’s about to fail.

ROVERS

Spirit rover used: Yes

Hours: 178.2

Beginning charge: 100

Ending charge: 75

Currently charging: No

Opportunity rover used: No

Hours: 97.0

Beginning charge: 100

Ending charge: 100

Currently charging: Unknown

Curiosity rover used: Yes

Hours: 189.2

Beginning charge: 100

Ending charge: 70

Currently charging: No

Perseverance rover used: Yes

Hours: 238.1

Beginning charge: 100

Ending charge: 62

Currently charging: No

General notes and comments:

Summary of Hab operations:

WATER USE:
Water (static tank): Not full. ~235 gallons.
Water (loft tank): 55 gallons
Water Meter: 158244.9 units

Static to Loft Pump used – Yes
Static tank pipe heater (on or off): Off
Static tank heater (On or off): Off
Toilet tank emptied: No

Summary of internet: Nominal

Summary of suits and radios: Batteries charging. Suit 10 now has a new battery (tested 6.2 A-Hr). We are finished checking for problems and repairing all suits and chargers although we are short one working charger. We opened it up and it needs a replacement 10uF/25V cap we don’t have.

I want to elaborate on yestersols comments I made:
Notes for Scott Davis re. one-piece suits from Dave Laude (5’9" 134 lbs small frame). I have used them about 8 times and like them. There are a few improvements in my mind that would make them fantastic for me:
1-Some of us want to carry the bulk of the weight on our waist as the shoulders get sore otherwise. The straps have a limited capacity to do so I found because the "overhang" part of the suit above the shoulders contacts the shoulders when attempting to transfer much of the weight to the waist by loosening shoulder straps. Suggest an arch be cut above the shoulders. Note that the waist belt is tight.
2-There is too much transparent area in the helmet allowing too much hot sun on the top of the head where there are no eyes. Consider making top opaque.
3-Suggest you use barrel connectors for charger port as we discussed before. More reliable and much easier to plug and unplug. I suppose easy could result in accidental pull out, but astronauts should be able to manage it.
4-Please consider adding padding on the inside sides of helmets like on the backside. What happens in rovers on rough road spots is the rover will swing side-to-side throwing one’s head into the helmet hard sides. Extremely annoying and brain rattling.

Summary of GreenHab operations: NA

WATER USE: N/A

Heater: N/A

Supplemental light: N/A

Harvest: None

Summary of ScienceDome operations: Not used.

Dual split: Heat or AC, On or Off

Summary of RAM operations: None

Summary of any observatory issues: NA

Summary of health and safety issues: Per HSO report all crew members are feeling good and can participate in EVA.

Questions, concerns and requests to Mission Support: Per our calculation the water meter is pretty accurate. The meter is only 2.5% off on its readings from our calculated water usage. More on our "calculations" tomorrow.

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Crew 265 Sol Summary May 2nd

Crew 265 Sol Summary 02-05-2022

Sol: 8

Summary Title: Mars Green View

Author’s Name: Marc Levesque, Crew Commander

Mission Status: Nominal

Sol Activity Summary:

The crew completed another successful communications project test during an EVA to Mars Green View and the Lith Canyon Road area. XO Laude with crew members Iakymov, Blanco, and Licea rode out to the end of Cow Dung Road for a short walk at Green Mars View and then drove back to the end of Lith Canyon Road and walked to the north, conducting radio checks throughout their EVA. Back at the Hab, it was pretty quiet, with only video editing for the social media project.

Look Ahead Plan: One EVA is planned for tomorrow and continued activity on mission projects.

Anomalies in work: None

Crew Physical Status: Good

EVA: None

Reports to be filed:

Sol Summary

Operations Report

HSO Report

Crew Journalist

EVA Request

EVA Report

Pictures and Picture of the Day

Support Requested: None

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Crew 265 Journalist Report May 2nd

Crew 265 Journalist Report

May 2, 2022

Sol: 08

Summary Title: Not all who wander are lost…

Author: Sarah Treadwell, Crew Journalist

Sol 08 brought us another beautiful day with another long EVA. These EVA’s last about 4-5 hours and they are quite tiring. Today Commander Marc and I stayed back, while the rest of the crew went out to push the limits again of how far the radio systems will go. They also continue to test the maps and maps to check how accurate they are. Commander Marc explained to me the GPS units and showed the amount of satellites they pick up at any given time and, frankly, it is incredible. May this serve as a reminder how space exploration helps humanity.

While the crew was out, back on base the commander and I spent the day recharging our mental batteries and doing our own personal projects. I have become extremely fond of doing video editing and writing work in the science dome. I have also discovered that the acoustics in that dome are so much fun, and I spend far too much time singing and being silly. Frankly, being here and staying back is the much needed respite I have required for quite some time.

I also prepared the much anticipated and always talked about “Mars pizza” while they were away. Luckily for the crew, one of my specialties is bread making so we had amazing pizza, with a crust that was perfection, and with zero hopes for any leftovers. Making food for others is quite satisfying for me and the added challenge of dehydrated food makes it just a little bit more rewarding.

I know my reports are getting a bit repetitive, but in reality, this is what our days are like. The simple rhythm and routines are flying by and there are equal parts of me that want to be back home, but also want this peaceful simplicity to continue. I am sure my fellow crew members also feel the same way, especially as they enjoy trekking in the outside world, despite the hardships. A fellow expedition member, on my trek to base camp 1 on Mount Everest, said this to me so succinctly, “Often, the most difficult things to endure make the most beautiful memories.” I know there will be a lot to process about this experience upon my return. I end with, not a space quote, but a very notable and personal one to me nonetheless.

“All that is gold does not glitter,

Not all those who wander are lost;

The old that is strong does not wither,

Deep roots are not reached by the frost.

― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

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Supplemental Operations Report May 2nd

Supplemental Operations Report 1 May 2022

Name of person filing report: Shannon Rupert

Reason for Report: Routine

Non-nominal systems: Nothing to report

Action taken for non-nominal systems: nothing to report

Generator: Still being manually run at night

ScienceDome Dual Split: Off

Solar—Charge controllers off at night

Solar— Nominal

Notes on power system: Nothing to report

Propane Reading, station tank – 75 %

Propane Reading, director tank— 82 %

Propane Reading, intern tank— 70 %

Propane Reading, generator—70 %

Ethanol Free Gasoline – 0 gallons.

Water (Outpost tank) – 500 gallons

Sojourner rover used: yes
Hours: 168.8
Beginning charge: 100
Ending charge: 88, now 100
Currently charging: yes

Notes on rovers: Nothing to report

ATV’s Used: (Honda, 350.1, 350.2, 300): none

Reason for use: n/a

Oil Added? No.

ATV Fuel Used: 0 gallons
# Hours the ATVs were Used: 0 hours

Notes on ATVs: Nothing to report

HabCar used and why, where? No

CrewCar used and why, where? Yes, to town. The car has power steering fluid above the fill line but I don’t know what the other marks are on the dipstick so I haven’t added any. Car continues to intermittently lose power steering and still has the noise in what I think is the front driver’s side. I did learn that power steering fluid is clear and can get old, so I ordered a pump to change it before I add any.

Luna used and why, where? No, waiting until next weekend to work on tire pressure due to crew in sim

Campus wide inspection, if action taken, what and why? Nothing to report

General notes and comments: Nothing to report

Summary of general operations: Nothing to report

Summary of internet: Nothing to report

Summary of suits and radios: This season, due to COVID, we gave each crewmember a Ziploc baggie with a cleaning cloth and headset for the radios and throughout the season we only lost two older headsets due to non-function. In past years, when the crew used whatever headset they wanted, we replaced at least a dozen headsets each season. In addition, we also had to replace radios and this season, even though none of them were new, we have not had to replace a single radio!

Summary of Hab operations: Nothing to report

Summary of Outpost operations: I have the new pump and hose and I will install it in the water tank sometime this week. Currently I am pumping water directly out of the HabCar tank. I replaced some of the fence but am still working on it. I would like to find a better way to hold the fence up where the hardpan stops the t-posts before they are sturdy enough for the panels.
Summary of GreenHab operations: Nothing to report

Summary of ScienceDome operations: Nothing to report

Summary of RAM operations: Nothing to report

Summary of any observatory issues: Nothing to report

Summary of health and safety issues: Nothing to report

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Operations Report – May 1st

SOL: 7
Name of person filing report: Dave Laude/Sergii Iakymov
Non-nominal systems: Furnace. Room#2 door knob. Percy left rear tail light non-functional, but brake lights are working.
Notes on non-nominal systems: Furnace is functional and we remain cautious over limiting to early morning only. Infrequently used now. Door knob feels like it’s about to fail.

ROVERS
Spirit rover used: No
Hours: 176.3
Beginning charge: 100
Ending charge: 61
Currently charging: Yes

Opportunity rover used: No
Hours: 97.0
Beginning charge: 100
Ending charge: 100
Currently charging: Yes

Curiosity rover used: No
Hours: 187.3
Beginning charge: 100
Ending charge: 59
Currently charging: Yes

Perseverance rover used: No
Hours: 238.0
Beginning charge: 100
Ending charge: 100
Currently charging: Yes

General notes and comments:

Summary of Hab operations:

WATER USE:

Water (static tank): Not full. 270 gallons.

Water (loft tank): 37 gallons
Water Meter: 158228.5 units

Static to Loft Pump used – Yes
Static tank pipe heater (on or off): Off
Static tank heater (On or off): Off
Toilet tank emptied: Yes

Summary of internet: Nominal

Summary of suits and radios: Batteries charging. Suit 10 battery was at 2AHr (new is 7AHr) and so will be replaced with a new battery currently testing. This will leave 5 new battery replacements in inventory.

A note for Scott Davis re. one-piece suit from Dave Laude. I have used it about 8 times and like it. There are a few improvements in my mind that would make them fantastic for me:
1-Some of us want to carry the bulk of the weight on our waist as the shoulders get sore otherwise. The straps have a limited capacity to do so I found because the "overhang" part of the suit above the shoulders contacts the shoulders when attempting to transfer much of the weight to the waist by loosening shoulder straps. Suggest an arch be cut above the shoulders. Note that the waist belt is tight.
2-There is too much transparent area in the helmet allowing too much hot sun on the top of the head where there are no eyes. Consider making the top opaque.
3-Use barrel connectors for the charger port as we discussed before. More reliable and much easier to plug and unplug. I suppose it could easily result in accidental pull out, but astronauts should be able to manage it.

Summary of GreenHab operations: NA

WATER USE: N/A

Heater: N/A

Supplemental light: N/A

Harvest: None

Summary of ScienceDome operations: Not used.

Dual split: Heat or AC, On or Off

Summary of RAM operations: None

Summary of any observatory issues: NA

Summary of health and safety issues: Per HSO report all crew members are feeling good and can participate in EVA.

Questions, concerns and requests to Mission Support: N/a

Posted on

Sol Summary – May 1st

Crew 265 Sol Summary Report 01-05-2022

Sol: 7

Summary Title: Rest Day

Author’s Name: Marc Levesque, Crew Commander

Mission Status: Nominal

Sol Activity Summary:

Our crew took a well-deserved day off from outside activities and projects. Some personal time, sharing pictures and videos of our past experiences, and some mid-mission station cleaning were the chief activities of the sol. In the evening we had a dinner of baked potatoes, also known as Watneys, while watching The Martian. All in all, it was a good down day.

Look Ahead Plan: One EVA is planned for tomorrow along with continuing all mission projects.

Anomalies in work: None

Crew Physical Status: Good.

EVA: None

Reports to be filed:

Sol Summary

Operations Report

HSO Report

Crew Journalist

EVA Request

Pictures and Picture of the Day

Support Requested: None

Posted on

Journalist Report – May 1st

Crew 265 Journalist Report, April 30, 2022

Sol: 07

Summary Title: A Day of Rest

Author: Sarah Treadwell, Crew Journalist

Today was our first day where all the crew stayed hab bound for the entire day. Personally, even though the day was filled with less activity, it still seemed to pass by quickly. Most of us slept in and then took showers, a luxury around these parts in order to conserve water.

We spent our day cleaning and sharing videos and memories from other experiences. Commander Marc spent some time at a research base in the South Pole and shared photos from that expedition. It is obvious this was a significant experience for him and he does not tire of sharing the stories of his time spent there. If you ever get a chance to meet him, ask him about the 300 club.

We are now prepping for dinner and a movie, a meal that is nicknamed “The Watney ” which is baked potatoes that Commander Marc brought with him. I suppose you can take a wild guess at what movie we are watching while we eat it. Executive Officer Dave shared a favorite show and an antique radio that he collected while we waited for them to bake.

Everyone else continued with their own projects and personal studies today. I was able to capture some extra interview questions with the Commander, one of which is a simple explanation of the radio system and how it is being upgraded. We then had a chance to have a one on one talk for a bit about lessons learned from the past and how to apply it into the future.

He asked me what I have noticed about myself in this experience thus far, and it made me want to end this report by sharing what I personally have noticed. I have learned that in an environment such as this, my insecurities and imposter syndrome feelings become a bit more amplified. I know so many others struggle with this and I wanted to share that I feel it often as well. But instead of believing that little voice that tells me I’m not enough, I think about the challenges I have overcome, the amount of work I have put into myself, and the example I am setting for my children. They will likely never read this report, but I hope I will make them proud.

“Every one of us is, in the cosmic perspective, precious. If a human disagrees with you, let him live. In a hundred billion galaxies, you will not find another.“ – Carl Sagan

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