Crew Photos – January 3rd
Sol Summary – January 3rd
Sol: 2
Summary Title: Sim Commences
Author’s name: Kshitij Mall
Mission Status: Nominal
Sol Activity Summary: The crew completed the final leg of the training starting at 1000 after completing the daily exercises and breakfast routine. After completing the necessary rover training the crew entered the sim at 1100 after bidding adieu to Shannon, Sergii, and Don. Two EVAs were then successfully completed at Marble Ritual by 1600 hours. Right after the EVAs the crew filled out the daily personal survey and cognitive performance tests requested by the XO. After coming back from their EVAs at 1530 the XO set up the air quality monitors in the Hab, Science dome and her room, while the Greenhab officer planted more items in the Greenhab.
Look Ahead Plan: Embark on a longer EVA and further provide training to the crew members for such EVAs
Anomalies in work: None
Weather: Mostly sunny with overcast conditions at around 1600 and later
Crew Physical Status: Good
EVA: Two
Reports to be filed: Sol Summary, Operations, Journalist, EVA Reports, EVA Request, Greenhab.
Support Requested: None
Operations Report – January 3rd
SOL: 2
Name of person filing report: Mason Kuhn
Non-nominal systems: Hab toilet, EVA suit charger #1
Notes on non-nominal systems: No new issues with the toilet, just the sound that has been previously noted. EVA suit charger #1 has a voltage of 12.2 V whereas the rest are ~13.7 V. Suit 1 charge will not exceed 10.4 V, and 12.5 V is requested by mission support as the minimum for use on EVAs.
ROVERS
Spirit rover used: Yes
Hours: 206.4
Beginning charge: 100%
Ending charge: 67%
Currently charging: Yes
Opportunity rover used: Yes
Hours: 110.9
Beginning charge: 100%
Ending charge: 72%
Currently charging: Yes
Curiosity rover used: Yes
Hours: 218.2 (educated estimate, forgot to record after training)
Beginning charge: 100%
Ending charge: 76% (educated estimate, forgot to record after training)
Currently charging: Yes
Perseverance rover used: Yes
Hours: 252.9 (educated estimate, forgot to record after training)
Beginning charge: 100%
Ending charge: 76%
Currently charging: Yes
General notes on rovers: Crew 272 had rover training this morning prior to entering Sim. All 4 rovers were used during training. EVA 1 from 1330 to 1445 used Spirit and Opportunity. EVA 2 from 1500 to 1615 used Spirit and Opportunity.
Summary of Hab operations: The damaged clothes hanging board in the 2nd stateroom from the right was fully repaired and is nominal.
WATER USE: 49.5 gallons
Water (static tank): 360.5 gallons
Static tank pipe heater (on or off): On
Static tank heater (On or off): On
Toilet tank emptied: Yes
Summary of internet: Nominal
Summary of suits and radios: Suits 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 were used on EVAs. All suits are currently charging. All radios 1-7 were used during EVAs or as HabCom. They have been recharged and removed from the charging docks.
Summary of GreenHab operations:
WATER USE: 7 gallons
Heater: On
Supplemental light: 4 hours
Harvest: 20g beans, 3g basil, 3g chives, 6g dill, 28g carrots
Summary of ScienceDome operations:
Dual split: On
Summary of RAM operations: Retrieved a Phillips head screwdriver to repair a state room’s clothes hanging area. Replaced the screwdriver & DMM in the RAM at 1730. Took a measuring tape at 1730 to measure static tank water volume & put it back in the RAM immediately after.
Summary of any observatory issues: N/A
Summary of health and safety issues: One crew member got a small hand cut from an open can, and it was treated by washing, Neosporin, and a band-aid.
Questions, concerns, and requests to Mission Support:
Concern for Mission Support: Commander Kshitij is concerned that there is some airflow issue in the loft because his loft stateroom gets drafty and much colder than the rest of the Hab during the night.
Journalist Report – January 3rd
Sol: 2
Author: Kenny Pritchard, Crew Journalist
Title: Crash Course
This morning began the same as every other so far, with a toothbrush party on the Hab’s lower deck and an exercise/meditation session on the upper deck, this time led by Kshitij. Along with the dehydrated eggs Megan cooked for the crew, we enjoyed some powdered orange juice (which mysteriously seemed to be neither orange nor juice). Breakfast was followed by our final educational session with Mission Support: rover training. A few K-turns (or W-turns) later, we were ready to go and officially enter simulation before noon! Mason set us off on the right foot when he mended a shelf for a fellow crewmate (who will remain unnamed). In his own words, Mason really went out on a high note with this repair – he unfortunately experienced sim-death shortly thereafter, by entering an open-air compartment of the Hab without protection. Simulation has been a figurative crash course in the constant battle against Martian inhospitality. It’s also been a crash course in the literal sense, as we continue to accidentally bump helmets in the tight enclosure of the airlock.
Taking the crew’s first small steps and giant leaps into the Martian wilderness, Adriana, Arly, and Madelyn drove out to Marble Ritual, a geological hotspot not far from the habitat. Although Madelyn suffered our crew’s second sim-death experience when she inadvertently switched off her EVA-suit, the three were still able to collect a plethora of rocks and minerals for Adriana to analyze. Kshitij, Mason, Megan, and I took the next EVA. We followed in the earlier group’s bootprints and tire tracks, which were easy to spot in the pristine rusty sands that cover the surface here. The landscape’s primitive beauty pierced effortlessly through the fog-misted visors of our heavy helmets.
In other news, Megan has set up the 3d printer she’ll be using for her study into additive manufacturing. It will soon build a rock hammer and other tools for research, but currently the machine is toiling away to make a scoop for the coffee grounds that fuel us through every sol. For dinner, Kshitij and I will impose upon the crew our best impression of pizza, complete with fresh herbs from the GreenHab. Our recipe (and the recipe for the bread Madelyn has made daily) is courtesy of MDRS veteran and Crew 272 advisor Dr. Cesare Guariniello. The inclusion of Martian water really takes it to the next level!
GreenHab Report – January 3rd
Crew 272 GreenHab Report 03-01-2023
GreenHab Officer: Madelyn Whitaker
Environmental control: heater
Average temperatures: 69 F, 20 C
Hours of supplemental light: 4 hours
Daily water usage for crops: 6 gallons
Daily water usage for research and/or other purposes: 1 gallon
Water in Blue Tank : 288 gallons
Time(s) of watering for crops: 1600
Changes to crops: Planted cucumber, spinach, cilantro seeds. Removed dead snow peas.
Narrative: Removed dead snow peas, dead leaves from beans. Shredded old organic material and added to newly planted pots of cilantro, spinach, cucumbers. Harvested beans and carrots for snacks, basil for pizza, chives and dill for garnish.
Harvest: (include which crop and mass in grams): 20g beans, 3g basil, 3g chives, 6g dill, 28g carrots
Support/supplies needed: N/A
EVA Report – January 3rd
Crew 272 EVA Report 03-01-2023
EVA # 1
Author: Arly Black
Purpose of EVA: Training EVA to familiarize crew members with rover operation, suits, and navigation
Start time: 1330
End time: 1445
Narrative: We donned our space suits for the first time since training two days ago. Adriana opted for the one-piece suit while Madelyn and Arly chose the two-piece, which turned out to be much more uncomfortable. We waited the required 5 minutes in the airlock before heading out to the rovers. Madelyn drove Opportunity, while Arly and Adriana took Spirit, with Arly driving and Adriana navigating. We traveled the predetermined route along Cow Dung Road, parked the rovers, and walked to Marble Ritual, stopping many times along the way to marvel at the scenery and collect interesting rocks. Adriana went into professor mode and expertly described the various rock formations and their likely causes. We learned much about chert, the likely direction of water travel based on fine sediment left near plants, and Martian anthills. After just a taste of Mars’ offerings, we reluctantly made our way back to the parked rovers and returned to the Hab. Great first venture out into Mars!
Destination: Marble Ritual
Coordinates (use UTM WGS 84): N518700, E4250800
Participants: Adriana Brown (Crew Geologist), Madelyn Whitaker (GreenHab Officer), Arly Black (Executive Officer/Crew Scientist)
Road(s) and routes per MDRS Map: Drove out from MDRS to Cow Dung Road, drove north on Cow Dung Road, and went east on foot until Marble Ritual.
Mode of travel: Driving and walking
Crew 272 EVA Report 03-01-2023
EVA # 2
Author: Arly Black
Purpose of EVA: Training EVA to familiarize crew members with rover operation, suits, and navigation
Start time: 1500
End time: 1615
Narrative: After witnessing the triumphant return of the EVA #1 team, the EVA #2 team thought they’d try their hand at Martian exploration. Although the bar was set impossibly high (the first team was #1 for a reason), they had a successful expedition. Taking the same vehicles and route as the first EVA, they then set off to the east towards Marble Ritual. They took many dramatic pictures, attempted to play cricket/baseball in their spacesuits, and discovered what may or may not be a skull – did they just discover evidence of life on Mars?! Stay tuned for potential skull/no skull updates. They later ventured to the west side of the road for a short time, where they saw many black (volcanic?) rocks. The team then returned to the Hab, and many poor jokes were exchanged while waiting in the airlock. Great time had by all.
Destination: Marble Ritual
Coordinates (use UTM WGS 84): N518700, E4250800
Participants: Kenny Pritchard (Crew Journalist), Megan Rush (HSO Officer), Mason Kuhn (Crew Engineer), Kshitij Mall (Commander)
Road(s) and routes per MDRS Map: Drove out from MDRS to Cow Dung Road, drove north on Cow Dung Road, and went east on foot until Marble Ritual.
Mode of travel: Driving and walking
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