Operations Report – April 15th

Supplemental Operations Report 15-Apr-2023

Name of person filing report: Sergii Iakymov

Reason for Report: Routine.

Non-Nominal Systems: Robotic observatory.
Action taken for non-nominal systems: New parts for Robotic observatory are received and scheduled to be installed during Crew 261 rotation.

Power system:
Solar:SOC Last 24 hours: Max 100%; Min 70 %; Avg 82.4%.
VDC Last 24 hours: Max 59.15V; Min 44.06; Avg 51.65V.
On April 14th all three pairs of breakers in solar chargers input were tripped, for unknown reason. After reset all work is nominal.

Power System Notes: Generator run time about 11:30pm – 7am. On April 13th and 14th start time about 10-11pm due to clouds and crew final cleaning. Hours – 3695.8. Serviced on April 15th.

Propane Reading Station Tank: 56%
Propane Reading Director Tank: 73%
Propane Reading Intern Tank: 72%
Propane Reading Generator Tank: 55%

Water (Static Tank) – 200 gallons
Water in GreenHab – less than 40 gallons
Water (Outpost tank) – 353 gallons
Water in Science Dome: 0 gallons
Hab Toilet Tank emptied: n/a

Sojourner rover used: No
Hours: 190.4
Beginning Charge: 100
Ending Charge: 100
Currently Charging: Yes
Notes on Rovers: All are plugged in, charged. All corroded battery wires were received and replaced. Sojourner needs one additional short battery wire to be replaced. It will be ordered as soon as possible.
ATV’s Used: (Honda, 350.1, 350.2, 300): None
Reason for use: n/a
Oil Added? No
ATV Fuel Used: 0 Gals
Ethanol Free Gasoline — 0 Gallons
# Hours the ATVs were Used today: 0
Notes on ATV: All parked at the outpost and awaiting to be taken to service.

HabCar used and why, where? To Loa for repair. Malfunctioned alternator was replaced and Hab Car is scheduled to be picked up next Wednesday, April 19th.

Crew Car used and why, where? Yes. To Hanksville for water runs and supplies, by crew to Grand Junction.

General notes and comments: nothing to report

Dual Split in Science Dome: off due to warmer weather.

Summary of Internet: Nominal

Summary of suits and radios: Nominal

EVA COMMS: Nominal

Campus wide inspection, if action taken, what and why: nothing to report

Summary of General Operations: All nominal.

Summary of Hab operations: Nominal. The heater air filter was replaced today. One mouse was caught on the lower deck. First AID kit was resupplied with Dramamine.

Summary of GreenHab Operations: Nominal.

Summary of SciDome Operations: Nominal.

Summary of any Observatory Issues: New parts for Robotic observatory are received and scheduled to be installed during Crew 261 rotation .

Summary of RAM Operations: Nothing to report

Summary of Outpost Operations:

Director’s trailer:
1) Toilet flush is leaking from time to time and will need to be replaced. Parts are on hand.
Interns trailer:
1) Bathroom faucet has been replaced.
2) Trailer cleaned and heater set up to 55 F due to warm weather.

Summary of Health and Safety Issues: Nominal.

Questions, Concerns, Supplies needed and Requests: Nothing to report

Research Report – April 14th

[category science-report]

During these two weeks, Crew 279 ARES has continuously worked on their research. Our experiments cover a large range of topics, and we hope to get good results out of our efforts. We still need to analyze all the data post-mission to conclude our research but here is a brief overview of how our experiments went during our rotation.

“We are what we eat” – Antoine de Barquin

The goal of Antoine’s experiment is to understand the impact of specific nutrition and confinement on the intestinal flora of astronauts. To conduct this study, a sample of each crew member was taken before departure to perform an analysis of intestinal bacteria by targeted metagenomics. This analysis is performed at the LIMS MBnext laboratory which collaborates with our crew for this experiment. The crew will then give “post-mission” samples. This way, Antoine will be able to compare and analyze how freeze-dried food affected everyone’s microbiota. Every day, Antoine monitored everything the crew ate, type of food, quantities, time of the day etc. He started analyzing the data during the mission and will conclude the analysis after the return on Earth. He also wondered how working the soil would affect the two crew members who worked the most in the GreenHab. People who garden have higher levels of Mycobacterium vaccae, a bacteria found in the soil that stimulates production of serotonin and functions as an antidepressant. He thought it would be interesting to see if our two gardeners have higher levels of it when he analyzes their samples upon our return to Earth.CC_nidUA0-eRmbptHIbBxKvwT_YljqpagahgY5y6OLqkBDTa_1q2q2qUZZYD8dX8Lgg6n7XN0AgwdOFD-3dpBWpXxeJNV_qorskDRTHqgA3ON2t4vrxyyMjwqDEUkYmoNipDd_lyOv1hiwSYvSq7Vw

Our Commander led his team proudly, trying to please everyone and keeping a good overview of the broad range of work we had to do.

“I will survive” – Agnes Dekeyser

Agnes’ experiment studied “extremophiles”. These are microorganisms that live in conditions that are lethal to most other microorganisms. They live on the seabed, in the Earth’s crust, in glaciers, and in many other extreme environments. During the mission on the planet Mars, our Crew Executive Officer studied the viability of two strains of extremophiles after exposure to MDRS environmental conditions : Deinococcus Radiodurans and Cupriavidus Metallidurans. Each strain was exposed outside for 8 days in anaerobic condition. Their viability will be compared to their unexposed analogues based on CFUs (Colony-Forming-Units) analysis. She also worked closely with Augustin and Thomas to find a place with less radiation around the base where her bacteria could survive better. Agnes spent her first days culturing her extremophiles and used one of her EVA’s to take them to North Ridge, a ridge with a higher altitude than the station’s. She also placed their analog inside the station. She then went back up the ridge every two days to check them. She also used an Arduino to calculate parameters such as temperature, pressure and altitude at North Ridge. On top of this experiment, she launched a weather balloon on top of North Ridge with an Arduino as well to test if this could be a useful way to calculate parameters if bacteria were to be put inside of the balloon for a future experiment. Sadly, the balloon did not last long as it did not have enough helium. SOL 11 was the day she collected her cultures and will proceed to analyze the difference in viability.MADqxHa-eyK2bP6UmdGTjxlS1O6loXWVf6ZpPbQL-ROqXlc0JRyEA07Pt6CHh8eLUWjAu8xXpjvK7fof5CCPEWOXd10N3dzs1tyBJGgfjegE3TQ0TUGcBijQ-hE8P5ZxXP2qFsmUTZ5tQT7Z1_boyQ

As CEO, she helped the Commander organize and coordinate daily team tasks and supported everyone before, during and after the simulation.

“Space Oddity” – Ioana Dimitrova

Long term spaceflight separates astronauts from society and their loved ones for months and months. It also keeps them confined without leaving them a possibility to feel free and do whatever they want. This can lead to mental health problems, stress, tensions within the team and can put the mission at risk. Music could be a cheap, easily transportable, and effective solution to this problem. Choosing your personal music to help you relax could have multiple benefits. It could help you transport yourself elsewhere, work through your emotions and stimulate your senses. Ioana tested if this theory is true by measuring cardiac parameters during relaxing times with and without music chosen by the crew. The technology used for the measurements is KINO by HeartKinetics. It’s an app that you put on your chest and that analyzes your heart variability. Added to that, a blood pressure monitor was used to take blood pressure measurements. Before the measurements, she also asked the crew to complete an anonymous Self Perceived Stress Test to get some trends on how the team felt throughout the mission and to correlate it with days they listen to music.s0JNWDPa8SeneDirLVmiqrOMXKSRowi-k_mA-fu6Tk6Usow8H2BJwfuHdWFPy0Gh1j1txMIK8hYGuKPzJmfNneDulj7la7spHpbAWNpid4Aee7oHbgtiUKDmJG30pMoFnt6hFIlvYjkzrh4zaqCJaQ

Our Crew Engineer has also kept busy by fixing two suits, a headset and managing water and power consumption.

“Radiation: how attacked are we?” – Thomas Stinglhamber

Every day, everywhere, different types of radiation attack us. On Mars, radiation will be way more brutal and dangerous than on Earth due to the difference of the atmosphere. It is thus very important to be able to have easy ways to measure the dosage of this radiation. 8yb5Sa9ZWd2DxbZsaRPm5ShFbPh0EBTtOO6UplUCEjPCxfSDO9_kW2zEjHtEggm0VKl-NI45HlLact6-8JCXLXWvdgJKg5n94USB32urviIINmB0Mm89oHx3Nlb4WeNJrGG33AHzcPjLGA6osScvQw

Thanks to BeSure’s technology, Thomas installed dosimeters both inside and outside the station to check how radiation proof the station is. He also gave the crewmates an individual dosimeter that they always wore to measure their personal dosage. He will collect all their data at the end of the simulation and will be able to tell us how much radiation we have been exposed to. Complementary to this, Thomas used a Gamma detector to map out the activity of the soil around the station by searching for radioactive isotopes near the station. He covered the whole region around the MDRS and combined his grid with Augustin’s 3D maps. He also helped Agnes determine if the hiding places Augustin found for her bacteria were protected from radioactive activity.

As Crew Scientist, he helps plan EVA’s, their tasks, timings, and reports.

“Confinement FOMO” – Aglaé Sacré

FOMO, “Fear of missing out”, can appear when we are cut out of society and social media. The Mars simulation completely cuts the crew off the network and the outer world, which makes it the best place to study how the lack of social media affects the mental condition of not wanting to miss out on something. The crew answered some anonymous questionnaires before leaving and were asked to check their social media usage data on their phone to realize how much time they were spending online daily. At the half of our stay, different anonymous questionnaires were completed where we assess how we feel without social media and if we feel like we’re missing out on something. We will have one more to fill in after the end of the simulation. This way Aglaé can compare how the crew used to use social media, how they predicted they would live without it and how they lived without it. Early data shows that pre-mission fears evolve as the days go by.

As Crew Journalist, she wrote the daily summaries and kept the world notified on what work we do every day. She also took photos and videos to document and present after our mission

“High Speed Rotor Manufacturing” – Gwenael le Bussy

The Martian atmosphere is a hundred times less dense than the one on Earth. This means that every flying object we would like to use for observation, scouting or measurements needs to be adapted to the physics of that new environment. Like the ones on Ingenuity, the rotor blades must have a special shape. Naturally, every piece of equipment may encounter a problem and need to be repaired or replaced. The problem cannot be predicted precisely in advance, which means that we need an adaptable solution. Gwenael studied how he can use 3D printing to model (with SolidWorks with NACA profile) and print rotor blades for the Martian atmosphere. Afterwards, he tested them with a high-speed motor and measured their thrust with a scale. He tested the 3D printer by doing some test prints for the oven knob. We tried to see if we could make one that works better than the ones currently used.zGCqdfbQrpwtfgCytbSjBG64WFXAjIVVn__kX7cn5ohgjlygKV8xFz7uuLP1XNRgXUZEinTNUndixCTTOSGAJ6HjPKgKZfm7fZMZpZ11AYGnODPWRtLqxcZ3nHIaLwH-WZVncx2sLfaYpO430VS9lg

Parallel to his aerodynamics work, our Crew Astronomer observed the Sun with the solar observatory and took some pictures. He also used the New Mexico observatory remotely to observe M63 and M51 and spent some time processing them.

“Hide and seek during radiation storms” – Augustin Tribolet

As we mentioned earlier, radiation is an important factor in a Mars mission. If we are to live there or try to make bacteria or plants survive, we must find the most protected areas on the surface. An easy way to be able to find those places could be to use a drone to map out the area and to find these places. Augustin used a drone to scan the surface and generate a 3D model by photogrammetry. This digital technique allows us to build the 3D model from photographic images. He worked closely with Agnes who studied extremophiles to analyze how effective his hiding places are but also with Thomas to map out his radiation with the 3D models. Augustin completed numerous EVA’s during which he mapped out the station, the Special Region, Marble’s Rituals, the North Ridge, Candor Chasma, Kissing Camel Ridge… When he was not on EVA, he exported the images and combined them to create 3D interactive maps. When he would spot a possible protected place on his map, he would send a team out on an EVA, that had never been to that place, to see if they could find it based only on his maps and to check out if his measurements were correct. vNTtAYINzsxFArYLEtDlUI4oSSdViurktE8EoBL9zIAn35JUsdd2tTL7G_Pb7orBmVetAI-NbddkCaNekN0ctq4sgert1XPyq0s1CF3ap-3tXjyt9hyJ4HLF1ZY3WmsgbGSye-SmrxKFnjYoMBVaSg

As GreenHab Officer, he took care of our garden, rooting for it even during the warmer days. He collected the vegetables and different herbs that he dried to make spices for our team as well as for the next teams.

“Mars well-being” – Ttele Hiriart

Confinement, isolation, extreme conditions… All these factors affect mental health and team dynamics. How is the well-being of the crew members evolving? How does the team work together? How do the dynamics evolve? Which teamwork tools work? During the mission, Ttele kept a diary of her observations of the team and different crewmates. She will compare these observations with the ones made by other mission simulations in Antarctica for example. After analysis, she will present her observations of the ups and downs of the mission, how the team interacted and different lessons the team has learned or must work on for future missions. During the day, she observed how effectively every crewmember worked on their experiment, how their motivation changed and how they handled difficult decisions, tensions. Some examples included: decisions made during EVA’s when plans had to change due to lack of time, technical difficulties in the station, decision taking when not everyone had the same opinion, how the team reacted when somebody was down, the effect of the fatigue… She also introduced some teamwork exercises at the end of day to work on team cohesion. All this is documented in her diary, and she took notes of her observations continuously. She will now have the tedious task to read everything she wrote and present her observations and some ideas for improvement.A5B_1xNxG6CcI8q64JBTVFHr5AOsEIHInNlv6IQedvWwmLg7Wa_S1iWvfsjFwS8snTbXMG5m-BT4DzhYH9j0sxaLZmmfw4gOHTmB8Cf-WRHUfI1d2Ld5bueYXPqokLXfwz8NL9Xgu8h77PL-BsiOOw

As Health and Safety Officer, she made sure everyone was feeling good and healthy and took care of us when we were feeling out of shape.

Mission Summary – April 14th

During these two weeks, Crew 279 ARES has continuously worked on their research. Our experiments cover a large range of topics, and we hope to get good results out of our efforts. We still need to analyze all the data post-mission to conclude our research but here is a brief overview of how our experiments went during our rotation.

“We are what we eat” – Antoine de Barquin

The goal of Antoine’s experiment is to understand the impact of specific nutrition and confinement on the intestinal flora of astronauts. To conduct this study, a sample of each crew member was taken before departure to perform an analysis of intestinal bacteria by targeted metagenomics. This analysis is performed at the LIMS MBnext laboratory which collaborates with our crew for this experiment. The crew will then give “post-mission” samples. This way, Antoine will be able to compare and analyze how freeze-dried food affected everyone’s microbiota. Every day, Antoine monitored everything the crew ate, type of food, quantities, time of the day etc. He started analyzing the data during the mission and will conclude the analysis after the return on Earth. He also wondered how working the soil would affect the two crew members who worked the most in the GreenHab. People who garden have higher levels of Mycobacterium vaccae, a bacteria found in the soil that stimulates production of serotonin and functions as an antidepressant. He thought it would be interesting to see if our two gardeners have higher levels of it when he analyzes their samples upon our return to Earth.CC_nidUA0-eRmbptHIbBxKvwT_YljqpagahgY5y6OLqkBDTa_1q2q2qUZZYD8dX8Lgg6n7XN0AgwdOFD-3dpBWpXxeJNV_qorskDRTHqgA3ON2t4vrxyyMjwqDEUkYmoNipDd_lyOv1hiwSYvSq7Vw

Our Commander led his team proudly, trying to please everyone and keeping a good overview of the broad range of work we had to do.

“I will survive” – Agnes Dekeyser

Agnes’ experiment studied “extremophiles”. These are microorganisms that live in conditions that are lethal to most other microorganisms. They live on the seabed, in the Earth’s crust, in glaciers, and in many other extreme environments. During the mission on the planet Mars, our Crew Executive Officer studied the viability of two strains of extremophiles after exposure to MDRS environmental conditions : Deinococcus Radiodurans and Cupriavidus Metallidurans. Each strain was exposed outside for 8 days in anaerobic condition. Their viability will be compared to their unexposed analogues based on CFUs (Colony-Forming-Units) analysis. She also worked closely with Augustin and Thomas to find a place with less radiation around the base where her bacteria could survive better. Agnes spent her first days culturing her extremophiles and used one of her EVA’s to take them to North Ridge, a ridge with a higher altitude than the station’s. She also placed their analog inside the station. She then went back up the ridge every two days to check them. She also used an Arduino to calculate parameters such as temperature, pressure and altitude at North Ridge. On top of this experiment, she launched a weather balloon on top of North Ridge with an Arduino as well to test if this could be a useful way to calculate parameters if bacteria were to be put inside of the balloon for a future experiment. Sadly, the balloon did not last long as it did not have enough helium. SOL 11 was the day she collected her cultures and will proceed to analyze the difference in viability.MADqxHa-eyK2bP6UmdGTjxlS1O6loXWVf6ZpPbQL-ROqXlc0JRyEA07Pt6CHh8eLUWjAu8xXpjvK7fof5CCPEWOXd10N3dzs1tyBJGgfjegE3TQ0TUGcBijQ-hE8P5ZxXP2qFsmUTZ5tQT7Z1_boyQ

As CEO, she helped the Commander organize and coordinate daily team tasks and supported everyone before, during and after the simulation.

“Space Oddity” – Ioana Dimitrova

Long term spaceflight separates astronauts from society and their loved ones for months and months. It also keeps them confined without leaving them a possibility to feel free and do whatever they want. This can lead to mental health problems, stress, tensions within the team and can put the mission at risk. Music could be a cheap, easily transportable, and effective solution to this problem. Choosing your personal music to help you relax could have multiple benefits. It could help you transport yourself elsewhere, work through your emotions and stimulate your senses. Ioana tested if this theory is true by measuring cardiac parameters during relaxing times with and without music chosen by the crew. The technology used for the measurements is KINO by HeartKinetics. It’s an app that you put on your chest and that analyzes your heart variability. Added to that, a blood pressure monitor was used to take blood pressure measurements. Before the measurements, she also asked the crew to complete an anonymous Self Perceived Stress Test to get some trends on how the team felt throughout the mission and to correlate it with days they listen to music.s0JNWDPa8SeneDirLVmiqrOMXKSRowi-k_mA-fu6Tk6Usow8H2BJwfuHdWFPy0Gh1j1txMIK8hYGuKPzJmfNneDulj7la7spHpbAWNpid4Aee7oHbgtiUKDmJG30pMoFnt6hFIlvYjkzrh4zaqCJaQ

Our Crew Engineer has also kept busy by fixing two suits, a headset and managing water and power consumption.

“Radiation: how attacked are we?” – Thomas Stinglhamber

Every day, everywhere, different types of radiation attack us. On Mars, radiation will be way more brutal and dangerous than on Earth due to the difference of the atmosphere. It is thus very important to be able to have easy ways to measure the dosage of this radiation. 8yb5Sa9ZWd2DxbZsaRPm5ShFbPh0EBTtOO6UplUCEjPCxfSDO9_kW2zEjHtEggm0VKl-NI45HlLact6-8JCXLXWvdgJKg5n94USB32urviIINmB0Mm89oHx3Nlb4WeNJrGG33AHzcPjLGA6osScvQw

Thanks to BeSure’s technology, Thomas installed dosimeters both inside and outside the station to check how radiation proof the station is. He also gave the crewmates an individual dosimeter that they always wore to measure their personal dosage. He will collect all their data at the end of the simulation and will be able to tell us how much radiation we have been exposed to. Complementary to this, Thomas used a Gamma detector to map out the activity of the soil around the station by searching for radioactive isotopes near the station. He covered the whole region around the MDRS and combined his grid with Augustin’s 3D maps. He also helped Agnes determine if the hiding places Augustin found for her bacteria were protected from radioactive activity.

As Crew Scientist, he helps plan EVA’s, their tasks, timings, and reports.

“Confinement FOMO” – Aglaé Sacré

FOMO, “Fear of missing out”, can appear when we are cut out of society and social media. The Mars simulation completely cuts the crew off the network and the outer world, which makes it the best place to study how the lack of social media affects the mental condition of not wanting to miss out on something. The crew answered some anonymous questionnaires before leaving and were asked to check their social media usage data on their phone to realize how much time they were spending online daily. At the half of our stay, different anonymous questionnaires were completed where we assess how we feel without social media and if we feel like we’re missing out on something. We will have one more to fill in after the end of the simulation. This way Aglaé can compare how the crew used to use social media, how they predicted they would live without it and how they lived without it. Early data shows that pre-mission fears evolve as the days go by.

As Crew Journalist, she wrote the daily summaries and kept the world notified on what work we do every day. She also took photos and videos to document and present after our mission

“High Speed Rotor Manufacturing” – Gwenael le Bussy

The Martian atmosphere is a hundred times less dense than the one on Earth. This means that every flying object we would like to use for observation, scouting or measurements needs to be adapted to the physics of that new environment. Like the ones on Ingenuity, the rotor blades must have a special shape. Naturally, every piece of equipment may encounter a problem and need to be repaired or replaced. The problem cannot be predicted precisely in advance, which means that we need an adaptable solution. Gwenael studied how he can use 3D printing to model (with SolidWorks with NACA profile) and print rotor blades for the Martian atmosphere. Afterwards, he tested them with a high-speed motor and measured their thrust with a scale. He tested the 3D printer by doing some test prints for the oven knob. We tried to see if we could make one that works better than the ones currently used.zGCqdfbQrpwtfgCytbSjBG64WFXAjIVVn__kX7cn5ohgjlygKV8xFz7uuLP1XNRgXUZEinTNUndixCTTOSGAJ6HjPKgKZfm7fZMZpZ11AYGnODPWRtLqxcZ3nHIaLwH-WZVncx2sLfaYpO430VS9lg

Parallel to his aerodynamics work, our Crew Astronomer observed the Sun with the solar observatory and took some pictures. He also used the New Mexico observatory remotely to observe M63 and M51 and spent some time processing them.

“Hide and seek during radiation storms” – Augustin Tribolet

As we mentioned earlier, radiation is an important factor in a Mars mission. If we are to live there or try to make bacteria or plants survive, we must find the most protected areas on the surface. An easy way to be able to find those places could be to use a drone to map out the area and to find these places. Augustin used a drone to scan the surface and generate a 3D model by photogrammetry. This digital technique allows us to build the 3D model from photographic images. He worked closely with Agnes who studied extremophiles to analyze how effective his hiding places are but also with Thomas to map out his radiation with the 3D models. Augustin completed numerous EVA’s during which he mapped out the station, the Special Region, Marble’s Rituals, the North Ridge, Candor Chasma, Kissing Camel Ridge… When he was not on EVA, he exported the images and combined them to create 3D interactive maps. When he would spot a possible protected place on his map, he would send a team out on an EVA, that had never been to that place, to see if they could find it based only on his maps and to check out if his measurements were correct. vNTtAYINzsxFArYLEtDlUI4oSSdViurktE8EoBL9zIAn35JUsdd2tTL7G_Pb7orBmVetAI-NbddkCaNekN0ctq4sgert1XPyq0s1CF3ap-3tXjyt9hyJ4HLF1ZY3WmsgbGSye-SmrxKFnjYoMBVaSg

As GreenHab Officer, he took care of our garden, rooting for it even during the warmer days. He collected the vegetables and different herbs that he dried to make spices for our team as well as for the next teams.

“Mars well-being” – Ttele Hiriart

Confinement, isolation, extreme conditions… All these factors affect mental health and team dynamics. How is the well-being of the crew members evolving? How does the team work together? How do the dynamics evolve? Which teamwork tools work? During the mission, Ttele kept a diary of her observations of the team and different crewmates. She will compare these observations with the ones made by other mission simulations in Antarctica for example. After analysis, she will present her observations of the ups and downs of the mission, how the team interacted and different lessons the team has learned or must work on for future missions. During the day, she observed how effectively every crewmember worked on their experiment, how their motivation changed and how they handled difficult decisions, tensions. Some examples included: decisions made during EVA’s when plans had to change due to lack of time, technical difficulties in the station, decision taking when not everyone had the same opinion, how the team reacted when somebody was down, the effect of the fatigue… She also introduced some teamwork exercises at the end of day to work on team cohesion. All this is documented in her diary, and she took notes of her observations continuously. She will now have the tedious task to read everything she wrote and present her observations and some ideas for improvement.A5B_1xNxG6CcI8q64JBTVFHr5AOsEIHInNlv6IQedvWwmLg7Wa_S1iWvfsjFwS8snTbXMG5m-BT4DzhYH9j0sxaLZmmfw4gOHTmB8Cf-WRHUfI1d2Ld5bueYXPqokLXfwz8NL9Xgu8h77PL-BsiOOw

As Health and Safety Officer, she made sure everyone was feeling good and healthy and took care of us when we were feeling out of shape.

Final mission report.docx

Journalist Report – April 14th

CREW279 – Journalist Report – 14APR2023

Journalist Report : Aglaé Sacré, crew journalist
SOL12: the last day

This morning the team woke up with a heavy heart. The night was short and this morning we had to say goodbye to one of the crew members.
Goodbyes are difficult but the ARES team is known for its good mood, and we started the day with the very last EVA of the mission.

The day was punctuated by the total tidying up of the station, time for us to look back on all the moments spent in each room of this place.
It was also time to write our last reports, they often gave us a little stress at the end of the day but today we are already nostalgic to fill them in.

We wanted to take the time to thank you, for having followed us during these two weeks; thank you to our sponsors for allowing us to live this incredible project.

BUT the adventure doesn’t stop here, we will enjoy a few days of travel before returning to Belgium and be ready because we will not stop there. We have some great conferences, moments of sharing planned but most of all… the recruitment of the next team!

See you soon!

Sol Summary – April 14th

Crew 279 Sol Summary Report 14-04-2023
Sol: 12
Summary Title: Last sunset on Mars
Author’s name: Ioana Dimitrova, Crew Engineer
Mission Status: Nominal
Sol Activity Summary:
After a difficult night, the team had to say goodbye to one of its crew members a little bit early. We can’t wait to reunite after the end of the mission!
Our astronauts had a hard time waking up after a short night, but were motivated as ever to complete the last EVA. Three of us took the rovers out to Charitum Montes. Augustin was able to map out the plateau and Ttele and Ioana used the scintillator. Suddenly, they lost sight of the drone and then realized it probably went back to land at its departure point. Augustin had to sprint back to retrieve Ingenuity and make it to base on time. It was pretty intense! They enjoyed the magnificent martian views one last time before coming back to base and eating with the rest of the crew.
The afternoon was dedicated to cleaning, packing and making sure the station is ready for the next crew. We will enjoy a last meal with good company and reminiscence over what a good time we had here. Mars is unforgettable. Time passed so fast during this mission, but at the same time we feel at home here like we’ve lived here forever.
Look Ahead Plan:
The crew will finish packing and cleaning the station. Tomorrow, they will end the simulation and take the CrewCar back to Grand Junction to continue their adventures elsewhere.
Anomalies in work: nun-functional robotic observatory, the battery wires of Opportunity need to be replaced.
Weather: sunny, low -2°C/28°F, high 16°C/61°F

Operations Report – April 14th

Crew 279 Operations Report 14-04-2023

SOL: 12

Name of person filing report: Ioana Dimitrova

Non-nominal systems: robotic observatory, Opportunity

Notes on non-nominal systems:

Robotic observatory: awaiting a solution from the manufacturer.
Opportunity Rover : see rover section

ROVERS
Spirit rover used: yes
Hours: 216,4
Beginning charge: 100%
Ending charge: 73%
Currently charging: yesc
Opportunity rover used: no
Hours: 120,5
Beginning charge: 100%
Ending charge: 100%
Currently charging: yes
Curiosity rover used: yes
Hours: 229,4
Beginning charge: 100%
Ending charge: 77%
Currently charging: yes
Perseverance rover used: no
Hours: 260,9
Beginning charge: 100%
Ending charge: 100%
Currently charging: yes
General notes on rovers: one of the battery wires on the driver side of Opportunity is corroded out and needs to be replaced.

Summary of Hab operations: Music influence on stress experiment was conducted. 3D printer was dismounted.
WATER USE: 38,48
Water (static tank): 230,52
Static tank pipe heater (on or off): off
Static tank heater (On or off): off
Toilet tank emptied: no

Summary of internet: used from 14:00 to 21:00 for experiments and reports.

Summary of suits and radios: Radios charging nominal. Suits charging nominal.
Summary of GreenHab operations:
WATER USE: 16,9
Heater: On
Supplemental light: Off
Harvest: 284 g tomatoes, 994 g cucumber
Summary of ScienceDome operations : cleaning, bacteria prepared for trip
Dual split: Heat or AC, Off

Summary of RAM operations: cleaning
Summary of any observatory issues: none
Summary of health and safety issues: none
Questions, concerns and requests to Mission Support:

GreenHab Report – April 14th

Crew 279 GreenHab Report 14-04-2023

GreenHab Officer: Augustin Tribolet

Environmental control: Open during day and heater during night

Average temperatures: 80.3 F

Hours of supplemental light: N/A

Daily water usage for crops: 16.9 gallons

Daily water usage for research and/or other purposes: N/A

Water in Blue Tank: 87.1 gallons

Time(s) of watering for crops: 07:15, 14:30, 20:00

Changes to crops: N/A

Narrative: As usual, general watering of plants and crops was done today. The sun was intense today, the door was then left open in the afternoon. The plants have been watered again in the evening with 4.2 gallons. Some zucchini and tomatoes have been harvested. The GreenHab has been swept away in the afternoon.

Harvest: N/A

Harvest: 284 g tomatoes, 994 g cucumber

Support/supplies needed: N/A

EVA Report – April 14th

Crew 279 EVA Report 14-04-2023

EVA: #14

Author : Augustin Tribolet, Crew GreenHab

Purpose of EVA: For the EVA, we wanted to map further away from the station. This was to help us to complete the global map of the region which will be useful for future teams. This was Augustin’s last mapping, it is interesting for him to scan a region that has a rather flat relief compared to the previous ones that were more relevant.

We also wanted to measure radioactivity in that part of the region and collect some samples of a place we haven’t been to yet for analysis. Thomas briefed Ttele on how to use the scintillator before the EVA and this was to give information on how easy of use the scintillator is for a non-physicist. This information will be useful for our sponsor BeSure to help them make better instruments in the future. In the case that on the terrain the device turned out to not be intuitive enough to use by our astronauts, they were to collect samples to be analyzed upon return by a lab in our university. Ioana was there to assist Augustin by keeping eyes on the drone and to help Ttele with her measurements and collections. She was also to be useful for timekeeping and experiment coordination.

Start time: 9:40am

End time: 12:01pm

Narrative:

The 3 crew members took the rovers and arrived at their destination at 09h40. During this EVA, Charitum Montes was mapped for photogrammetry purposes. Ttele and Ioana used the scintillator successfully. At the end of the EVA, the drone’s connection was lost, which caused the drone to automatically retreat to its landing point. The team had to return to the launching point to retrieve Ingenuity. EVA ended at 12:01.

Destination: Charitum Montes

Coordinates (use UTM WGS 84): 518500 E, 4248250 N

EVA Participants: Augustin (EVA Leader) (Green Hab Officer), Ttele (HSO), Ioana (Crew Engineer)

Road(s) and routes per MDRS Map: Cow Dung Road 0110

Mode of travel: Drive on Cow Dung Road 0110 to Zubrin’s Head then walking to Charitum Montes no further than 400m

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