Crew 289 GreenHab Report : 5-1-2024 (Sol 12) 🕺🌳🌱🌷🌽🌼😋🌈🦋
GreenHab Officer: Riya Raj
Environmental Control: Heater on, fan off, door closed.
MORNING
Average Temperatures:
Avg Temp – 11:58 pm (80.6 °F)
Relative Humidity – 26 %
**After Watering:
Avg Temp – 1:20 pm (78.6 °F)
Relative Humidity – 57%
Used 3 gallons and 32 oz while the humidity was higher like yesterday.
AFTERNOON
Avg Temp – 5:04 pm (68.7°F)
Relative Humidity – 29 %
**After Watering:
Avg Temp – 5:10 pm (70.7°F)
Relative Humidity – 59%
Used 2 gallons and 22 oz to water all the plants (includes more misting)
Hour of supplemental light: 10pm-2am (4 hours)
Daily water usage for crops: Sol 12 – 5.3 gallons
Water in Blue Tank (200-gallon capacity): 141.32 gallons
Times of Watering for Crops: Sol 12 – 1:20 pm & 5:10 pm
Changes to Crops: no changes!
Narrative:
Sol 12:
I was a little sad that today would be my last full day with the plants. It’s safe to say that I grew attached to them, especially the cute little baby tomatoes! I love all the plants equally, so I made sure to set them all comfortable for the next GreenHab Officer! The humidity once again was slightly higher than normal and that made them happy too! I also saw 4 MORE baby tomatoes so now there should be 26 baby tomatoes!! ^-^ 🍅The replanted broccoli and radish plants are doing well since they are now enjoying their new bigger pot! I am little concerned about the carrot plants, but the roots should be growing stronger over the next few weeks! 🥕💪 The mint, spinach, and onions should also be sprouting soon hehe!
Eshaana also took her mini farm down today and we wanted to let her baby kale and C4 grass live on! We set the kale in the front next to the cucumbers and the C4 grass on the back shelf! One thing I would mention is that since the humidity is usually low, regularly misting the hab really helps the plants get stronger! Plants are super awesome so they should be treated with all the happy sprinkles! The hab is also properly organized with all tools and equipment set in place! The inventory list should also be up to date! I hope to see the little plants grow into big bois!
Sol 12 Harvest: None
Support/supplies needed: None – thank you Sergii for all the help! 🙂
Operations Report – January 5th
Crew 289 Operations Report 1-5-2024
SOL: 12
Name of person filing report: Nathan Bitner
Non-nominal systems: We now have two left latex gloves for dishing.
Notes on non-nominal systems: One glove had a finger torn off during dishes today, and another lost a thumb earlier in the mission.
ROVERS
Spirit rover used: No
Hours: (Before EVA)
Beginning Charge: (Before EVA)
Ending Charge: (On return from EVA, before recharging)
Currently Charging:
Opportunity Rover used: No
Hours: (Before EVA)
Beginning Charge: (Before EVA)
Ending Charge: (On return from EVA, before recharging)
Currently Charging:
Curiosity Rover used: No
Hours: (Before EVA)
Beginning Charge: (Before EVA)
Ending Charge: (On return from EVA, before recharging)
Currently Charging:
Perseverance Rover used: No
Hours: (Before EVA)
Beginning Charge: (Before EVA)
Ending Charge: (On return from EVA, before recharging)
Currently Charging:
General notes on rovers: Rovers are functioning properly.
Summary of Hab operations:
WATER USE: 16.3 gallons
Water (static tank): 267 gallons
Static tank pipe heater (on or off): on
Static tank heater (on or off): on
Toilet tank emptied: no
Summary of internet: Internet is nominal
Summary of suits and radios: Suits and radios nominal.
Summary of Greenhab operations:
WATER USE: 5.25 gallons
Heater: on
Supplemental light: off
Harvest: none
Summary of ScienceDome operations: One 100 mL beaker broken and cleaned, emptied hydroponics project, and used microscope for analyzing plant roots.
Dual split: Heat or AC: On
Summary of RAM operations: (Tools used, work done): All tools from hab returned, floors mopped and swept.
Summary of any observatory issues: All systems nominal
Summary of health and safety issues: None
Questions, concerns and requests to Mission Support: Should EVA suit 10 be plugged in when we leave? It’s been on the bottom shelf of the one piece suit rack and wasn’t used during the mission.
Sol Summary – January 5th
Sol: 12
Summary Title: Sol Twelve: Into Cleaning We Delve
Author’s Name: Aditya Arjun Anibha
Mission Status: Nominal
Sol Activity Status:
Crew 289 ended their simulation this morning. However, this did not mean respite as we worked to complete cleaning and packing responsibilities at the station. Adriana and Gabe travelled to Grand Junction to rent spacecraft (cars) for our return back to our respective destinations on Earth. Riya worked on her air quality sensor brought to life in the form of a lego mount called Russell (Gerald now has a friend!) and broke down her hydroponics and examined plants under a microscope. Eshaana collected the last portion of data from her mini agrivoltaics farm. Sara led the charge of cleaning the station and guided Eshaana, Nathan, Riya and Adi in ensuring a thorough job. We extracted a moment to boost morale by cooking soupy Indian Pink Pasta and Chai. With cleaning and packing complete, we look forward to dinner at a burger shack in Hanksville and potentially stargazing again to make the most of our last night at MDRS before we prepare to depart the next morning.
Look Ahead Plan: Crew departure and travel back to respective destinations
Anomalies in work: None
Weather: Cloudy and windy throughout
Crew Physical Status: Nominal
EVA: None
Reports to be filed: Journalist Report, Greenhab Report, Operations Report, Sol Summary, Astronomy Report, Photos, Mission Summary, Final Research Report
Support Requested: None
Crew Photos – January 4th
Sol Summary – January 4th
Sol: 11
Summary Title: Sol Eleven: Wintry Heaven
Author’s Name: Adriana Brown
Mission Status: Nominal
Sol Activity Status:
Crew 289 began the final sol of their mission with a wintry surprise: snow on Mars! Even though this meant no EVA for today, the entire crew was delighted by the breathtaking scene outside of the Hab. Thus commenced a cozy day. Adriana spent some of the morning in the Science Dome packing up samples and checking on her drying sediment samples. Riya worked on her air quality sensor, and Eshaana got data from her mini farm’s solar panel. Thanks to Sara, the crew got some very official portraits taken in the lower deck and wrapped up the photography session with a tasty pasta featuring GreenHab veggies. As much of the crew has begun to wrap up their research today in preparation for tomorrow’s cleaning day, the afternoon was spent by crew members playing games, packing up their personal items and experiments, and talking through travel logistics back to Earth. Tonight, we are excited to eat a curry prepared by Eshaana, drink hot chocolate, and hopefully, stargaze.
Look Ahead Plan: Cleaning and acquiring vehicles from Grand Junction
Anomalies in work: None
Weather: Snowy in morning, partly sunny in evening
Crew Physical Status: Nominal
EVA: None
Reports to be filed: Journalist Report, Greenhab Report, Operations Report, Sol Summary, Astronomy Report, Photos
Support Requested: None
Operations Report – January 4th
SOL: 11
Name of person filing report: Nathan Bitner
Non-nominal systems: None
Notes on non-nominal systems: None
ROVERS
Spirit rover used: No
Hours: (Before EVA)
Beginning Charge: (Before EVA)
Ending Charge: (On return from EVA, before recharging)
Currently Charging:
Opportunity Rover used: No
Hours: (Before EVA)
Beginning Charge: (Before EVA)
Ending Charge: (On return from EVA, before recharging)
Currently Charging:
Curiosity Rover used: No
Hours: (Before EVA)
Beginning Charge: (Before EVA)
Ending Charge: (On return from EVA, before recharging)
Currently Charging:
Perseverance Rover used: No
Hours: (Before EVA)
Beginning Charge: (Before EVA)
Ending Charge: (On return from EVA, before recharging)
Currently Charging:
General notes on rovers: Rovers are functioning properly.
Summary of Hab operations:
WATER USE: 19.7 gallons
Water (static tank): 285.3 gallons
Static tank pipe heater (on or off): on
Static tank heater (on or off): on
Toilet tank emptied: no
Summary of internet: Internet is nominal
Summary of suits and radios: Suits and radios nominal.
Summary of Greenhab operations:
WATER USE: 5.4 gallons
Heater: on
Supplemental light: off
Harvest:
cilantro – 9 g
kale – 34 g
basil – 4 g
lettuce – 12 g
Summary of ScienceDome operations: Cleaned equipment and checked on experiments.
Dual split: Heat or AC: On
Summary of RAM operations: (Tools used, work done): No work done or tools used.
Summary of any observatory issues: All systems nominal
Summary of health and safety issues: None
Questions, concerns and requests to Mission Support: One bag of non burnable trash in the rear airlock.
Journalist Report – January 4th
Sara Paule, Crew 289 Journalist & Executive Officer
01.04.2024
Sol 11
We awoke this morning to a surprise: snow! The landscape was completely blanketed in white and the sky in the early morning matched the ground with a thick layer of clouds. As the sun began to rise, the clouds began to thin making for a stunning sight. It was gorgeous. (And, I am still cursing setting my time lapse up incorrectly this morning such that I missed the transition from 8-9:30 am believing those images auto-captured!) A vision to behold, this snow day was not wholly welcome because the precipitation meant the cancellation of our scheduled EVA. This would have marked our eleventh EVA of mission and our very last EVA. Learning that yesterday actually proved our final EVA together as Crew 289 left us all saddened and somewhat at a loss. Beyond our rest day, each of our days was marked by balancing research at the hab, cooking and cleaning, and one or sometimes two EVAs.
We filled the day with further research, additional team bonding, and winding down our time here in the hab with the beginning of packing. As to research, Riya spent time building her CO2 sensor. She also examined the plants grown in her hydroponics set up under a microscope to investigate visually whether there was any difference between the plants exposed to hydrogen peroxide (radiation alternative) and her control plants. Eshaana was able to gather some additional data regarding the photovoltatics for her mini-farm after yesterday’s clouds foiled our attempts to characterize the shading with time lapse photography. Adriana wrapped up carbonate characterizations of her sediment samples and packed up her oysters for safe transportation back to Michigan. I was able to begin some calculations and cross-comparisons on my reporting research to better understand commonalities and differences between prior Journalist Reports and Sol Summaries. Tomorrow we will summarize our progress on our research during our time on Mars before we begin the journey back home.
On the fun side, we also played some games. The whole crew played a round of Zombie Dice, an amusing push your luck dice game where you are a zombie trying to eat the most human brains while avoiding gunshot wounds. It was quick and entertaining. Nathan beat out Adi 15 to 13 in a surprise defeat in the final round after Adi led the entire game. Fitting in a snack-sized ziplock, the transportability to fun ratio was right on. Then the crew broke out Terraforming Mars which is a substantially larger strategy game that resides in the hab games closet. Only 2 of the crew had ever played previously so learning the game and set up filled considerable time such that many opted out of gameplay. Those engaged in the game were optimistic they would be finished by dinner time, as were the rest of us and thankfully they were! It was fun to pull the game out from the cabinet and realize that the game is endorsed at the very top of the box by someone particularly important in our being able to be here at MDRS: Dr. Robert Zubrin, founder and President of the Mars Society.
We also took some time today to make use of the lower deck for a photoshoot. Donning our flight suits for the final time this mission, we attempted to capture semi-professional images of the members of the crew with packs on and helmets in hand and also versions without gear. We had a good time assisting each other to ensure collars were folded down, patches were on optimal display, and that flight suits were not weirdly bunched. I’m thankful the crew indulged me because I think we were able to have a good time. Also, those who may choose to return to MDRS or pursue other pursuits for space exploration now have themed photos to choose from for their biographies.
After the skies cleared up mid-day, melting away nearly all of the snow, we are hoping for cloudless skies tonight to do some star-gazing. Our first days at MDRS, the moon was too close to full to be able to see many stars. It lit up the whole landscape and drowned out the vast majority of starlight – a notable fact for those not used to this level of dark. (Light pollution has really changed the way that the vast majority of us experience the dark of night.) With luck and good weather, we hope we may be able to view the Milky Way tonight. Keep your fingers crossed for us.
Our time here at MDRS is rapidly coming to a close but we are still experiencing many firsts. In addition to new games and new photos, today we also experienced the heart-break of culling our rock collections. (How many pounds of rock samples is too many to take home is a very tough question!) Things are also coming full circle. Our first night at MDRS, Gabe and Adi made strawberry shortcake for the first time. They are teaming up again this evening to treat us and cement their knowledge. No one is sad about that.
Sol Summary – January 3rd
Sol: 10
Summary Title: Sol Ten: "We go out of sim when?"
Author’s Name: Adriana Brown
Mission Status: Nominal
Sol Activity Status:
Sol 10 began with a quinoa based breakfast prepared by Sara. Fueled for the day, the EVA crew of Adriana, Eshaana, Riya, and Gabe set out on the rovers for a trip down south to White Rock Canyon. A new location for all, the crew explored the terrain with the specific focus of noting the presence or absence of the Gryphaea fossils characteristic of the Western Interior Seaway. The EVA crew was delighted when Gabe keenly spotted a small bed of oysters, which was reflected on the opposite side of the path as well. The EVA crew sampled 54 of the oysters and ventured farther into the canyon and back. All were in awe of the beautifully river-carved landscape and multicolored rocks scattered along the route.
Upon return, the crew sat down for a cheese and broccoli soup and homemade bread by Sara. Afterward, Riya went to the GreenHab to tend to the plants (including more baby tomatoes) and harvested cilantro, Nathan worked on his sensor code, Adi worked in the lower deck on E.L.F., Sara read through more material for her reporting project, and Adriana went to the Science Dome to clean and catalogue her new oyster samples. With the final sol approaching, the crew is working hard on their research to gather as much data before their return to Earth. These efforts will be rewarded by a tasty dinner of fried rice and some cozy camaraderie around the table.
Look Ahead Plan: Drone + robot testing EVA near the Hab (if weather permits)
Anomalies in work: None
Weather: Cold and overcast
Crew Physical Status: Nominal
EVA: Exploratory geologic EVA #11 to White Rock Canyon
Reports to be filed: Journalist Report, Greenhab Report, Operations Report, Sol Summary, Astronomy Report, Photos, EVA report, EVA Request
Support Requested: None
Crew Photos – January 3rd
Operations Report – January 3rd
Crew 289 Operations Report 1-3-2024
SOL: 10
Name of person filing report: Nathan Bitner
Non-nominal systems: None
Notes on non-nominal systems: None
ROVERS
Spirit rover used: No
Hours: (Before EVA)
Beginning Charge: (Before EVA)
Ending Charge: (On return from EVA, before recharging)
Currently Charging:
Opportunity Rover used: Yes
Hours: 153.4
Beginning Charge: 100%
Ending Charge: 36%
Currently Charging: no
Curiosity Rover used: Yes
Hours: 262.7
Beginning Charge: 100%
Ending Charge: 25%
Currently Charging: no
Perseverance Rover used: No
Hours: (Before EVA)
Beginning Charge: (Before EVA)
Ending Charge: (On return from EVA, before recharging)
Currently Charging:
General notes on rovers: Rovers are functioning properly.
Summary of Hab operations:
WATER USE: 13 gallons
Water (static tank): 305 gallons
Static tank pipe heater (on or off): on
Static tank heater (on or off): on
Toilet tank emptied: yes
Summary of internet: Internet is nominal
Summary of suits and radios: Suits and radios nominal.
Summary of Greenhab operations:
WATER USE: 5.32
Heater: on
Supplemental light: off
Harvest:
cilantro – 16 g
Summary of ScienceDome operations: Weighed and labelled oyster samples.
Dual split: Heat or AC: On
Summary of RAM operations: (Tools used, work done): No work done or tools used.
Summary of any observatory issues: All systems nominal
Summary of health and safety issues: None
Questions, concerns and requests to Mission Support: None
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