Author: jburk

Posted on

Mission Summary – May 26th

Crew 281 Mission Summary
Date: 05/26/2023
As the final MDRS Crew of the season, Team Pegasus (Crew 281) finished the season strong:
doing 13 EVAs, running the Ham Radio for 6 days including the first Morse code contact, kept
the GreenHab operational, conducted 4 geotechnical surveys of the area, 19 drone payload tests
and other experiments. The five person team successfully maintained the Hab and conducted
operations for all 12 sols of the mission. Here is the team:
● Megan Kane: Commander and GreenHab Officer
● Ritupriya (Ritu) Patil: Executive Officer
● Rachel Jones: Health Safety Officer
● Ana Pires: Crew Scientist
● KC Shasteen: Crew Engineer
The 12 Sol mission was packed with research, testing and operational tasks. The team did take
the time to enjoy the mission and time together with good food from the three cooks: KC, Megan
and Ritu.

Mars Desert Research Station Facilities:

The team utilized most of the facilities over the course of the mission.

The Science Dome was home to several experiments. In the grow tent, 75 Cacao (Chocolate) seeds of 2 varieties were sprouted. Started on Sol 1, by Sol 12 the cotyledons had begun to emerge. The workspace was used to test and prepare the equipment for the geotechnical surveys and examine the samples. Additionally, the team supported maintaining the algae experiment from Crew 261. Lastly, Team Pegasus recorded several STEM educational videos there.

In the GreenHab, the commander and crew engineer worked to keep the plants alive late into the increasing heat. Both having experience with greenhouses and vertical farms, they worked to decrease the rising temperatures and increase the humidity for the plants. This was met with limited success due to availability of materials. The watering test conducted by the commander went well.

The Repair and Maintenance (RAM) module was used to support many activities including drone flights, geotechnical device repair, and the radio setup. Additionally, the tools available were used in the Hab, Science Dome, GreenHab, and on EVA. Several days into the mission the RAM shopvac took up residence in the Hab due to the Hab Shopvac being inoperable.

In the Hab, a multitude of activities occurred. Downstairs the team prepared for EVAs and set up the Radio. The HSO is also a HAM radio operator (KO4HLC) she has made more than 50 contacts and completed the first known Morse Code contact from MDRS. She is currently working on updating the guidance for future radio operators. Upstairs was communal space. Here the team planned EVAs, filed reports and made delicious food.

Research updates

The team prepared multiple research projects to conduct over the course of the mission. See a summary of each in the sections below.

Geological-Geotechnical Surveys

The crew scientist proposed a series of geotechnical surveys to improve understanding of the geology near the Mars Desert Research Station and test the use of standard equipment in an analog environment. Over the course of 4 EVAs, 950 measurements were taken by the 2 geotechnical devices used to conduct the surveys. These measurements combined with samples taken for analysis and the aerial footage from the drone provides an extensive amount of information about the areas surveyed. There is a paper already under development related to the surveys during the mission.

Rock Sampling device test

The Pegasus Scoop was designed and built as a component for a larger robotic system. The crew scientist brought the scoop from Portugal for testing in a realistic environment. The scoop successfully performed its function. It will later be incorporated into a larger system.

Drone Payload testing

The drone brought by the executive officer was used for aerial footage and to conduct payload delivery tests while on EVA and to an EVA deploying from the Astronomy dome. Wind conditions limited the amount of testing completed. A total of 19 test flights were conducted with 17 being completed. The remaining 2 flights had to be aborted due to wind conditions mid-flight.

Passive watering tests

inline_image_placeholder_2x.pngflapper-gray-EE-30.gif

The passive watering system brought by the commander consisted of terracotta spikes with 500 mL plastic water bottles. On Sol 1 the 10 spikes were deployed into planters deep enough to utilize the spikes. The spikes were refilled when the bottles went dry, the spikes never went dry. This provided constant water flow directly to the plant’s roots. The remaining planters were assessed for their watering needs and watered as required. The total amount of watering done via both methods was collected.

Luxury crop sprouting test – Cacao

There were three cacao (chocolate) pods of different varieties of cacao brought to MDRS. They included 2 varieties of Trinitario (Red and Yellow) and Jaca a variant of Forastero. The seeds and seedlings require heat and humidity to sprout. On Sol 1 the three pods were opened, the seeds cleaned and set out for germination in trays on moist paper towels. On Sol 3 the seeds were rinsed and transferred to fresh paper towels. On Sol 5 the individual pots were prepared and the seeds showing signs of germination were planted. On Sol 10 multiple seeds showed signs they would be sprouting their cotyledons shortly. The first cotyledons were visible on Sol 12. Seeds were watered every day and the temperature and humidity monitored.

In Conclusion

The 12 Sol mission was a success from a research and outreach perspective. Team Pegasus looks forward to working together in the future and continuing the research started here.

Posted on

Journalist Report – May 26th

Crew 281 Journalist Report 26May2023

Journalist Report

By: Rachel Jones

12th Sol, It’s Time for Crew 281 to Roll

My morning started very early. I wanted to see to the Sun rise on our last day of Mars. The Sun peaked the horizon at about 6:05 AM. As I reflected on this wonderful experience, I couldn’t be more grateful to have such amazing team mates.

Ana and Ritu were up early preparing for their longest EVA yet. Their explorative spirt and prospective on future scientific scanlines took them out to the Special Region (Burpee Quarry). First, Ritu conducted additional payload tests with the Medical Device Delivery Drone, “Peggy.”. Then, they traveled back to Marble Ritual to get additional aerial shots of the first scanline. Finally, they went out to the Special Region where dinosaur bones are being excavated. This EVA wrapped up all of Ana and Ritu’s scientific goals here at MDRS.

After MDRS, Ritu plans to publish her findings in a peer-reviewed journal. The data from her experience will be used for performing basic ratings and calculations for a larger drone system that will be capable of carrying a heavier load and of carrying out safe flights in high winds and lower air density.

Ana will further analyze her collected samples and the images that Ritu provided for further publication. Ultimately, Ana wants to publish a geotechnical zoning map for future MDRS crews.

KC was Hab Comm for the EVA. He then inventoried the entire kitchen. One of the things he wished he had was more preemptive information on kitchen supplies before he came to MDRS. He wants to give future crew better information. KC has been doing an amazing job as the Crew Engineer. Going above and beyond daily maintenance.

Megan made fudge brownies as a surprise for the EVA team while they were gone. Afterward, she spent almost six hours closing down the GreenHab for the season. For the finale, she brought in six kilograms of produce.

I, surprise, surprise, spent my day on the radio. I’ve learned a lot about HF operations. I made some mistakes. I learned how to jump into a pile-up (i.e. when multiple stations are trying to reach one station). It was really on this last day of operations that I got to experience some of the magic of amateur radio. Early in the morning, I got to hear operators from Australia and Japan. No, I didn’t get through those pile-ups, but it was amazing just to hear the other side of the world from a portable 20 Watt station in Utah.

As we close our journey here at MDRS, we think about the magic of what we are doing and why we are doing it. Each of us have a different dream we are pursuing. Ana, Ritu, and Megan want to be the first women on Mars. KC wants to farm on Mars. Ana wants to develop geotechnologies for building on Mars. I am passionate about space communications. Each of have our dreams to further human presence on Mars.

Thank you MDRS and thank you to all that have been following our journey. 73s.

Posted on

Sol Summary – May 25th

Crew 281 Sol Summary Report 25 May 2023
Sol: 11
Summary Title: Geological miracles
Author’s name: Ritupriya Patil (XO) and Megan Kane (Commander)
Mission Status: Nominal
Sol Activity Summary:
EVA:
This was another long EVA with a crew of three. The crew entered the airlock exiting at 0753 hrs. They first checked all the rovers and collected the hours and SoC information, and it was verified that all were securely plugged in. They then unplugged Opportunity and Curiosity and headed out for the first destination at 0758 for the intersection of Cow Dung and Watney Road. The area seemed like a former riverbed; the crew saw lots of sedimentary rocks possibly washed by the flowing water in the past. They also witnessed calcite compressions on the sides of the pathway. The crew walked no more than 600 m and explored. Ana (Crew Scientist) collected 7 rocks (1167 g) and 1 Tube of soil (72 g). Ritu (XO, EVA Lead) deployed the drone to capture aerial.
For lunch the crew had leftovers and then worked on mission and research summaries. Rachel accomplished her goal of 50 contacts on her ham radio set up across 2 nations – USA and Canada. KC did his routine checks along with inventory work. Megan prepped green hab for end of mission dismantling. Ana did the same for science dome and the RAM. Ritu worked on the daily reports and EVA planning for tomorrow, which will be the longest of all.
For dinner Megan prepared potato vegetable soup for dinner and then crew jumped on a call with the current Hi-SEAs crew called IKE-LOA. During the call, both crews exchanged their experience with research, facilities and showed around their respective habitats. It was a great way to connect with another crew doing similar mission, Hi-SEAs was on the Moon and MDRS crew was on Mars. This was also a great opportunity to network with other space explorers.
Look Ahead Plan: Tomorrow we will do 2-person, long range EVA to run some more drone payload tests. Next we will stop at Marble Ritual for images of scanlines that were measured on earlier EVAs. Last stop will be the Special Region in the north.
Anomalies in work: None
Weather: Winds
Crew Physical Status: Nominal
EVA: Completed 1 today
Reports to be filed:
Greenhab Report
EVA Report
EVA Request
Ops Report
Journalist Report
PHOTOS!
Photo of the Day

Support Requested:
Mission support is requested in case of storms if the antenna needs to come down or be retrieved.

Posted on

Operations Report – May 25th

Crew 281 Operations Report 25 May 2023
SOL: 11
Name of person filing report: Megan Kane (Commander), Ritupriya Patil (Executive Officer) and KC Shasteen (Crew Engineer)
Non-nominal systems:
Electrical outlets in kitchen
Remote observatory
EVA Helmet
Notes on non-nominal systems: None
ROVERS
Spirit rover used: No
Hours: (before EVA): 222.5
Hours: (after EVA): NA
Beginning charge: (Before EVA): 100%
Ending charge: (On return from EVA, before recharging): NA
Currently charging: Yes
Opportunity rover used: Yes
Hours: (before EVA): 131.2
Hours: (after EVA): 132.1
Beginning charge: (Before EVA): 100%
Ending charge: (On return from EVA, before recharging): 95%
Currently charging: Yes
Curiosity rover used: Yes
Hours: (before EVA): 240.2
Hours: (after EVA): 241.0
Beginning charge: (Before EVA): 100%
Ending charge: (On return from EVA, before recharging): 75%
Currently charging: Yes
Perseverance rover used: No
Hours: (before EVA): 264.6
Hours: (after EVA): NA
Beginning charge: (Before EVA): 100%
Ending charge: (On return from EVA, before recharging): NA
Currently charging: Yes
General notes on rovers: Oppy and Curie used on long EVA to the intersection of Cow Dung and Hwy 1101 and back. Operation was nominal.
Summary of Hab operations:
WATER USE: 32.4 gallons
Water (static tank): 202.2 gallons
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: All suits and radios are fully recharged.
Summary of GreenHab operations:
WATER USE: 2.25 gallons
Heater: Off
Supplemental light: Off
Harvest: in grams : None
Summary of Science Dome operations:
Dual split: Heat and AC, Off
Cacao Experiment:
Watered cacao seedlings
Initial cleaning in preparation for exiting the station.
Summary of RAM operations: (Tools used, work done)
Initial cleaning completed in preparation for exiting the station.
Summary of any observatory issues: NA
Summary of health and safety issues:
No new issues to report.
Questions, concerns and requests to Mission Support:
Request Mission Support assistance to take down or retrieve the ham radio antenna in case of emergency or high winds.

Posted on

Journalist Report – May 25th

Crew 281 Journalist Report 25 May 2023

Journalist Report

By: Rachel Jones

11th Sol, Went for a Stroll

It’s almost the end of our time here on Mars, but our crew still has a thousand things to do. KC, Ana, and Ritu went on a long EVA to an alluvial plane along Watney Road (I wonder if Watney Road is named after the main character from The Martian…I hope so). They then walked a kilometer from Cow Dung Rd to Barrainca Butte. They collected samples and took additional drone footage at both locations.

For lunch, I successfully got some of Ritu’s leftover casserole. Ritu, Megan, KC, and Anna worked on end-of-mission reports. KC also did routine maintenance checks and inventorying.

I spent my morning, afternoon, and evening on the radio. My goal was to make over 50 contacts while I was at the Mars Desert Research Station, and I have! A contact in amateur radio is when two radio operators successfully exchange information. If you are a cyber/aviation geek (like me), think of it like a three-way handshake. A typical conversation might be similar to the following:

Rachel: “CQ. CQ. CQ. This is KO4HLC” (CQ is a code used to say an operator is open to talk with anyone)

Tony: “KO4HLC this is NR1Z, I read you at a 5.5” (The responding operator might give my call sign (KO4HLC), or they might just say their own (NR1Z). They then might give a signal report that indicates how well received one station is to the other.)

Rachel: “NR1Z, I read you 5.3 from a portable in Utah. QSL?” (QSL is a code used to indicate a successful contact)

Tony: “QSL, 73. NR1Z Out.” (73 means “best regards”)

I am grateful for those that took the time to talk with me from around the United States and Canada. I’m also so thankful for my crew mates that supplied me with food and drink as I worked hard to accomplish my contact goal.

This evening, our MDRS Crew 281 talked to the HI-SEAS Crew “Ike Loa.” We each got a virtual tour of each other’s analog Habitats. I particularly enjoyed meeting the Hi-Sea’s robotic seal, Pono.

I’ll still be on the air for one more day. I hope to make some additional contacts before we wrap up our mission on Mars. 73s.

Posted on

GreenHab Report – May 25th

Crew 281 GreenHab Report 25 May 2023
GreenHab Officer: Megan Kane
Environmental control: mixed door open/ door open with fan
Average temperatures: 85.73 °F
Hours of supplemental light: None
Daily water usage for crops 1.45 gallons
Daily water usage for research and/or other purposes: 0.79 gallons
Water in Blue Tank 153.59 gallons
Time(s) of watering for crops:
0707: refilled 5 water bottle (2.5 L) watered other plants as needed 3L
Changes to crops: None
Narrative:
In the morning the GreenHab was checked and watered. The cooling cloth’s reservoir was also refilled to the full 3L. The temperature was checked several times. The highest recorded temperature today was 101.8.
Harvest: (include which crop and mass in grams): None
Support/supplies needed: None

Posted on

EVA Report – May 25th

Crew 281 EVA Report 25-05-2023
EVA # 12
Authors: Ritupriya Patil (Executive Officer), Ana Pires (Crew Scientist)
Purpose of EVA:
Drone flight to record and do aerial imagery for new exploration areas
Acquire vertical images and videos for previously done geotechnical survey of Marble Ritual (Not completed)

Start time: 0753 hrs
End time: 1112 hrs
Narrative:
This was another long EVA with a crew of three. At 0748 hrs the crew entered the airlock exiting at 0753 hrs. They first checked all the rovers and collected the hours and SoC information, and it was verified that all were securely plugged in. They then unplugged Opportunity and Curiosity and headed out for the first destination at 0758 for the intersection of Cow Dung and Watney Road. The area seemed like a former riverbed; the crew saw lots of sedimentary rocks possibly washed by the flowing water in the past. They also witnessed calcite compressions on the sides of the pathway. The crew walked no more than 600 m and explored. Ana (Crew Scientist) collected 7 rocks (1167 g) and 1 Tube pf soil (72 g). Ritu (XO, EVA Lead) deployed the drone to capture aerial.
For the next stop, the crew wrapped up and drove on Cow Dung Road until they arrived at 1101 Road intersection. From there, they went on foot for about 1 Km and reached Barrainca’s Butte. On the way, they saw Hematite and Ana collected 6 rock samples (789 g) and 1 tube of soil (60g). Ritu was ready for the drone flight and got some great shots of the crew against Barrainca’s Butte with the drone along with other footage of the area.
The crew then left for MDRS and dropped Marble Ritual due to overheating. Today’s EVA was a great reminder of how space and extreme environments can be challenging. A total of almost 2 Km hiking with the suit and backpacks as life-support system was not an easy task in the high sun. Combined with driving the rover without a support for the backpacks to rest on gave the crew some muscle aches. Which is why ergonomics in spacesuit design proves to be an essential aspect of space exploration. Comfortable spacesuits will aid in longer exploration times and achieving research goals.
Also, to add to the challenges of hiking, XO’s waist buckle kept popping open and the backpack would slide down, pulling the weight of the life support system and the helmet on the shoulders. Rest of EVA crew tried to change length of the belt and resetting it but seemed like the buckle has seen some wear and tear over past missions and that wasn’t a permanent fix.
Despite all the pain and exhaustion the expedition was fruitful and left the crew with happiness for exploring one more geological miracle!
Overview of EVA
Drove to the intersection of Cow Dung and Watney Road and then walk no more than a radius of 1 Km to explore the area
Drove further on Cow Dung and 1101 Road intersection and walked 1 Km to north explore Barrainca’s Butte

Issues Experienced During EVA
Intermittent comms issues.
XO, backpack buckle came undone a couple of times while hiking back from Barrainca’s Butte. It could have been due to inadvertent pressure on the belt buckle, and it popped open. Also seems like the buckle has seen a bit of wear and tear.

Outcomes
Crew completed Rover checks
Explored intersection of Cow Dung and Watney Road area, collected soil and rock samples, and drone footage
Explored Barrainca’s Butte region, rock and soil samples and drone footage
Collected 18 rocks, 1.956 Kg; 2 tubes of soil, 132 g

Destination:
Intersection of Cow Dung (Zubrin’s Head) and Watney Road. Then walk 1 Km North East
Intersection of Cow Dung and 1101. Explore Barrainca’s Butte region, and then walk 1 Km to North/ North West
Marble Ritual, walking no more than a radius of 500m; (Depending on Wind conditions)

Coordinates :
(use UTM WSG 84): 519833E, 4248257N
(use UTM WSG 84): 519984E, 4247645N
(use UTM WSG 84): 518687 E, 4250789 N
EVA Participants 3: Ritupriya Patil (XO, EVA Lead), Ana Pires (Crew Scientist), KC Shasteen (Crew Engineer)
Road(s) and routes per MDRS Map:
Drive on Cow Dung Road to the South until the Watney road intersection, park on the side park on the side of intersection
Drive on Cow Dung road further south the intersection of 1101, park on the side of intersection
Mode of travel: Rover

Posted on

Sol Summary – May 24th

Crew 281 Sol Summary Report 24 May 2023
Sol: 10
Summary Title: Drones and winds
Author’s name: Ritupriya Patil (XO) and Megan Kane (Commander)
Mission Status: Nominal
Sol Activity Summary:
EVA:
The EVA crew went out 0905 hrs and checked the Rovers before heading to the radio antenna. After assessing the antenna and making sure it was working properly the crew moved on to near the science dome. From within the observatory Ritu (XO) commenced the drone payload tests. Six flights were planned. Only 2 were completed due to the wind conditions. During the second flight the drone was able to successfully deliver the payload to the simulated injured astronaut. Unfortunately, winds started gusting while the drone was returning, and it took effort to land it inside the Musk Observatory fence. Which resulted in a minor accident and slight damage to the propellers of the drone causing one of the leading edges to dent. We would like to recommend installation of a windsock for continuous wind information to help mitigate such accidents.
After the drone tests were completed, the EVA crew did a short external inspection of the hab documenting any visible issues. No safety issues were found. Minor findings will be added to the final inspection report.
After the EVA, Ritu made cheddar broccoli and rice casserole. Feeling some exhaustion over the days of EVA, research, and other activities the crew took some afternoon time off to rest. Megan (Commander) and Ritu then began prep for pizza dough for dinner, which turned out great given the dryness and higher altitude at MDRS. After a delicious pizza dinner, the crew jumped in on report writing.
Rachel (HSO) made further progress in contacting other stations on her ham radio station and got clearance to join the Old Man International Side Band Society!
In the Green hab, Megan harvested cucumbers, chives and tomatoes (that went into the yummy pizza sauce!). KC continued his magic to keep the hab running without any problems. There were no operations in the RAM today.
Look Ahead Plan: Tomorrow we will do 3-person, long range EVA to Barrainca’s Butte. On our way back if the winds cooperate we will stop at Marble Ritual for images of scanlines that were measured on earlier EVAs.
Anomalies in work: None
Weather: Winds and thunder
Crew Physical Status: Nominal
EVA: Completed 1 today
Reports to be filed:
Greenhab Report
EVA Report
EVA Request
Ops Report
Journalist Report
PHOTOS!
Photo of the Day

Support Requested:
Mission support is requested in case of storms if the antenna needs to come down or be retrieved.

Copyright © The Mars Society. All rights reserved. | Main Site