Author: jburk

MDRS Crew 202, Journalist Report

Sol 14 – 01/12/2018

Name the space movie (or show) given the following quote. Answer at the end of the Report:

Mankind was born on Earth … it was never meant to die here.

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This mission began with six individuals who vaguely knew each other, tied together by a common alma mater. Each crew member from a different walk of life, a wide variety of backgrounds, and unique research goals. After two weeks of being locked in a corn silo with little to no interaction with the outside world, I can honestly say I love these people so Dodge Ram much!

Paraphrased from our Director, Martian time moves different than Earth time, and this statement could not be more true. Our time here feels much longer than the mere 14 days, and our outside lives still seem lightyears away. Today, it became a little more real that we would be returning home tomorrow as we drove into town, on a paved road, ordered food in a restaurant, and sat down for a meal someone outside of the crew had prepared for us. Our eyes bigger than our stomachs, we gorged on burgers, shakes, and fries and laughed the night away. Giggling at inside jokes you had to be there for. Enjoying each other’s company.

Reflecting on my time at MDRS, I could not have predicted all the wonderful things I would take away from this experience. As Crew Journalist, I could not be more fortunate to have the role of listening to everyone’s incredible story and translating it into written words, videos, or sketches.

I always believed there was a place in space for all backgrounds – the vast and creative arts, all types of engineering, the full spectrum of sciences – but hearing our Chemistry major describe discovering her place in space, how she is finding ,through this trip, that there are roles for people outside of just aerospace majors and how she is just as valuable as anyone else in the crew was incredibly inspiring and is a message I will carry with me through my own career in the space industry.

You have a microbiome and plants have a microbiome and environments have microbiomes and all these microbiomes interact and affect each other. Sometimes those effects are nice, and sometimes they carry pathogens. This is incredibly important to know for Mars!

Space exploration is more than just the amazing data we collect about the planet, it will also push our minds and bodies to new extremes. This stress could have a long-term impact on decision making, which could be the difference between life and death in deep space exploration. I was always told stress is bad for you, but now I know a little more about the science behind why it is bad for you!

Look up at the Night Sky. What do you see? With the naked eye, we see a portrait of stories from long ago, a shimmering display of lights in different depths, a beautiful Milky Way splitting the sky in two. It is at the MDRS observatory where we captured close up images of these blinking lights and discovered these stars were not stars at all, but gigantic galaxies, colorful nebulas, and complex celestial bodies. Billions and trillions of celestial wonders that will appear simply as stars to astronaut eyes from both Earth and Mars.

ROCKS. Wow. Have you taken time today to appreciate the rocks surrounding you? The boulders you step on every day and their magnificence and importance to science? While my head will always be in the stars, after this mission I will take more time to appreciate the amazing and unassuming wonders at my feet.

Most of all, the people. This last paragraph is just for Crew 202. Brett. Yust Yoking. 82 years to 3000. 5 minute planks. Atila this is Hab. You’re Welcome! Nutella. Engineering. TP, peeps, and naps. The most rewarding part of this adventure was getting to know you wonderful people. As our Crew Engineer said, “Well I guess we all just have to live in the same place now”. I will miss each and every one of you as we begin to part ways, and I will forever be laughing at things no one else will understand. You have all given me an incredible appreciation for your backgrounds, your science, and simply you as a human being. Don’t be strangers. Keep in touch. My door is always open. I wish you all the best when you return to your adventures on Earth! Yeehaw!

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Movie (or Show) Answer: Interstellar

MDRS Crew 202, Journalist Report

Sol 12 – 01/10/2018

Name the space movie (or show) given the following quote. Answer at the end of the Report:

At some point, everything’s gonna go south on you and you’re going to say, this is it. This is how I end. Now you can either accept that, or you can get to work. That’s all it is. You just begin. You do the math. You solve one problem and you solve the next one, and then the next. And If you solve enough problems, you get to come home.

Holy smokes. It’s Sol 13. SOL THIRTEEN. Can you even believe it? It is our last day of simulation. Our last day of donning the suits for an extra-vehicular activity (EVA). Our last day of asking ourselves: “Is this what would happen on Mars?”

Today’s agenda: EVA #12 crewed by the Executive Officer, Engineer, Geologist, and Journalist, wrap up the final touches on research projects, and prepare the habitat for the next crew. Our last EVA as a crew was one for the books. Behind the habitat, there are these humongous rolling hills. Our Geologist needed a few final samples from the top of the hills, a mere 500 foot climb. With no feasible way to use the rovers, we set off on foot, finding grips through dried waterways where the snow had melted earlier that week. The 20 pounds of life support were definitely felt during the climb, but once you got to the top of the hill… It was breathtaking. Large plateaus appeared as castles overlooking their expansive plains which melted into rolling hills striped beige, reds, and browns. The hills are a maze leading into the scenic point mountain, the entirety of its peaks in view and the partially cloudy sky forced rays of light to illuminate its white peaks. Our habitat, our home, visible, nestled within the hills. A speck of life on the colorful terrain. No photo can do it justice. It was an incredible end to our Martian adventure.

It is our last day as just Crew 202 in the habitat. Upon our return from the EVA, work kicked into high gear. We conserved enough showers for each crew member to cleanse one last time before departing. This was a merciful act for the poor people on the plane home who have the unfortunate pleasure of sitting next to our mud-caked boots and dry shampoo spiked hair. We even had enough soap to do “laundry”. It was detergent filled water that reached two inches of a bucket, but (hopefully) the black color of the water after washing means our clothes are now clean. We swept the habitat, science dome, and green house, kicking up Martian dust storms that will inevitably settle back onto the floor when the new crew steps through the door. Final food inventory, taking note of how quickly all the semi-edible dust disappeared in the first week of the habitat. Strawberries finished on Sol 7. Oreos finished Sol 10. Salt… RIP Sol 12….

Tomorrow will be a strange day. The end of simulation means the end to our current way of life. We can step out of the habitat without a mic taped to our face, breathe in the Martian air, and feel the rays of the sun on our actual skin. We will show the new crew the ropes of living in the habitat and walk them through their new roles as Martians. It will be exciting to introduce strangers to this new world and reflect on how we felt first stepping in the habitat, a time that feels so long ago. There is tradition at MDRS of eating a final Earth meal for the incoming crew… and a first Earth meal for the current crew. Cheeseburgers, fries, and milkshakes await us tomorrow. REAL CHEESE. Cheese that doesn’t come from a tin can. Cheese that doesn’t become a horrifying glob in hot water. Creamy, luxurious cheese.

Tomorrow are our last reports, our last day on Mars, our last day as Crew 202. I’m sure the finality of it all will set in. Tonight, we discuss what we most look forward to returning to.

Movie (or Show) Answer: The Martian