Category: Journalist Report

Lipi Roy, Crew 288 Journalist
12.16.2023
Sol 06
Driving through the vast expanse of the red desert on our way back, we spot our tiny habitat from miles away. We wonder what it would feel like as a Martian to finally get the sight of their safe abode, while on a perilous mission…
The crew woke up to a spectacular Martian sunrise and to the tunes of ‘The Moon is calling‘. Then, with the help of our crew engineer (and potato expert) Jesus, I quicky whipped up an assortment of fried potato crisps and mushroom-chicken-spam-scrambled eggs. In case you’re wondering about the variety of ingredients, it was all a courtesy of our commander, whose “precise calculations” yesterday resulted in more leftovers than dinner itself.
Ready for the day, Cesare (commander), Riley (XO), Hunter (Crew Geologist), and I commenced on our bumpy drive to Compass rock for some GPR measurements and sample collection. It was a nice learning experience to see how easily the GPR data could be collected using Riley’s magic tool; though I am not sure how much our today’s GPR dragger (Hunter) would agree with that. We then went on to collect rock samples from the area to make the day worthwhile for the crew geologist. In case the mission control is wondering why we request 4.5-hour EVAs every day, it is to factor in the time spent by our geologist getting distracted by rocks. I do hope he is proud of me for correctly identifying petrified wood today!
The EVA crew came back to Jilian’s (HSO) delicious pasta and Ryan’s (GHO) amazing cornbread. It seems Ryan has moved on from following recipes exactly and following his instinct. Great going, Ryan! As a cherry on top to the spectacular day, Jesus (crew engineer) surprised us by reviving the Baby Yoda. Thank you, Jesus! Seems like the crew that stayed behind has been equally productive!
The evening saw some interesting conversations with Ryan trying to prove why Harry Potter is overrated. But seems like he was singled out six to one. Sorry, Ryan. You may be right, but we are too attached to it to agree with you! For dinner, Jesus prepared yummy Spanish rice and fried veggies, which we all had with a side of report writing.
The crew is now waiting eagerly for today’s movie night and a relaxing Sunday!

Lipi Roy, Crew 288 Journalist
12.17.2023
Sol 07
Boardgames, delicacies, and naps. Doesn’t that sound like the perfect Sunday? Crew 288 took time off from work today to relax and recharge (and eat…a lot!). After all, as Isaac Mizrahi said, “the more relaxed you can get, the better you’ll do”.
The day began on a ‘sweet’ note with Jilian’s (HSO) and Riley’s (XO) banana muffins. Yum! The muffins were a perfect combination to go with the strategic boardgame, ‘Trails’, which occupied most of mine, Ryan’s (GHO), and Jesus’s(ENG) morning. Meanwhile, Riley and Jilian found their peace in reading, as Hunter graded assignments and could only dream of relaxing. In the meantime, our Commander, Cesare, prepared a scrumptious baked Ziti for lunch, making the day even better!
Having said that, it was no less a day of learning! I learnt the process of ‘hand pollination’ from Ryan as he let me pollinate the cucumber plants, while our XO and Crew Engineer soaked up ‘drone flying’ wisdom from Cesare.
Afternoon naps ended with a cutthroat competition in ‘Bananagrams’. Actually, not really. It’s barely a competition when Riley is playing. At least let somebody else win for once, Riley!
The evening was bound to be eventful as Ryan took the lead on baking once again. It so happens to be that Ryan and ‘sugar’ just don’t go well together. But in all honesty, it wasn’t too bad. We can work with sugar ‘dip’ instead of sugar ‘frosting’! But thanks to him, we enjoyed a group activity of carving out ‘Mars’ and ‘Christmas’ themed cookies! Thanks, Ryan, for taking the initiative!
As we enjoy the sugar cookies with the sugar/chocolate dip, we await a fun night of stargazing!

Lipi Roy, Crew 288 Journalist
12.13.2023
Sol 03

“The Earth is the cradle of humanity, but mankind cannot stay in the cradle forever.” Today, in what marked our first actual EVA, our crew tried to play a small part in understanding what lies beyond this cradle.
The crew woke up to the refreshing beats of ‘Captain Fantastic by Elton John’ and a breakfast of freshly cooked biscuits and creamy mashed potatoes – a courtesy of our commander. Excited for the first major mission, we listened intently to Hunter (Crew Geologist) and Riley (XO) as they explained how geological sampling and GPR acquisition is done.
Following the debrief, we bade goodbye to Hunter, Riley, Jilian (HSO), and Ryan (GHO) who commenced their four-and-a-half hour-long EVA to Watney Road. The data that they collect would be extremely useful in the geological mapping of the area, in hopes of proving that these techniques could be used by future Martian astronauts. Doesn’t it feel great to be a part of something much larger than yourself?
Back at the Hab, we were up to another adventure of freshly preparing bread and mayo from scratch. Free time demands creativity! Our commander also cooked spaghetti and tuna-based tomato sauce to support our crew who would come back exhausted from the EVA. We continued our hab adventure in the solar observatory, where we learnt about setting up the telescope and focusing on the Sun, thanks to our commander. Sadly, the clouds disrupted our session in-between, but I’m positive Cesare won’t say no to another class!
The evening paced down, as the successful EVA crew relaxed a bit (except for Ryan who relaxed a lot). I prepared a protein-rich chickpea curry in hopes of rejuvenating them; I hope they liked it as much as they said they did!

Lipi Roy, Crew 288 Journalist
12.14.2023
Sol 04
Four days of EVAs, stargazing, harvesting, and cooking later, I can positively confirm for the entirety of my crew – never again will we ever underestimate the power of a hot shower.
The day began with the tunes of ‘Star Man’ and Riley’s (XO) wonderful pancakes. Filled to the brim with Nutella, syrup, and peanut butter, and energized with Hunter’s (Crew Geologist) crash course of Stretching 101, we were ready for today’s geology EVA.
With an aim to collect volcanic rock samples, Hunter, Cesare (commander), Jesus (crew engineer), and I headed off to the exquisite Barainca Butte; a place whose geological richness would be enough to pique the interest of any geologist. Now, our Hunter isn’t just any geologist, so you can imagine what would have happened! Just kidding, he led the EVA well, often sharing his geology wisdom with us.
“Spot, mark, take ‘before’ photo, take sample, take ‘after’ photo, and repeat” – sounded so simple when Hunter explained it, but add an EVA suit, gloves, and time constraint – and this becomes nothing less than a challenge. Four-and-a-half hours of that later, we came back to a wonderful lunch Riley had decided to surprise us with. Thanks Riley!
It was also supposed to be a delicious carrot-cake afternoon, right Ryan? His ‘switching off the oven lights’ to surprise us, didn’t quite go in his favor because when he unraveled the finished product, it seemed to be less of a cake and more of an overflowing burnt-sugar carrot sauce . A few more minutes of that, and I could have collected another volcanic rock sample from that lava. Cesare and Jilian (HSO) decided to see the silver lining and attempted to eat the sauce. Well, it was a masterpiece in its own unique, slightly burnt, way.
Don’t worry Ryan. These things happen. And as Cesare said – ‘if never make any mistakes, you’ve never tried anything new’! Anyhow, we appreciate the thought behind it; and you did manage to redeem yourself at dinner with a yummy Pad-Thai and with an actual carrot cake.
The biggest highlight still was the hot shower the whole crew was allowed to get today. I understand the importance of water conservation in a mission like this, but I swear, I will never again look at a shower in the same way again.

Lipi Roy, Crew 288 Journalist
12.15.2023
Sol 05
With Hunter’s spam fried rice for breakfast, my potato parathas for lunch, and Cesare’s pizzas for dinner, seems like this crew has found their salvation in isolation. In a long, four-hour walking-EVA, it is important to be fed well – before AND after!
Today, Cesare (Commander), Hunter (Geologist), Jilian (HSO), and Jesus(Crew Engineer) walked up to Skyline Rim to collect more geology samples. In the vast expanse of the red planet, the group walked up to Hab Ridge first, where we could spot their tiny faces from the commander’s window. A friendly wave to our friends; awaiting their safe return. We could intermittently hear them play ’20 questions’ to spice up the walk. Great idea, crew!
We welcomed them back with another round of kitchen experiments (which, thankfully, did not go wrong this time). Everyone seemed to enjoy the Indian parathas I made; hope they helped satisfy the exhausted astronauts.
The best part would still be the assortment of four pizzas by our commander – basil/mushroom, meat lover’s, pineapple/spam, and Nutella. Topped up with freshly harvested herbs from the Greenhab (thanks to our GHO, Ryan), what more could someone ask for?

Lipi Roy, Crew 288 Journalist
12.11.2023
Sol 01? Or in-transit?

12 Noon @ Upper Deck – The crew is eagerly waiting to ‘arrive on Mars’, when we get the message from our commander, Cesare, that an unfortunate situation has occurred! A rescue mission will have to be executed, even before we begin sim!
The day started at 7:30 AM, as the crew woke up to a hearty Apollo-13 theme song played by our commander. After our first night, we realized Cesare wasn’t kidding when he said that the staterooms got really hot! In any case, I will try out Riley’s hack of keeping the door slightly ajar to let the cool air in.
For breakfast, Jesus prepared a delicious assortment of fried potatoes and eggs, which we all enjoyed with hot sauce, mozzarella, and parmesan cheese (We have apparently concluded that parmesan cheese can be topped over anything). With our stomachs filled, we dressed up in our flight suits (for the first time, yay!) to say ‘thank you’ to our sponsors. Umm, 17 sponsors didn’t feel so good when we had to take the same picture those many times! (Just kidding, we love you, our sponsors! Thank you for making this happen for us!)
Following the photoshoot, we went to explore the nearby hill, except Cesare who stayed back to test the drone. Little did we know that a simple drone test could result in a 4-hour long rescue mission!
As we got back from our 15-minute exploration, Cesare informed us that he had lost communication with the drone, and it did not automatically come back as he expected it to. So, he had to go with Sergii, up to somewhere west of Amazonia Planitia to bring back the drone. Everything was still on schedule, as planned, up till then. Until, at about noon, we realized our day would be very different from what we expected it to be. We were informed that while bringing back the drone, the Hab-car was heavily stuck in a ditch! Sergii and Cesare had to walk for 45 minutes, all the way back to the Hab to bring back help. Together with Sergii’s tools and added experience of Crew Engineer and GHO turned rescuers, our crew showed exemplary teamwork and problem-solving skills as they got the car out of the ditch!
As thrilled as everyone was to achieve this, it was already past 3 PM when they returned, and this meant we still couldn’t arrive on Mars today. I like to call this day ‘in-transit’. We still have tomorrow! The day paced slower after that, mostly with me and Jilian (HSO) helping Ryan (GHO) in the Green Hab. It was a wonderful (and a first for me) experience to harvest microgreens. We got a few grams each of kale, cilantro, red cabbage, arugula, and parsley which will probably be a part of much-awaited tomorrow’s meal.
In the evening, we enjoy a wonderful stew cooked by Hunter (Crew Geologist) and the sight of baby Yoda as we decide which movie to watch tonight. Stay tuned for our adventures as we finally enter simulation tomorrow!

Lipi Roy, Crew 288 Journalist
12.12.2023
Sol 02

Hab-Com to EVA Crew: Radio Check. Do you copy? EVA Crew to Hab-Com: Yes, we copy. And on we went, exploring the terrain around Marble Ritual, marveling at the exquisite geological patterns, wondering what it would be to explore the actual Mars…
Our first day on the red planet began to the calming beats of the interstellar theme song, subtly reminding us that it was finally the day to put our space suits on!
After a simple yet filling oatmeal breakfast cooked by Ryan (GHO), I and Jilian (HSO) went to help him in the Greenhab. As we helped plant peas and rosemary, we couldn’t help but admire how much our microgreens had grown overnight. In hopes of harvesting at least a few tomatoes before the end of our rotation, Ryan tried using the newly found exceptional instrument to enhance chances of fruit bearing – ‘the pollinator’. Sadly, it seemed the pollinator wasn’t too happy with the tomato plants because it gave up as soon as Ryan brought it close to the plant. Don’t worry, Ryan. We’ll charge it and try again tomorrow!
Meanwhile, Jesus took his stats final exam (yes guys, life happens!) under the “watchful” eye of our commander. It was also the time when we finally understood what no-internet feels like, when the first comms window closed at sharp 9. To no one’s surprise, it does not feel good. Guess it was up to us now to make the most of our “off-the-grid” life.
And we did! Next came the most exciting part – our FIRST EVAs! What did that feel like? I’d say – the wonder of exploration, feeling like an ‘almost’ astronaut and the spectacular geological features were more than enough to make up for five very long minutes of depressurization. I personally got the privilege of a Geology 101 class from Hunter and Riley, our geology experts. What can I say? Rocks rock!
We realized how the most mundane of tasks became quite challenging with the EVA suits on, like bending down to pick a rock, taking a selfie, or just getting into the rover. Right, Hunter? I learnt that I needed to secure my headset better with my hat; can’t risk losing communication on Mars!
The afternoon was spent relaxing for most of us, especially for Ryan who managed to get a quick nap after a mouse disrupted his sleep last night. Hang in there, Ryan. You’ll catch the mouse! Meanwhile, Jesus worked on soldering AA batteries to help with the experiments of the following crew.
Jilian’s scrumptious Mujadara for dinner was a cherry on the top of our wonderful day. A night of boardgames and Hunter’s funfetti cake awaits!

Sol #6
Title: A Day of Nutritious Balance and Advanced Exploration
Journalist’s name: Sunny
Crew name: Alpha
Crew number: 287

On Sol #6, the importance of nutrition and wellness was at the forefront of our morning routine. The day began with a log meeting with MARS-V Remote Control team lead Tulgaa, who showed great interest in our health and dietary habits. The provision of freeze-dried foods from Mongolia, courtesy of the MARS-V nutrition team, ensures that we maintain a healthy diet, a source of happiness and energy in this Mars simulation environment.

Post meeting, our morning continued with a delicious breakfast, followed by exercise and mindful meditation, setting a positive tone for the day.

The day’s main event was EVA #6, led by HSO Duluu. Team members Geologist Davaa, Psychologist Tunga, and Engineer Muggi, serving as CapCom, embarked on a mission to the Overlook. Their objectives were multifaceted: to collect soil samples and employ drone technology for remote reconnaissance and surveying. Favorable weather conditions further boosted the crew’s efficiency and morale. With each EVA, our team grows more adept and experienced in Martian exploration.

Back at the base, HSO Duluu engaged in vital work at the Green Hab, planting cucumbers using a new Hydroponic wick system. The sight of micro-greens, sprouted just three days ago, brought her immense joy and is a testament to our advancing agricultural capabilities on this simulated Martian landscape.

A highlight of Sol #6 was our team bonding game, a psychological exercise designed to enhance group dynamics. The game’s outcome was not only impressive but also highly recommended for fostering team cohesion and understanding.

As we conclude Sol #6, it’s evident that the balance of physical well-being, mental health, and team collaboration is pivotal to our success here. Each activity, be it a meal, meditation, EVA, or team game, plays a crucial role in our overall mission. These daily practices are shaping us into a more resilient and cohesive unit, ready to tackle the challenges of Mars exploration.

Sol #7
Title: Synergy in Science and SustenanceJournalist’s name: Sunny
Crew name: Alpha
Crew number: 287

On Sol 7, our day commenced with a leisurely start at 9 AM, breaking our fast with oatmeal, a shared exercise session, and a group meditation, collectively gearing up for the day’s tasks. Post-breakfast, the crew geared up for EVA #7, departing for White Rock Canyon to conduct reconnaissance, soil sampling, and drone footage.

Mealtimes were a highlight with Duluu preparing a varied lunch and Muggi serving up a spicy penne soup for dinner. These moments of communal dining underscored the unity and morale of our team, reinforcing the importance of shared experiences in maintaining crew spirit.

Scientific work pressed on with Davaa initiating his mud sample tests and Duluu tending to the Greenhab’s thriving plants. Despite a small hiccup in Tungaa’s microbiological research due to missing petri dishes, the crew’s productivity remained unhampered.

Muggi’s increasing drone piloting proficiency has greatly contributed to our surveying capabilities, while I continued to engage the public with our mission’s progress and day-to-day life. The crew’s anticipation for accessing the Musk Observatory remains, with hopes to integrate astronomical observations into our research soon.

As the Sol concludes, we reflect on a day marked by successful teamwork and scientific endeavor. Tomorrow’s plans include an out-of-sim excursion to further our exploration and documentation of this unique environment. The spirit of collaboration and discovery remains strong within Crew 287 as we look forward to the advancements and insights each new Sol brings.

Sol #8
Title: Research Progress and Exciting Astronomical Achievements
Crew name: Alpha
Crew number: 287

As we reach the midpoint of our mission, Sol 8 at the Mars Desert Research Station started with the team collaboratively working on our research report. The synergy and dedication were palpable, showcasing the remarkable teamwork we’ve cultivated. Keeping up with our healthy routines, we engaged in our regular morning exercise, an essential start to our day.

A significant highlight was Captain Dono receiving the green light to access the Musk Observatory. His accomplishment in capturing the first solar image has infused the crew with a sense of achievement and excitement. This breakthrough marks a vital step in our astronomical studies.

The midday meal, crafted by Davaa and me, brought the crew together over a delicious lunch, complemented by HSO Duluu’s freshly harvested salad microgreens. These moments of shared meals play a crucial role in maintaining morale and unity among the crew.

The day’s exploration included a special EVA focused on photo shooting and drone testing. With Ben from Mission Support as our capable Capcom, we are grateful for his guidance and support. Our journey led us to Lith Canyon and Whitehouse, offering us stunning views and an ideal location for our tests.

The day concluded with a productive online meeting with MARS-V Embedded Systems Engineer Battulga “Toshka”. Our discussions centered around the Mars analog suit’s helmet design, a critical element for safety and efficiency in our Martian environment. These collaborative sessions are key to enhancing our operational capabilities and suit functionality.

Sol 8 stands as a testament to the progress and excitement of our mission. From astronomical achievements to technological advancements and vital team collaborations, every aspect of today’s activities contributes to the overarching success of our Mars simulation. As we continue our journey, the spirit of discovery and innovation remains stronger than ever.