Category: Journalist Report

Crew 222 Journalist Report 22Feb2020
Author: Marie Bochard, Crew Journalist
Sol 6
Title: Rainy day

In the prevision of rain, Benjamin and I went on EVA this morning to change the MegaARES’ battery in the hope that it will last for two days. We were very efficient, and after only 30 minutes we were back in the Hab.

Bleuenn took the time today to start her experiment “music for plants”,
in continuation of a similar experiment the crew 206 did last year. The
goal is to study the influence of music on plants’ ability to resist UV
radiation. This radiation will be very problematic on Mars if the
habitats are on the surface of the planet, hence the need to find ways
to protect or enhance the plants’ resistance.

Special sounds can inhibit genes that code for UV protection, hence the music (of course, it is a series of notes, not actual songs!). In 50 Petri dishes, she planted more than 500 watercress seeds, a plant that resembles salad.

Crew 223 will continue the experiment, so we are hoping to see promising results!

As the weather forecasted, this afternoon it began to rain. Thankfully,
it won’t rain on Mars…

We all kept quiet during the relaxation session, and we heard nothing
but the sound of raindrops falling on the roof. For those of us who live
in the city, it never gets this quiet and peaceful. We really feel cut
off from civilization, and it’s a great feeling. Not having to worry
about looking at our phones for messages or news is relaxing. We only have to communicate between ourselves, and speaking face to face is much nicer than waiting alone behind a phone.

Today my inspiration goes towards poetry. Rain is very poetic, and I
wanted to transmit that through Haikus. Haikus are Japanese poems
written with a simple rule for the number of syllables in each verse: 5
– 7 – 5.

Raindrops fall in peace
Nature always has her way
Keeping us quiet

Breathing in and out
Looking out the small window
Red sand in the rain

Standing in the rain
Nothing matters like you do
Alone with your thoughts

Crew 222 Journalist Report 21Feb2020

Author: Marie Bochard, Crew Journalist

Sol 5

Title: Discussions

Today’s EVA group went all the way up North to the White Moon. The landscape was breath-taking, and it made us want to meditate while looking at the panorama. The sea of stones in front of us was alien-like. The group sat down for a few minutes enjoying a little rest after the climb up top, and soaked in the view from up the hill. We like to take everything slow here, because nothing good comes from a rush, especially when there is a risk to be hurt. The group headed back and reached the Hab in time for lunch.

During their EVA, we baked delicious bread and prepared a rice salad. The meal was marked by a very interesting discussion between all of us, on topics as vast as ecology, politics and relationships. Nicolas is an environmental activist, and we all learned a lot about what measures need to be taken to prevent a 7°C increase by 2100. It’s hard imagining what’s going on back on Earth while living confined on Mars, because none of the issues seem to matter since we are so far away and unimpacted. But these issues do matter, since problems on Earth will prevent any further exploration of the solar system, including Mars.

Being confined here, we have to find new subjects of conversation often and there is no other source of entertainment than ourselves. We did bring books and movies, but we all prefer talking and playing card games when we have free time. It seems like we’ve known each other for years, as we are all becoming closer and closer day after day.

Valentin, the crew engineer, and myself continued working on his backpack and LCVG this afternoon. LCVG stands for Liquid Cooling and Ventilation System. It is what astronauts use to cool themselves down in their spacesuits, because in space there is no air breeze to cool the suit’s atmosphere. His backpack is similar to the one here at the station, it blows air in the helmet to prevent fogging. These two systems together mimic what marsonauts will carry in their back when they will go on EVAs. The electronics were giving us trouble, but looking at every component individually helped us solve the issue. The system is almost ready to go! We plan to test it on EVA tomorrow. Once again, I’ll keep you posted.

Crew 222 Journalist Report 20Feb2020

Author: Marie Bochard, Crew Journalist

Sol 4

Title: Precious water

The exploration continues! This morning, the EVA group headed down South to the Kissing Camels, a set of rocks between which the road passes through. Once there, we safely climbed over to the ridge, the hill that surpasses the road. The view up there was beautiful, on one side there was a vast plain with colored hilltops, on the other side there was a snowy mountain in the distance, between the high rock hills.

This afternoon, our crew Scientist, Nina, finished assembling her AeroSpring tower, the vertical culture tower. She also started to cultivate the plants that will grow in this tower, in a special moss that allows faster growth. We are hoping to see some sprouts before the end of our mission, and I will keep you posted!

Our Commander, Benjamin, also started putting together his experiment: the water-consumption control system. Using a camera linked to buttons, once someone wants to use water they just have to press a button before and the device will take a picture of the water-level before and after opening the tap. This monitoring is very important to our mission. Water is a rare resource here, and it has to be used with parsimony. Our biggest source of consumption is drinking: each crew member drinks up to 3L per day, since it is very dry here we are always thirsty. We also use water for cooking, as all our food comes dehydrated and has to be submerged in water before being cooked. The rest of the consumption comes from the dishes, hygiene and the toilet flush. We manage to use only 15 gallons of water per day in the Hab! Of course, in the GreenHab water is used to water the plants, and this system doesn’t take it into account since it is already monitored there.

Once again, Nicolas had prepared a relaxation session, which ended the afternoon well. Tonight is a special night: it’s pizza night! While writing our reports, we can all smell the oven heating up for our long-awaited dinner. Goodnight from every member of this amazing crew!

Crew 222 Journalist Report 19Feb2020

Author: Marie Bochard, Crew Journalist

Sol 3

Title: Explorers

Mars is truly a beautiful planet. This morning was our first exploration-focused EVA. The group left for North Ridge, and came across stunning sights. The red sand meets yellow stones, dark hills are intercut by lighter sediments, it seems every step brings a new landscape to our eyes. It feels like we are so far from Earth, and we are! Even with spacesuits on, we all wished to have explored the surroundings of the Hab for hours on end.

Today we take a tour of the GreenHab with Bleuenn, our GreenHab officer. She is responsible for watering, planting and harvesting all the plants that we have. The GreenHab is our own little piece of Earth, a reminder of the green and blue planet that we left. Having this greenery is extremely important to us. Everything around us is hostile and infertile, whereas home grows in the soil of the GreenHab. It plays a big part in cheering us up: seeing plants grow and eating fresh food is very good for the morale. Back home, we are all used to eating fresh fruits and vegetables at every meal, especially since some of us are vegetarians, and the dehydrated food we have doesn’t have the same texture as food back on Earth. Flowers can also help with the isolation, as they can bring the smell of home to the Hab. All in all, the GreenHab is not just a habitat for vegetation, it also helps keep everyone in good mental shape!

We ended the day with a group cohesion activity. Nicolas spread cards on the table with qualities on them, and we each chose a couple that represented us. The goal was to explain how these qualities defined us, using examples from our experience. This was a very enriching experience as we got to know more of everyone, and being able to open up to the crew is important to be fully integrated. It was a great way to end the day, we are all feeling good and ready for tomorrow

Here is the report of the journalist who was in the EVA today !

Crew 222 Journalist Report 18Feb2020

Author: Marie Bochard, Crew Journalist

Sol 2

Title: Head in the stars!

Today in EVA, we were tasked with setting up the experiment MegaARES, a giant aluminium sphere that measures the magnetic field of the planet. When we practiced putting it up before leaving, it did not take too long, but here it took us two whole hours! It’s hard to imagine how difficult it is moving in a spacesuit. Every small task becomes difficult. Just getting in the rover seat was tough, and trying to get back up after sitting down was even harder. This is in part due to the large backpack we have to carry around, since it is quite heavy and impairs our movements, and since this was our first EVA we kept bumping into each other lightly. Thankfully we quickly got the hang of it, and the suit no longer bothered us.

Upon our return, we could smell the delicious smell of a savory cake waiting for us. Martian food, when cooked to perfection, can rival with Earth cuisine! Especially when seasoned with GreenHab-grown greens that our GreenHab officer harvested yesterday.

Here, far from civilization, far from any man-made light, the night sky is beautiful. Today, Eishi showed us the pictures of a galaxy that he took last night. As the Astronomer, he has access to three telescopes here in the MDRS.

The first one is for finding objects in the night sky, such as galaxies and stars. It is fully automated and it can follow the objects that the Astronomer wishes to study during the night. It then activates the second telescope that takes astrophotography, and in the morning, the Astronomer has access to all the images taken by the telescope.

The third one is a manual solar telescope that is used to follow the Sun’s activity during the day. With it, we can see clearly the dark spots and solar eruptions. This will be crucial on Mars, because without a magnetic field all the radiation from the Sun directly hits the surface of the planet, and this can be fatal to Marsonauts who will live there. The Sun isn’t a still ball of plasma, it has phases where its activity increases or decreases, and following these cycles is important to ensure we can predict future activity and prevent any danger. Solar flares can be dangerous for the Earth too, as it interferes with electronic instruments! Even if it is millions of kilometers away, it has the power to make and destroy.

Crew 222 Journalist Report 17Feb2020
Author: Marie Bochard, Crew Journalist
Sol 1
Title: Problem-solving

Here on Mars, every small problem can take incredible proportions. Consider this: what if one life-support system fails? The entire mission is at stake, so everyone has to chip in and help repair the problem. Thankfully, this rarely happens, but minor problems still occur.

This morning was our first EVA, and there were two important experiments to get ready. The LOAC is used to measure air particles, which will be necessary to analyze the atmosphere on Mars, and the weather station can help predict dust storms that will be frequent on the red planet. Both experiments were assembled before leaving the Hab, because when we are on EVA we wear big gloves that really impair on our ability to manipulate tools. Once the setup was done, the four crew members leaving for EVA got ready in their spacesuits. These backpacks are designed specifically to enable humans to walk on Martian soil even though the environment is hostile: there is no oxygen on the surface of Mars, so us humans cannot breathe. This is an example of a life-support system that can need repair, since we cannot leave the station without it!

After a (very) spicy lunch, it was time for everyone to focus on their experiments. Valentin, the engineer, was tasked with finding a way to power a data collector for the weather station. This proved to be more difficult than we thought: after trying to solder batteries together to provide enough power to the data collector, which took us a few hours, we settled on using a powerbank. Problem-solving isn’t always about trying to make an idea work, it’s also about finding new ideas, and today was a proof for that.

Enough problems for now, today was also filled with crew moments. Meals are always a great way of communicating between us, since we all eat together. There moments are crucial for crew cohesion, because we are going to be living together for two weeks, so being honest and understanding everyone’s concern is fundamental. Cohesion is about sharing our favorite moments from every day, but also about making sure everyone feels at home and is their best self.

As the day winds down, we are all happy to smell the delicious blueberry tart that Bleuenn baked this afternoon. This has been an incredible first sim day, and we are looking forward to tomorrow!

Crew 222 Journalist Report 16Feb2020
Author: Marie Bochard, Crew Journalist
Sol 0
Title: Welcome home!

As we woke up on the red planet this morning, it felt like we were finally home. The sun was up before us and shone brightly on the hills. The Hab was hectic as everyone woke up, and the previous crew was getting ready to leave. After saying our goodbyes, we settled into our rooms. It’s hard to believe we are finally here, after a whole year of preparation! It seems so unreal.

To start off the day, the Director gave us a briefing on the station, and then we prepared our first meal. On the menu: rice with dehydrated green peas and sweet potatoes!

A delicious introduction to Martian cuisine.

But before our mission can truly start, there are still some things to be done.

Today is ‘training day’.

Everything has to be ready to start the sim tonight. This means doing the food inventory, ensuring the suits all work, and most importantly (or at least most fun), this means learning how to drive the rovers and ATVs! We went for a drive on both to get the hang of the vehicles. When we will drive on EVA, it will be harder to maneuver with the suits so everyone got to try. Even our seasoned commander took the wheel!

As the day started to wind down, we started working on our reports.

Clicks of keyboards were the only sounds we heard for an hour. The astronomer sent his photos, the commander wrote his Sol Summary, the engineer went on his last non-sim check of all life-support and transportation systems… and I wrote down these very words.

Tonight, the simulation starts. Tonight, our mission begins. Tonight, we dine on Mars!

Crew 221 Journalist Report 14Feb2020

Author: Hemani Kalucha, Crew Journalist

Sol 12

Title: Last Day in Sim!

This morning, Maria and Rawan went on the crew’s last EVA to the moons. They tested the robot, built the antenna, and even took two samples, so an efficient last day on Mars! Commander Grulich unfortunately had a fall and hurt her neck, but then got a lovely massage from Jess and is better now. All day, the crew either cleaned or wrapped up science experiments. This included measuring salinity and pH in the samples, harvesting the blue corn, and cleaning the lesser liked parts of the sink. One last time, we sat together with eggs and amazing costa rican coffee for breakfast. One last time we had soup and intense conversation for lunch. Each meal has been a mix of longing for freshfood and bittersweet memories of hanging out with the crew. We saved a delicious coconut curry for dinner, and are about to jump into that now. Last but not least, we have a special valentine’s day gift exchange after dinner tonight. Signing off for the last time, Crew 221.

Crew 221 Journalist Report 13Feb2020

Author: Hemani Kalucha, Crew Journalist

Sol 11

Title: Almost at the End

This morning, we got the program of the rover to function! In the afternoon, the all-girl (Maria, Hemani, Jess) EVA team headed out to test the rover at Candor Chasma. We got some adorable pictures of the rover picking up samples under overhang rocks. After celebrating our last EVA, the crew plans to spend one of our last evenings together with games and good conversation.

Crew 221 Journalist Report 12Feb2020

Author: Hemani Kalucha, Crew Journalist

Sol 10

Title: Hilarious Heads Up

This morning, the all girl (Maria, Hemani, Jess) EVA team headed out to complete radio assembly. The team successfully built the radio tower without help from HabCom in two different locations. After the mission objective was complete, the team made some pit stops on the way back to film their dance video, set to the music of “We Are Not Alone” from the move, the Breakfast Club. This will be used for outreach. The music fit perfectly, because we are trying to survive as life on Mars, and we are in a remarkably similar situation to the characters of the breakfast club – six strangers getting to know each other in a confined space.

After a yummy lunch, the girls got back into programming the robot, and with the help of Crew Engineer Luis, solved the software issue! This was such encouraging news, and we are hoping to test it out in the field tomorrow! Then GHO Jess and Hemani planted new crops in the Greenhab – Chamomile, Spearmint, and Lettuce. Before dinner, the crew played a little Heads Up, which lead to some hilarious charades. We are about to sit down to a dinner of delicious German cuisine and cultural night by our very own Commander!