Category: Journalist Report

MDRS Crew 203, Journalist Report

Tittle:

On the way to new world.

Author:

Hermes Hernan Bolivar.

Today, being the sixth day of the mission, a radiant sun illuminates the station and with it the start of one more day of activities for each of the crew, we came from a night where the intrigue welcomed each of us after a fault in the electric power generator. Which we could cope with in low light and a dinner with hamburgers prepared by our commander. Despite the inconveniences of the previous day, and as an interesting routine, I started my activities in one of the places that in my opinion is a small piece of the Earth in this hostile world; the GreenHab.

There, one of the greatest miracles on earth has its greatest expression. Life emerges in the form of small plants that feed the spirit of each of the crewmembers of this station. Not only providing food, but also the possibility of feeling at home. I think that this opinion is also shared by our mascot, MARStha Leticia, who accompanied us to the watering work.

As the day goes by, each crewmember concentrates on their work, while our commander carefully prepares for all exquisite dishes, which keep up our spirits and energy to carry out our projects and work in the station.

Our projects are advancing slowly, I must admit that doing science on Mars has been a challenge for me and my colleagues. Mars has shown us its majesty but in the same way it has made it difficult for us to know its mysteries. However, that does not weaken the morale of each of the crew members, but on the contrary, encourages us to continue in this adventure.

Now a greater responsibility comes to us, by being completely alone in this station. At this moment I ask myself, are we ready to face all the problems that could arise in the station? And I believe that this same question will be asked by the first crew that will dare to make this epic expedition to an unknown world, away from all their loved ones, their species, their world. But I also remember that like the plants that are born in the GreenHab, life makes its way, in the places where we as humans never expect it, and in that way, we will make our way to the conquest of a new world.

Titulo:

En camino a un mundo nuevo.

Autor:

Hermes Hernan Bolivar .

Hoy, siendo el sexto día de la misión, un sol radiante ilumina la estación y con ello el inicio de un día más de actividades de cada uno de los tripulantes, veníamos de una noche donde la intriga nos acogió a cada uno de nosotros después de un fallo en el generador de energía eléctrica. El cual pudimos sobrellevar con poca luz y una cena con hamburguesas preparadas por nuestro comandante. A pesar de los inconvenientes del día anterior, ya como una interesante rutina, inicié mis actividades en uno de los lugares que a mi parecer es un pequeño pedazo de la tierra en este mundo hostil; el GreenHab.

Allí, uno de los mayores milagros de la tierra tiene su mayor expresión. La vida emerge en forma de pequeñas plantas que son las que alimentan el aliento de cada uno de los tripulantes de esta estación. No solo suministrando alimento, sino también la posibilidad de sentirse en casa. Creo que esta opinión también la comparte nuestra mascota MARStha Leticia quien nos acompañó a las labores de riego.

A medida que transcurre el día, cada tripulante se concentra en sus labores, mientras nuestro comandante cuidadosamente prepara para todos exquisitos platos, que mantienen en alto nuestro animo y energía para realizar nuestros proyectos y labores en la estación.

Nuestros proyectos van avanzando poco a poco, debo reconocer que hacer ciencia en Marte ha sido un reto para mi y mis compañeros. Marte nos ha mostrado su majestuosidad pero de la misma forma nos ha puesto dificultades para poder conocer sus misterios. Sin embargo, eso no debilita la moral de cada uno de los tripulantes, sino todo lo contrario, nos anima a continuar en esta aventura.

Ahora viene hacia nosotros una mayor responsabilidad al quedar completamente solos en esta estación. En este momento me pregunto, ¿Estaremos listos para afrontar todos los problemas en esta estación?. Y creo que esta misma pregunta se la hará la primera tripulación que se atreverá a realizar esa expedición épica hacia un mundo desconocido, lejos de todos sus seres queridos, de su especie, de su mundo. Pero así mismo recuerdo que como las plantas que nacen en el GreenHab, la vida se abre camino, en los lugares en los que nosotros como humanos nunca lo esperamos, y de esa forma, nosotros nos abriremos camino hacia la conquista de un mundo nuevo.

Waking up on mars

Author: Liza Forero

This morning the MDRS woke up with a chimerical dawn and the silence and peace that I feel while I see it begins to invade every cold bone inside of me. I can see in my partners something different from the first time I saw them, in the way they look, in the energy they transmit and in each laugh they share.

In the morning, we were all waiting to have our third EVA, however, I think this delay increases my anxiety more than it does to the rest, maybe it’s because of the need to be outside, to be able to walk, to feel the earth under my feet and see majesty on every horizon; that majesty that leaves you breathless, but fills you with satisfaction, pleasure, nature, life.

As we walk through the valleys and reach the hills, a shadow chases me, the shadow of reality. That reality of which I am possibly fleeing by being here. But the walk continues and while the fatigue takes over my body I realize that there are glimpses of happiness in each day, in the friends that I have, in the landscapes I walk and in the work that I do

The day ends with tired bodies, with laugh and with the desire to continue experiencing the day to day that this desolate and reddish place offers us. We hope that each one of us be able to assess and learn from everything that this place inspires.

After five days of being here you could say that you have already established a routine and you get used to doing the same thing, to see and talk with the same people but the reality it is not like that, I think the word habit will not be at the moment the one who describes this place once he has left it and look back to remember this space, this cold, this piece of no man’s land but of all those who are willing to really see it, feel it, live it.

There is a wonderful feeling in all this. Maybe the places where you think nothing could live is where you can feel alive again and wake up from the lethargy in which life itself can envelop you. Maybe there is more life in an arid desert than anyone could imagine.

Despertando en marte

Autor: Liza Forero

Esta mañana el MDRS despertó con un amanecer quimérico y el silencio y paz que siento mientras lo veo empieza a invadir cada frio hueso dentro de mí. Puedo ver en mis compañeros algo diferente respecto a la primera vez que los vi, en la forma en la que se ven, en la energía que transmiten y en cada risa que comparten.

En la mañana, todos estábamos a la expectativa de tener nuestro tercer EVA, sin embargo, creo que esta dilación aumenta más mi ansiedad que al resto, tal vez sea por la necesidad de estar afuera, de poder caminar, de poder sentir la tierra bajo mis pies y ver majestuosidad en cada horizonte; esa majestuosidad que te deja sin aliento, pero te llena de satisfacción, de placer, de naturaleza, de vida.

Mientras caminamos a través de los valles y alcanzamos las colinas, una sombra me persigue, la sombra de la realidad. Esa realidad de la cual posiblemente estoy huyendo al estar aquí, pero la caminata continua y mientras el cansancio se apodera de mi cuerpo me doy cuenta de que hay destellos de felicidad en cada día, en los amigos que tengo, en los paisajes que recorro y en el trabajo que hago.

El día acaba con cuerpos cansados, con risas y con ganas de seguir experimentando al máximo el día a día que este lugar desolado y rojizo nos ofrece, esperamos que cada uno de nosotros pueda valorar y aprender de todo lo que este lugar inspira.

Después de cinco días de estar aquí se podría decir que ya se ha establecido una rutina y te acostumbras a hacer lo mismo, a ver y hablar con las mismas personas pero en realidad no es así, creo que la palabra costumbre no estará al momento en el que describa este lugar una vez lo haya dejado y mire atrás para recordar este espacio, este frío, este pedazo de tierra de nadie pero de todos los que estamos dispuestos a realmente verlo, sentirlo, vivirlo.

Hay un maravilloso sentimiento en todo esto. Tal vez lo lugares en los que piensas que nada podría vivir es donde puedes sentirte vivo de nuevo y despertar del letargo en el que la vida misma te puede envolver. Tal vez hay más vida en un árido desierto que cualquiera podría imaginar.

SOL 4, we do not know whether to say: "… it’s already sun 4!" or "… it’s barely sun 4". We have a great physical and mental burden on our shoulders, tiredness overwhelms us and makes us think that we have been here much longer than what it has actually been, it is a common feeling among most members of the crew. The night was cold and the season dawned covered by a white layer of snow. Contrasting with the red of the desert, Mars surprises us with a deep mist that mixes with the ground and makes us lose sight of the horizon, the image is shocking, simply unforgettable.

Last night I slept more than usual, I succumbed to the powers of Morpheus, I believe that the distance between planets is not an impediment for him. We all get up, our commander prepares a delicious breakfast and when we get ready to work on our science projects the technical problems appear, the bathroom plays a trick on us but the team meets and faces the situation, problem solved; back to the projects.

The day, which dawned cold, became sunny. The temperature has been higher today than the previous days, once again lunch brings us all together in the habitat, delicious rice with tofu, vegetarian style for all today in honor of our XO, food without suffering! Digestion is not our strength, it conspires with fatigue and affects us all, my partners lose the fight, for the next 15 minutes I do not know anything about them, they are not here, they returned to earth in their dreams, the best way to travel when distance and time is an impediment.

The day is over and it is inevitable for me to think of home, nostalgia comes back to take over me as it happens every time the sun goes down, more and more suns away from what I love the most, my family. Far from my Tontina and Lalita, they do not know how much I miss them. A special greeting from Mars to Mrs. Geo and to all my family. Alejo, Liz, and Pablo … how much I miss to embrace them. I will see you all again, but not yet 😉

P.S. A "ñero" spirit goes around in the environment.

Freddy Castaneda.

SOL 4, no sabemos si decir: "… ya es el sol 4!" ó "… apenas es el sol 4". Tenemos sobre nuestros hombros una gran carga física y mental, el cansancio nos abruma y nos hace pensar que llevamos mucho más tiempo aquí del que en realidad ha pasado, es un sentimiento común dentro de la mayoría de los miembros de la tripulación. La noche fue fría y la estación amaneció cubierta por una capa blanca de nieve. Contrastando con el rojo del desierto, Marte nos sorprende con una profunda bruma que se mezcla con el suelo y nos hace perder de vista el horizonte, la imagen es impactante, simplemente inolvidable.

Anoche dormí más de lo habitual, sucumbí ante los poderes de Morfeo, creo que la distancia entre planetas no es un impedimento para él. Nos levantamos todos, nuestro comandante prepara un rico desayuno y cuando nos disponemos a trabajar en nuestros proyectos de ciencia los inconvenientes técnicos aparecen, el baño nos juega una mala pasada pero el equipo se reúne y hace frente a la situación, problema resuelto…de vuelta a los proyectos.

El día, que amaneció frío, se tornó soleado. La temperatura ha sido más alta hoy que los días anteriores, una vez más el almuerzo nos reúne a todos en el habitat, un delicioso arroz con tofu, estilo vegetariano para todos hoy en honor a nuestro XO, comida sin sufrimiento!. La digestión no es nuestro fuerte, conspira con el cansancio y nos afecta a todos, mis compañeros pierden la pelea, Por los siguientes 15 minutos no sé nada sobre ellos, no están aquí, regresaron a la tierra en sus sueños, la mejor manera de viajar cuando la distancia y el tiempo es un impedimento.

El día se termina y me es inevitable pensar en casa, la nostalgia se vuelve a apoderar de mi como sucede cada vez que el sol se oculta, más y más soles lejos de lo que más amo, mi familia. Lejos de mi tontina y de Lolita, no saben cuanto las extraño. Un saludo especial desde Marte a doña Geo y a toda mi familia. Alejo, Liz y Pablo… como extraño abrazarlos. Los veré a todos de nuevo, pero no aún!

P.D. Un espíritu ñero ronda el ambiente.

Freddy Castañeda.

Freddy Alexander Castaneda Latorre 16Jan2019

SOL 4, we do not know whether to say: "… it’s already sun 4!" or "… it’s barely sun 4". We have a great physical and mental burden on our shoulders, tiredness overwhelms us and makes us think that we have been here much longer than what it has actually been, it is a common feeling among most members of the crew. The night was cold and the season dawned covered by a white layer of snow. Contrasting with the red of the desert, Mars surprises us with a deep mist that mixes with the ground and makes us lose sight of the horizon, the image is shocking, simply unforgettable.

Last night I slept more than usual, I succumbed to the powers of Morpheus, I believe that the distance between planets is not an impediment for him. We all get up, our commander prepares a delicious breakfast and when we get ready to work on our science projects the technical problems appear, the bathroom plays a trick on us but the team meets and faces the situation, problem solved; back to the projects.

The day, which dawned cold, became sunny. The temperature has been higher today than the previous days, once again lunch brings us all together in the habitat, delicious rice with tofu, vegetarian style for all today in honor of our XO, food without suffering! Digestion is not our strength, it conspires with fatigue and affects us all, my partners lose the fight, for the next 15 minutes I do not know anything about them, they are not here, they returned to earth in their dreams, the best way to travel when distance and time is an impediment.

The day is over and it is inevitable for me to think of home, nostalgia comes back to take over me as it happens every time the sun goes down, more and more suns away from what I love the most, my family. Far from my Tontina and Lalita, they do not know how much I miss them. A special greeting from Mars to Mrs. Geo and to all my family. Alejo, Liz, and Pablo … how much I miss to embrace them. I will see you all again, but not yet 😉

P.S. A "ñero" spirit goes around in the environment.

Sol 3

Title: Yo también soy un boyaco (Colombian song)

Mars may seem a desolate place but since we met on this planet, laughter, camaraderie and complicity took over the place. Here we are a family and we are happy to belong to it.

202 crews have passed in front of us but it is the first time that someone has prepared “changua” at the station, a typical breakfast of cundiboyacense plateau of Colombia, where most of the crew members are from. When we arrived at Mars we thought that one of the great limitations was going to be the food, the commander and I have made sure that the culinary experience is a delight for the palate, who said that dehydrated food has to taste bad?.

Today has been quite cold, it is even snowing, that has not been an impediment to continue with the activities. Within the Hab each one was working on their science projects. We hope to leave on January 17 to our next EVA, our second encounter with the inclement Martian environment.

MARStha Leticia, our mascot, has been bored today but we have told her that she can get sick if she goes for a walk because she comes from a tropical area
and is not used to snow. She, without a doubt, wants to go out and has spent all day in the window.

The greenhab keeps reborning, the romanticism of breathing fresh air and seeing the green color of the plants makes us feel close to home. We all return from our activities, we will have movie night, the commander and the XO said that we are going to eat “canchita”, what is “canchita” ?, we do not know yet.

Today at the end of the day we realized that if this if the space exploration does not work for us, we have the potential to become youtubers.

Sol 3:

Título: Yo también soy un boyaco (Canción colombiana)

Marte puede parecer un lugar desolado pero desde que nos encontramos en este planeta, las risas, la camaradería y la complicidad se apoderaron del lugar. Aquí somos una familia y estamos felices de pertenecer a ella.

Han pasado 202 tripulaciones por delante de nosotros pero es la primera vez que en la estación alguien ha preparado “changua”, un desayuno del altiplano cundiboyacense de Colombia, de donde somos los tripulantes. Cuando llegamos a Marte pensamos que una de las grandes limitaciones iba a ser la comida, el comandante y yo, nos hemos encargado de que la experiencia culinaria sea todo un deleite para el paladar, quien dijo que la comida deshidratada tiene que saber mal?

El sol de hoy ha sido bastante frío, inclusive está nevando, eso no ha sido impedimento para continuar con las actividades. Dentro del Hab cada uno estuvo trabajando en sus proyectos de ciencia. Esperamos salir el 17 de enero a nuestro próximo EVA, nuestro segundo encuentro con el inclemente ambiente marciano.

MARStha Leticia, nuestra mascota, ha estado aburrida hoy pero nosotros le hemos dicho que se puede enfermar si sale a dar un paseo porque ella viene de una zona tropical y no está acostumbada a la nieve. Ella, sin duda, quiere salir y se la ha pasado todo el día en la ventana.

El greenhab sigue renaciendo, el romanticismo de respirar aire fresco y ver el color verde de las plantas nos hace sentir cerca de casa. Todos regresamos de nuestras actividades, tendremos noche de peliculas, el comandante y el XO dijeron que vamos a comer “canchita”, que rayos es “canchita”?, aún no lo sabemos.

Hoy al final del día nos dimos cuenta que si esto de la exploración espacial no funciona, tenemos potencial de youtubers.

English

Title: Los caminos de la vida (Colombian song)

A hard day begins, two EVAs, a Greenhab that needs to be reborn, a suit that needs repair, the cleaning of the habitat and the dome science. Added to this, the cold Martian begins to make that some of our crew from the tropic land are attacked by strong colds, however, it seems that neither these harsh days nor Martian hostility managed to silence the laughter that comes from spontaneous comments.

First EVA of the day, three of our crew members accompanied by MARStha Leticia, go out to explore and collect material to start their science projects, meanwhile the other 3 crew stay in the habitat carrying out maintenance activities that do not wait. After this EVA again we all meet to taste the culinary creations of our commander and quickly we are ready to change roles.

At the end of the last EVA the tiredness inevitably becomes noticeable, we begin to value the earthly comforts, but at the same time we continue to marvel at the inspiring beauty of our current home. We know that we do not arrive at Mars by chance and that we are sharing this small space of the universe with people with the same dream, reaching the stars.

With little modesty many Colombians often say they are part of the happiest country on Earth, a statement that becomes controversial when we enter to discuss the definition of happiness, what is indisputable is that our new Colombo-Martians have achieved in a short time to cheer Cold Martian desert and fitting to any definition of happiness make it one of the happiest places in the Solar System.

Spanish

Titulo: Los caminos de la vida

Un día duro empieza, dos EVAs, un Greenhab que necesita renacer, un traje que necesita reparación, la limpieza del hábitat y del domo ciencia. Sumado a esto, el frio marciano empieza a hacer de las suyas y algunos de nuestros tripulantes provenientes del trópico terrestre se ven atacados por fuertes resfriados, sin embargo, parece que ni estas duras jornadas ni la hostilidad marciana lograran silenciar las carcajadas que nacen de comentarios espontáneos.

Primer EVA del día, tres de nuestros tripulantes acompañados de MARStha Leticia, salen a explorar y a recoger material para iniciar sus proyectos de ciencia, mientras tanto los otros 3 tripulantes se quedan en el habitad adelantando actividades de mantenimiento que no se hacen esperar. Finalizado este EVA nuevamente todos nos reunimos a degustar las creaciones culinarias de nuestro comandante y rápidamente nos disponemos a cambiar de roles.

Al terminar el ultimo EVA el cansancio inevitablemente se hace notar, empezamos a valorar las comodidades terrícolas, pero al mismo tiempo seguimos maravillando de la belleza inspiradora de nuestro hogar actual. Sabemos que no llegamos a Marte por casualidad y que estamos compartiendo este pequeño espacio del universo junto a personas con un mismo sueño, el de alcanzar las estrellas.

Con poca modestia muchos colombianos suelen decir que hacen parte del país más feliz de la Tierra, una afirmación que se vuelve polémica cuando entramos a discutir la definición de felicidad, lo que es indiscutible es que nuestros nuevos Colombo-marcianos han logrado en poco tiempo alegrar frio desierto marciano y encajándose a cualquier definición de felicidad hacerlo uno de los lugares más felices del Sistema Solar.

Title: Country Roads, take me home…

Author: Oscar Ivan Ojeda Ramirez

Extract from Commander’s log, Sol 1

We’re finally here. After months of preparation, planning, after rising expectations, we’ve made it. Those alien-like red hills, and geometric shapes of cylinders, hemispheres, and cubes, worthy of a Dali painting, are finally a real place, a place to call home. A whole mission is now ahead of us, a mission full of challenges and rewards, of personal and professional growth, and at the end of it, we expect to come back home to share what we learned, so that others may follow the path.

We venture into the unknown not just to discover it, "it", but most importantly to discover ourselves. Ourselves as individuals, as a crew, as a community, and in our particular case, as a nation, is it the first time a 100% Colombian crew takes the station.

Any doubts I might have had to be on this mission were cleared as soon as we made the turn and the habitat appeared on sight. At that moment it was clear to me that the efforts and sacrifices we are taking are going to be worth it.

And they won’t be few. Amongst others, we have for the better or the worst, the eyes of many people upon us, and we’ll have to perform to the best of our abilities, just to match what they expect from us. And living in a desert, far away from everyone, comes with a toll. But each one of us must not forget why we volunteered to be here, and that being here is the most important thing for our lives right now. We’ve had a history behind with most of the crewmembers and I trust each one of them as a perfect fit for their role within the crew.

Despite its beauty, Mars is definitely not the most welcoming place, it’s cold, it’s dry, and when it’s not dry, it’s muddy. Mars wants for many secrets to stay unveiled, and sometimes will put up a fight on that.

With 14 sols worth of challenges, lessons, laughter, probably tears, but for sure growth, on both a personal and professional point of view, we have to be up for it.

We are now on it together, and as a famous Aristotle quote goes, "the whole is greater than the sum of the parts". It was once a dream, now it is our reality, and soon it will be a memory. It better be a wonderful memory.

Per Aspera Ad Astra.

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.

—

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!

—

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

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:

If we ain’t out of here in ten minutes, we won’t need no rocket to fly through space!

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Lights! Camera! Action! It was an exciting day here at Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS). We saw other people for the first time in two weeks, and these Earthlings were out of this world! A television crew from CBS Innovation Nation visited us to talk about the amazing work being done by The Mars Society at MDRS and our wonderful crew! We toured our guests through the MDRS campus, showing off our cozy home, the golf ball shaped Science Dome, and our colorful Green Habitat. Alie Ward, science correspondent, led the Crew through the limelight as the behind the scenes team of Stephanie, the producer, Andy, the cameraman, and Nate, the audio technician, ensured the story of the Crew and our temporary home was told in the best possible shots. We were very proud to show off all the work we have accomplished these past two weeks and it is incredibly rewarding to see others excited to be here!

At first, it is very strange having a camera in your face. The television crew came with all the gadgets and gear – a large shoulder camera, standalone lights, and even a boom mic. There is positioning, re-positioning, mic checks, and sound check claps. We needed to fit a lot of information in a short period of time. It was Go, Go, Go, Go! Through all the chaos though, the television crew made everything feel comfortable and easy. The hardest part of the day is when the cameraman would turn to you with his huge camera lens and ask “Could you repeat what you just said?”. Your brain simply stops and any words you have ever said escapes your memory. As you scramble to remember what English is, the camera starts rolling again and it’s showtime! This journal is purposefully short. No spoilers here (even though every journal is essentially a spoiler). Tune into CBS Innovation Nation to get an inside look at the Mars Desert Research Station! We can’t wait to see the final cut!

It is setting in that our time here is almost over. Our lives back on Earth feel eons away, but tomorrow is our last simulation day. We must prepare for the next crew to take over our home and carry on the research that is necessary to successfully make humans a multi-planet species. The next few days will be a whirlwind as the new crew moves in Saturday and we say our final goodbyes Sunday morning. It is hard to believe this adventure is almost over. Tomorrow will be bittersweet.

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Movie (or Show) Answer: Alien