Final Mission Summary

Transatlantic Mars Crew 261

 May 12, 2023

JAMES BURK | Commander

ALINE DECADI | Executive Officer + Crew Astronomer

CÉCILE RENAUD | Greenhab Officer + Crew Biologist

JULIEN VILLA-MASSONE | Crew Engineer

ERIN KENNEDY | Crew Robotics Engineer

AUDREY DEROBERTMASURE | HSO & Medical Officer

KRIS DAVIDSON | Crew Journalist

Crew 280 Mission Summary

The Crew

The Hypatia I crew is an interdisciplinary and multigenerational team composed of 9 women selected to participate in an analog mission at the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) between 16-29 April, 2023. Their names and backgrounds are presented below.

• Mariona Badenas-Agustí (Crew Commander & Crew Astronomer): Degree in Astrophysics from Yale University, a master’s degree in Astrophysics, Cosmology, and High Energy Physics from the Autonomous University of Barcelona, and a Ph.D candidate in Planetary Sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). She spends much of her free time giving educational lectures on the universe and space exploration.

• Carla Conejo González (Crew Executive Officer & Crew Biologist): Degree in Human Biology by the Pompeu Fabra University, a master’s degree in Pharmaceutical and Biotechnological Industry by the same university, and a postgraduate’s degree in Science Communication by the University of Vic. Cofounder of the science-travel app Polaris. Former head of Science Programs at the Fundació Catalunya La Pedrera.

• Dr. Ariadna Farrés Basiana (Crew Scientist & Health and Safety Officer): Specialist in astrodynamics, celestial mechanics and solar sails at the Goddard Space Flight Center of NASA (USA). She has participated in the launch of the James Webb telescope. She holds a PhD in mathematics from the University of Barcelona (Spain).

• Dr. Neus Sabaté (Mission Specialist): ICREA researcher at the Barcelona Institute of Microelectronics (IMB-CNM-CSIC). Co-founder of Fuelium, a spin-off company dedicated to the development of sustainable paper batteries for disposable portable devices. Her research has been recognized by institutions such as the European Research Council and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Currently, she is working on the development of rapid and affordable molecular devices for the global detection of infectious diseases.

• Dr. Laia Ribas (GreenHab Officer): Leader of the Repro-Immune Team research group at the Institute of Marine Sciences of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), where she investigates interactions between the reproduction and immune system of fish. She is part of the Nüwa team, an award-winning project for the design of a city for 1M inhabitants on Mars. She has a PhD in biology from the Autonomous University of Barcelona.

• Cesca Cufí Prat (Crew Engineer): Aerospace engineer at Airbus Defence & Space and specialist in orbital control systems. Her work focuses on the control of high-precision instruments for Earth observation. Passionate about mountaineering, with a good command of risk management and survival techniques in extreme environments.

• Núria Jar (Crew Journalist): Science and health journalist with 15 years of experience in some of the most important media outlets in Catalonia and Spain, such as Catalunya Ràdio, TV3, La Vanguardia, Rac1, El País, Muy Interesante, and Revista 5W. She is the author of the podcast audio series “Human Condition” and “The Female Scientists of COVID”.

• Anna Bach (Back-up Crew Scientist & Artist in Residence): Data analyst, mathematician, and computer scientist. In addition, she is the creator and illustrator of comic strips on her profile Annet Planet, where she has more than 40,000 followers.

• Helena Arias (Back-up Crew Engineer): Undergraduate student majoring in mechanical engineering, electronic engineering, and physics at the Polytechnic University of Catalonia and the National University of Distance Education. She is also an engineering intern at the Alba Synchrotron as well as an Olympic shooting elite athlete.

Some Interesting Facts

• Some of the songs played through the radios for the astronauts 5-minutes waiting to go outside for an extravehicular activity (EVA) in the airlock: Rocket Man (Elton John), Starman (David Bowie) Flowers (Miley Cyrus), Cold Heart (Elton John & Dua Lipa), Surfin’ USA ( Beach Boys), Desaparecido (Manu Chao), No hi ha camí (Sopa de Cabra), Ladies Night (Kool & The Gang), My Girl (Dafunkis).

• Three showers per person in 12 SOLs, but daily personal hygiene.

• Seven homemade breads and 25 moka express pots done by the end of SOL 12.

• Favorite dehydrated food: Cheesy Broccoli Soup Mix from Augason Farms.

• An average of 6 hours of sleep every day.

• 1.19 gallons (4.5 liters) of pee recollected from the crew members for the Martian batteries experiments.

• Two star nights in the Musk Telescope & three dancing party nights, two of them in the lower deck.

• Two piñata’s: one astronaut and one shiny star (SOL 5 & SOL 11).

• Two small mice were set free from a mouse trap that had been set in the GreenHab (SOL 8 & SOL 11).

• Northern Lights were seen from the Mars Research Desert Station (MDRS) in the night sky (SOL 7).

• The Crew Commander completed another orbit around the Earth, but from Mars (SOL 11).

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Daily Life at the MDRS

The Hypatia I crew tracked their daily SOL on Mars, so there is much information about their water consumption, the GreenHab harvest and the numbers of extravehicular activities (EVA).

Operations summary

The Mission Specialist Neus Sabaté and the Crew Engineer Cesca Cufí were in charge of the Operations Reports. One of the data that surprises the most is the water consumption, far from the water consumption on Earth.

Evolution of water consumption

During the first 3 SOLs water tank was being filled partially by Mission Support. This made impossible to calculate water consumption. Looking at the water consumption rate from SOL 4 to SOL 11, we have extrapolated the water consumption of SOL 1-3.

Green-hab Summary

The GreenHab Officer Laia Ribas was responsible for watering all the plants three times per day. She took care of them to provide fresh vegetables for the crew. The total harvest is summarized below:

Daily temperatures

SOL 11 was the hottest day during the mission, with the temperature reaching 98.6 degrees Fahrenhet (37 degrees Celsius).

Future prospects

As the Hypatia I crew concludes its mission to the MDRS, the Hypatia Mars Association successfully achieves one of its main goals: conducting high-quality space-related research in a Martian simulated environment as an instrument for promoting science vocations among the young. Our hopes are that the Hypatia I team becomes the first of many crews to travel to “Mars” to inspire future generations of women in STEM. If given the opportunity, we hope to be back to the MDRS in 2025, thus passing the torch to a brand-new Hypatia II crew.

Acknowledgements

The Hypatia I mission is possible with the financial support of the following institutions and private companies:

During these two weeks, Crew 279 ARES has continuously worked on their research. Our experiments cover a large range of topics, and we hope to get good results out of our efforts. We still need to analyze all the data post-mission to conclude our research but here is a brief overview of how our experiments went during our rotation.

“We are what we eat” – Antoine de Barquin

The goal of Antoine’s experiment is to understand the impact of specific nutrition and confinement on the intestinal flora of astronauts. To conduct this study, a sample of each crew member was taken before departure to perform an analysis of intestinal bacteria by targeted metagenomics. This analysis is performed at the LIMS MBnext laboratory which collaborates with our crew for this experiment. The crew will then give “post-mission” samples. This way, Antoine will be able to compare and analyze how freeze-dried food affected everyone’s microbiota. Every day, Antoine monitored everything the crew ate, type of food, quantities, time of the day etc. He started analyzing the data during the mission and will conclude the analysis after the return on Earth. He also wondered how working the soil would affect the two crew members who worked the most in the GreenHab. People who garden have higher levels of Mycobacterium vaccae, a bacteria found in the soil that stimulates production of serotonin and functions as an antidepressant. He thought it would be interesting to see if our two gardeners have higher levels of it when he analyzes their samples upon our return to Earth.

Our Commander led his team proudly, trying to please everyone and keeping a good overview of the broad range of work we had to do.

“I will survive” – Agnes Dekeyser

Agnes’ experiment studied “extremophiles”. These are microorganisms that live in conditions that are lethal to most other microorganisms. They live on the seabed, in the Earth’s crust, in glaciers, and in many other extreme environments. During the mission on the planet Mars, our Crew Executive Officer studied the viability of two strains of extremophiles after exposure to MDRS environmental conditions : Deinococcus Radiodurans and Cupriavidus Metallidurans. Each strain was exposed outside for 8 days in anaerobic condition. Their viability will be compared to their unexposed analogues based on CFUs (Colony-Forming-Units) analysis. She also worked closely with Augustin and Thomas to find a place with less radiation around the base where her bacteria could survive better. Agnes spent her first days culturing her extremophiles and used one of her EVA’s to take them to North Ridge, a ridge with a higher altitude than the station’s. She also placed their analog inside the station. She then went back up the ridge every two days to check them. She also used an Arduino to calculate parameters such as temperature, pressure and altitude at North Ridge. On top of this experiment, she launched a weather balloon on top of North Ridge with an Arduino as well to test if this could be a useful way to calculate parameters if bacteria were to be put inside of the balloon for a future experiment. Sadly, the balloon did not last long as it did not have enough helium. SOL 11 was the day she collected her cultures and will proceed to analyze the difference in viability.

As CEO, she helped the Commander organize and coordinate daily team tasks and supported everyone before, during and after the simulation.

“Space Oddity” – Ioana Dimitrova

Long term spaceflight separates astronauts from society and their loved ones for months and months. It also keeps them confined without leaving them a possibility to feel free and do whatever they want. This can lead to mental health problems, stress, tensions within the team and can put the mission at risk. Music could be a cheap, easily transportable, and effective solution to this problem. Choosing your personal music to help you relax could have multiple benefits. It could help you transport yourself elsewhere, work through your emotions and stimulate your senses. Ioana tested if this theory is true by measuring cardiac parameters during relaxing times with and without music chosen by the crew. The technology used for the measurements is KINO by HeartKinetics. It’s an app that you put on your chest and that analyzes your heart variability. Added to that, a blood pressure monitor was used to take blood pressure measurements. Before the measurements, she also asked the crew to complete an anonymous Self Perceived Stress Test to get some trends on how the team felt throughout the mission and to correlate it with days they listen to music.

Our Crew Engineer has also kept busy by fixing two suits, a headset and managing water and power consumption.

“Radiation: how attacked are we?” – Thomas Stinglhamber

Every day, everywhere, different types of radiation attack us. On Mars, radiation will be way more brutal and dangerous than on Earth due to the difference of the atmosphere. It is thus very important to be able to have easy ways to measure the dosage of this radiation.

Thanks to BeSure’s technology, Thomas installed dosimeters both inside and outside the station to check how radiation proof the station is. He also gave the crewmates an individual dosimeter that they always wore to measure their personal dosage. He will collect all their data at the end of the simulation and will be able to tell us how much radiation we have been exposed to. Complementary to this, Thomas used a Gamma detector to map out the activity of the soil around the station by searching for radioactive isotopes near the station. He covered the whole region around the MDRS and combined his grid with Augustin’s 3D maps. He also helped Agnes determine if the hiding places Augustin found for her bacteria were protected from radioactive activity.

As Crew Scientist, he helps plan EVA’s, their tasks, timings, and reports.

“Confinement FOMO” – Aglaé Sacré

FOMO, “Fear of missing out”, can appear when we are cut out of society and social media. The Mars simulation completely cuts the crew off the network and the outer world, which makes it the best place to study how the lack of social media affects the mental condition of not wanting to miss out on something. The crew answered some anonymous questionnaires before leaving and were asked to check their social media usage data on their phone to realize how much time they were spending online daily. At the half of our stay, different anonymous questionnaires were completed where we assess how we feel without social media and if we feel like we’re missing out on something. We will have one more to fill in after the end of the simulation. This way Aglaé can compare how the crew used to use social media, how they predicted they would live without it and how they lived without it. Early data shows that pre-mission fears evolve as the days go by.

As Crew Journalist, she wrote the daily summaries and kept the world notified on what work we do every day. She also took photos and videos to document and present after our mission

“High Speed Rotor Manufacturing” – Gwenael le Bussy

The Martian atmosphere is a hundred times less dense than the one on Earth. This means that every flying object we would like to use for observation, scouting or measurements needs to be adapted to the physics of that new environment. Like the ones on Ingenuity, the rotor blades must have a special shape. Naturally, every piece of equipment may encounter a problem and need to be repaired or replaced. The problem cannot be predicted precisely in advance, which means that we need an adaptable solution. Gwenael studied how he can use 3D printing to model (with SolidWorks with NACA profile) and print rotor blades for the Martian atmosphere. Afterwards, he tested them with a high-speed motor and measured their thrust with a scale. He tested the 3D printer by doing some test prints for the oven knob. We tried to see if we could make one that works better than the ones currently used.

Parallel to his aerodynamics work, our Crew Astronomer observed the Sun with the solar observatory and took some pictures. He also used the New Mexico observatory remotely to observe M63 and M51 and spent some time processing them.

“Hide and seek during radiation storms” – Augustin Tribolet

As we mentioned earlier, radiation is an important factor in a Mars mission. If we are to live there or try to make bacteria or plants survive, we must find the most protected areas on the surface. An easy way to be able to find those places could be to use a drone to map out the area and to find these places. Augustin used a drone to scan the surface and generate a 3D model by photogrammetry. This digital technique allows us to build the 3D model from photographic images. He worked closely with Agnes who studied extremophiles to analyze how effective his hiding places are but also with Thomas to map out his radiation with the 3D models. Augustin completed numerous EVA’s during which he mapped out the station, the Special Region, Marble’s Rituals, the North Ridge, Candor Chasma, Kissing Camel Ridge… When he was not on EVA, he exported the images and combined them to create 3D interactive maps. When he would spot a possible protected place on his map, he would send a team out on an EVA, that had never been to that place, to see if they could find it based only on his maps and to check out if his measurements were correct.

As GreenHab Officer, he took care of our garden, rooting for it even during the warmer days. He collected the vegetables and different herbs that he dried to make spices for our team as well as for the next teams.

“Mars well-being” – Ttele Hiriart

Confinement, isolation, extreme conditions… All these factors affect mental health and team dynamics. How is the well-being of the crew members evolving? How does the team work together? How do the dynamics evolve? Which teamwork tools work? During the mission, Ttele kept a diary of her observations of the team and different crewmates. She will compare these observations with the ones made by other mission simulations in Antarctica for example. After analysis, she will present her observations of the ups and downs of the mission, how the team interacted and different lessons the team has learned or must work on for future missions. During the day, she observed how effectively every crewmember worked on their experiment, how their motivation changed and how they handled difficult decisions, tensions. Some examples included: decisions made during EVA’s when plans had to change due to lack of time, technical difficulties in the station, decision taking when not everyone had the same opinion, how the team reacted when somebody was down, the effect of the fatigue… She also introduced some teamwork exercises at the end of day to work on team cohesion. All this is documented in her diary, and she took notes of her observations continuously. She will now have the tedious task to read everything she wrote and present her observations and some ideas for improvement.

As Health and Safety Officer, she made sure everyone was feeling good and healthy and took care of us when we were feeling out of shape.

Final mission report.docx

Crew 275 – Mission Summary

Crew 275 – ISAE-Supaero (France)

Crew Commander: Jeremy Rabineau
Executive Officer / Crew Engineer: Quentin Royer
Crew Journalist: Marie Delaroche
Health & Safety Officer: Corentin Senaux
Crew Botanist: Adrien Tison
Crew Scientist: Alice Chapiron
Crew Astronomer: Alexandre Vinas

Introduction     

Crew 275’s rotation at MDRS marks the 10^th time that students from ISAE-Supaero perform research in this station. We are very proud of the progress made between Crew 151, when two Supaero students joined an existing crew, and today: a fully student-run crew, conducting research over the course of a month-long mission at MDRS. This year, our aim was to focus on large-scale human factors experiments, ambitious technological demonstrations, and measurement campaigns in both atmospheric physics and geology.

It’s amazing how quickly we get used to extraordinary things. Upon arriving at the station a month ago, we were facing our dream, facing what we had worked so hard to attain, and for that reason we felt invincible. Over the past weeks, we have dodged storms, lived under Mars’ atmosphere, played by his rules, encountered obstacles, and sometimes unfavorable odds. It is difficult now to look back and see what we have accomplished: it all still feels part of our day to day, of routine operations, and the tiny steps along the way don’t yet add up to the monumental leap we have taken.

Artificial Intelligence for space exploration

AI4U is an artificial intelligence tool designed by the French space agency to assist astronauts in their tasks. AI4U has three functionalities: A « relax » mode, an « emergency » mode, and a mode to retrieve environmental data from all of the modules in the station (temperature, pressure, humidity, luminosity, etc.). The « relax » mode worked well, and thanks to the crew taking turns testing it, we managed to define interesting new tracks for improvement. The emergency mode was tested twice. During the first test, we had difficulties because the AI stopped the emergency protocol in the middle of the simulation, but we managed to finish the protocol successfully after a second iteration.

A second experiment with CNES involved artificial intelligence helping astronauts: EchoFinder. EchoFinder is an experiment conducted in collaboration with CNES and MEDES, consisting in testing a protocol for astronauts to perform ultrasounds without any prior training. This experiment has already been conducted in the past by Supaero crews. This year, the aim was to test a new Augmented Reality interface coupled with an organ detection AI. We have successfully completed the 12 planned sessions, each performed in pairs: the two crewmembers take turns in performing the ultrasound and being subject of the experiment. One injured crewmember did not take part in the experiment during the last week of the mission, and the other crewmembers took turns filling in for her. We have had several issues with this experiment one week into our rotation, mainly because our hardware did not support the EchoFinder software very well. With the help of the researchers from CNES, our crew engineer managed to transfer the software to a more powerful device, which has made the last 8 sessions much easier to perform. After our 4-week mission, we have succeeded in providing the researchers with a complete set of data, consisting in detailed reports of each ultrasound session as well as videos of every organ detected for each crewmember. The researchers at CNES will be able to evaluate the accuracy of their AI and how the AR interface can be improved.

Human factors: KTHitecture

Studying the impact of the architecture of an interplanetary space station on the global psychology of the astronauts is critical to optimize their performance.

For this study, we deployed environmental monitoring sensors throughout the station. Each sensor provided us with information about pressure, temperature, humidity, and luminance.

We also set up an Indoor Positioning System to track each crewmember within the MDRS. We connected 10 “anchors” spread around the MDRS, consisting in electronic boards remaining at the same location. Each crewmember wore a “tag”, which logged its distance to the anchors every 10 seconds.

Each crewmember also wore a smartwatch during the night, in order to monitor their sleep activity. A chestband was also worn during the day to measure ECG, heart rate, and accelerometry.

All 3 aforementioned datasets will be used to correlate the stress level of the astronauts to their location and the environmental conditions.

To measure the performance of each crewmember in the different modules, given different environmental parameters and levels of privacy, they all took psychometric tests throughout the mission.

Finally, we used 3D maps of the inter-crewmembers interactions, generated by questionnaires. This enabled us to follow the current team setup, the optimal team setup, the effectiveness of communications, the team atmosphere and performance, etc. We observed that the evolution was correlated to internal issues faced and friendships formed during the mission.

Atmospheric instruments measurements campaign

 This year’s atmospheric measurement campaign for CNRS researchers was a success. Dealing with rough and unpredictable weather, we had to solve many problems on the spot and adapt to the circumstances. We mainly measured the electric field (with the field mill and MegaAres), the particle concentration in the air (with the LOAC and PurpleAir) and the wind speed (with our weather station), in order to correlate these different parameters. We had difficulties setting up the instruments at the beginning of the simulation because of the snowy or windy weather, and because of a conductivity problem on the MegaAres antenna. We started the measurements at the end of the second week, although we had to perform regular maintenance EVAs to retrieve and reinstall certain sensitive instruments, given the variations in atmospheric conditions. We managed to measure the Canegie curve (daily variation of the Earth’s electric field, measurable in undisrupted and clear conditions which can be observed in the Utah desert), which is usually very difficult to obtain.

Astronomy

The aim of this project was to measure different characteristics of pre-identified asteroids. Unfortunately, as both of the robotic observatories were non-nominal during the entire simulation, or non-operational because of the weather, our crew astronomer could only capture a single picture of an asteroid on February 17th, thus the research project on asteroid lightcurves could not be completed. However, he will continue the project after the simulation, as he still has all of his credits on Skynet. As he couldn’t complete the astronomy project, he used the Musk solar observatory to take pictures of the sun.

Geology: The MetMet instrument

The MetMet is a geological instrument measuring both the magnetic susceptibility and the conductivity of a rock sample. It is designed to help find meteorites, but it has been proven to ease the classification of the different types of rocks present in a given area. The objective of this experiment was to see if the MetMet was a useful instrument to help collect geological samples during EVAs or to take measurements onsite for rocks that are too large to be collected. The idea was to pair the data of the MetMet with photogrammetry in order to geologically map the area. Unfortunately, we could only perform one geology EVA because of external factors. However, this EVA was a success, as we managed to collect samples and to analyze them with the MetMet. We will therefore be able to geologically sketch the area of Kissing Camel Ridge W.

Exploration: Photogrammetry

 The idea behind the photogrammetry experiment was to compare the efficiency of humans exploring and finding checkpoints in a given area, using either a 2D map or a 3D render. Each data point required a series of three different EVAs. The first one, to map the area in 3D, with a drone using photogrammetry. The two others were meant for the subjects to find pre-defined checkpoints using the 2D map and then the 3D map generated beforehand. The experiment went very well: we had time to render both North Ridge and Candor Chasma. We nevertheless encountered two issues while conducting these experiments. The EVA with the 2D map at North Ridge was shortened because of the high winds, therefore the EVA Crew managed to find only half of the checkpoints. Moreover, the EVA with the 3D map at Candor Chasma was conducted with only one subject because of external factors. We are quite happy with the data we have already, and we hope to pass on this experiment to the next Supaero crew.

Botany: Aquaponics

For Crew 275, the main botany experiment focused on aquaponics. Indeed, the Crew Botanist worked on a prototype before the mission and tested it for 5 weeks. This prototype was a success, however, as it was a prototype, no scientific data had been collected. He then decided to recreate a similar system in the GreenHab. The space available there being smaller, he decided not to build it with pipes but only with a tank. During the first few Sols, he built the system and ensured the safety of the fish. Then, throughout the mission, he monitored the plants’ growth, the roots’ length, and the water quality to be evaluate the added value of this kind of system. It is expected that plants should grow faster, that water can be saved over time, and that more plants can be grown on a given surface. All the data collected will be processed post-mission and compared to references in aquaponics and basic crops.

Besides this, another experiment was conducted on microgreens. This one was simpler because it only required monitoring microgreens’ growth over time. To do so, we took similar pictures every day with a fixed scale to measure their height. An additional objective was to see if an untrained subject was able to grow these types of crops without knowing anything about botany.

Monitoring Health and Water consumption

During the whole mission, the crew monitored their water consumption. The goal was to reduce as much as possible their use of water, while maintaining good hygiene and drinking as much as needed. With this in mind, we categorized our consumption of water and took note of the quantities used throughout the day. This experiment showed us that by being mindful of our use of water, it is possible to considerably reduce consumption.  The average water consumption was 51 L (13.5 gallons) per day. For a crew of 7, this represents 7.3 L (1.9 gallons) per day per person, which could be reduced even more with specific technologies. This is equivalent to a 1-minute shower, and less than a classic toilet flush on Earth (10 L).  50% of the consumption was dedicated to the restroom. Therefore a goal of less than 5 L per person per day could be achieved, including 2 L for drinking purposes.

Every morning, we also measured health parameters to keep an eye on the physical and mental health of the crew. To this end, we kept a sleep diary and monitored weight and body composition, temperature, as well as blood pressure and oxygenation. A 30-minute workout session was then organized by the HSO to keep all crewmembers in good shape and get them ready for the day, thanks to bonding activities and music.

Media Collection and Public Outreach

Our objective for this mission from a communications standpoint was first and foremost to reach middle and high school students interested in space and STEM in general. Throughout the entire mission preparation, the crew worked with OSE l’ISAE Supaero, an outreach initiative whose goal is to help students gain access to higher education and to promote STEM careers. During the entire year preceding the mission, we visited classrooms and welcomed students to our university to talk about space exploration and STEM studies. Our goal was to inspire as many students as possible to explore and engage with scientific fields. In this vein, we spent a week at the Lycée Français de New York with 6^th and 10^th grade students, using games and simple experiments to share our passion for space.

Other outreach initiatives destined for students included filming video capsules for the Cité de l’Espace, the French space museum, and writing simplified articles on various subjects pertaining to Martian exploration.

Once the mission had started, we focused on the two media visits of the rotation: the BBC and France Télévisions. The BBC film crew stayed for a day to film interviews for a documentary about Martian exploration, while the France Télévisions crew came to film a newscast for French television.

Final Mission Report

Crew 274 (ARG-1M)

Crew Commander: Sarah “Ceres” Guthrie (USA)

Habitat Structure Specialist: Bill “Titan” O’Hara (USA)

Crew Engineer: Alexis “Kepler” Lojek (USA)

Crew Astronomer: Salina “Nova” Pena (USA)

Heliophysics: Noah “Phoenix” Loy (USA)

Crew Journalist: Tony “Iron Man” DiBernardo (USA)

Green Hab Officer: Tyler “Houston” Hines (USA)

Health and Safety Officer: Nicholas “XMan” Pender (USA)

Introduction

MDRS Crew 274 is composed of eight members from a pioneering academic analog research group (ARG) from the American Public University System (APUS) under the designation ARG-1M. The APUS Analog Research Group (AARG) leads space study undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students in multidisciplinary scientific research investigations in analogous space environments. This crew aims to examine extra-vehicular (EVA) activity logistics, EVA contingency methodologies, mindfulness and focused breathing, cosmic seed studies, solar and variable star observations, and terrestrial spaceflight habitat efficiency.

Evaluating Contingency EVAs and Rescue Techniques for Planetary Surface Missions

Sarah E. Guthrie (“Ceres”), Commander

This study was aimed to understand and test an astronaut’s capability (mobility) to perform contingency extravehicular activities (EVA) of incapacitated astronauts during surface activities. The National Aeronautical and Space Administration’s Artemis program currently is evaluating the requirements for proper suit interface and methods for dealing with a surface contingency. This project looked to determine best practices for safe field extraction methods utilizing a medical sled and engineered assistive contingency rescue vest.  It was developed through personal experiences gained by combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan while serving in the United States Air Force. Its goal was to test various techniques and methodologies through analog tours to understand rescue pitfalls which may develop successful EVA contingency rescue protocols for safer surface activities. While attending the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS), Crew 274 exercised this study in the Gateway of Candor, simulating a fallen and incapacitated astronaut that could not be rescued by a rover. The astronaut, known as “KURT”, was used as a research tool for the crew to mimic this part of the study. While in the ravine, the crew carried out various rescue methods in combination with the assistance of the vest and medical sled for single and two-member rescues. The vest was engineered with multiple handles and hoist points to provide rescuers with options for different carrying positions, while being mindful of the limitations of wearing a pressurized space suit with a personal life support system. Once KURT was safely extracted from the fall point, crew members deployed the medical sled to return KURT to the safety of the rover. The rigorous test challenged the crew members and put into perspective the difficulty of performing such an act, even in full gravity. Analogs provide a setting to test these methods and devices under safer conditions. Understanding the unique challenges of human spaceflight activities and their inherit risks, allows analog researchers the opportunity to develop risk mitigation techniques which can save the lives of future astronauts.

Case Study of the MDRS Design as a Planetary Surface Habitat

William “Titan” O’Hara, Habitat Specialist

This case study contributes to a body of data that will be used to support future lunar habitat development at Blue Origin as well as part of a doctoral thesis on requirements for habitation on other extreme planetary surface environments. From the point of view of a crew member living within MDRS, this study evaluated a detailed review of the Musk Solar Observatory, Science Dome, Green Habitat, Repair Assembly Module (RAM), Habitat module (crew quarters) and connecting tunnels. In each case sketches were drawn with a detailed questionnaire built to systematically review each habitable space.  The data collected captures characteristics such as layout, use-of-space, activity volume allocations, traffic flow, outfitting and stowage volumes. This review discovered the MDRS is a robust habitat with a formidable amount of volume and capability for research and crew comfort. The Science Dome provides an impressive amount of flexible workspace capable of accommodating several crew members working simultaneously. The Green Habitat is a large greenhouse adequate volume for plants and space to tend to them. The RAM is a well laid-out and well-outfitted workshop with ample amount of workspace.  The Habitat module provides a comfortable living space for eight crewmembers with an exciting amount of flex space in the lower level. The layout of these spaces, and the tunnels connecting them, provides ease of traffic flow through the busy sols.

Stress Measurement and Potential Stress Mitigation Technique in Analog Astronaut Environments

Alexis “Kepler” Lojek, Crew Engineer

This study was a culmination of observations conducted across multiple analogs with three separate techniques for potential mitigation of stress, combined with a noninvasive, digital measurement of stress using a Garmin Vivosmart 4©, which measures stress levels based upon heart rate variability. The root of this study was formulated on the investigator’s depth of experience with the United States Navy Seals and the benefits of stress reduction methodologies in austere environments. For this observation, the first five sols of the mission no focused breathing was conducted, and stress levels were recorded using the Garmin© through heart rate variability. The focused breathing portion of the project began on the 6th day, the crew members were given instructional guidance on proper “focused breathing” before the initial session and then each time there after until the last day of the mission. The research’s hypothesis was to mitigate analog astronaut members’ stress with purposeful focused breathing sessions and ultimately reduce overall stress throughout mission. These techniques will be compared to the other two focused breathing observations conducted on previous analogs. At this time there are no preliminary findings on the reduction of stress for analog crew members as this study will continue its observations after they return home.

Generating Multi-bandpass Light Curve (LC) Data on HADS Variable Star V0799 AUR

Salina “Nova” Peña, Crew Astronomer

This research aimed to examine the fluctuating brightness of a High Amplitude Delta Scuti (HADS) Variable Star in the constellation Auriga, comparing the light curve with standard Scuti stars. During the mission, examination of the HADS Variable Star V0799 AUR was performed utilizing the MDRS-14 Robotic Telescope throughout 14 sols. Each night, the MDRS-14 telescope was attempted for use for three hours to observe HADS Variable Star V0799 AUR. The observations comprised of 30-second optical exposures using the BVRcIc filter set. One filter was used each iteration of observation night for a total of 2 nights (12 hours) of data per filter. Observations began each night, starting around 7:00 PM; the star was 30֯ – 40֯ above the horizon during observation. The Moon was in the waxing phase during the observations, with a separation of approximately 25֯-15֯ during the observing period. The darks and flats were provided (corresponding to each filter used) from the MDRS image library and was supported for imaging. This was then used to calibrate the images and gather data altogether. Conclusions from this project were challenging to obtain due to bad weather and the MDRS-14 telescope had technical issues. Because of these issues, MDRS provided access to an alternate MLC RCOS16 telescope to collect more images. However, the telescope experienced extreme weather conditions that impeded the collection of photos. From the four sols gathered (two sols on and off the mission), those images were calibrated, and there was a slight fluctuation in the variability of the HADS Variable Star V0799 AUR (See chart below). The continuation of this research will be done outside the facility to obtain sufficient data.

Observing Heliophysics Phenomena  

Noah “Phoenix” Loy, Heliophysics

Throughout Crew 274’s mission, Astronomers Loy and Pena observed a broad scope of detailed heliophysics phenomena. This data will be collaborated with the United States Air Force 557^th Space Weather Wing and United States Space Force’s Space Domain Awareness Delta to support further space weather awareness. This research will also support Space Forces Combat Development Team risk mitigation plans for orbital assets. Bulk data sets were collected on solar dark spots, solar chromosphere convection cells, granules, solar prominences, and magnetic spheres visualized by solar vortexes A total of two large prominences were observed wrapping around solar magnetic fields, just before coronal mass ejections were registered by NOAA blasting away. 24 large solar prominences and 44 solar dark spots were observed in total. These observations are beneficial in the analysis of solar cycle 25, implications of space weather on orbital assets, space operation plans needed to safeguard these assets, and the benefits heliophysics expertise on-site at Martian Habitats. In addition to these observations, 520,000 images were captured in total, with 90,000 images of solar spots and prominences were stacked, measured, and analyzed thus far.

Media Collection and Public Outreach

Anthony “Iron Man” DiBernardo Crew Journalist

Crew Journalist DiBernardo’s goal for ARG-1M was to increase public outreach through media collection and edited productions published each day. These publications include daily video logs published to our Youtube channel in real time as well as experiment spotlight videos and a full-length documentary which will be edited and published after the mission ends. Additionally, all the footage collected during the mission will be utilized and repurposed to create educational content teaching the general public about analog astronauts and habitats, APUS, MDRS, and human spaceflight in general. Footage collected from all aspects of the mission including the supply cache experiment, observing and maintaining the solar observatory and GreenHab, rescuing K.U.R.T. from the field, analyzing HADS variable star images, measuring and reviewing the functionality of the Habitat, conducting the daily, group focused breathing exercises, and individual interviews with each crew member as well as hours of EVA footage of the astronauts hiking in the local terrain. Additionally, the simulation was paused on Sol 8 to conduct 11 live broadcast events with family, friends, elementary and middle school classrooms, SpaceX employees, a Civil Air Patrol, and a public broadcast. We welcomed over 300 participants over all 11 broadcasts and answered over 60 questions, having the entire crew on camera for over seven hours throughout the day.

Germination Study of Long-Duration Space-Exposed Seeds in Simulated Martian Regolith 

Tyler “Houston” Hines, GreenHab Officer

This research focused on studying the initial germination effects of long-duration space-exposed tomato seeds flown aboard the Earth-orbiting Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) from 1984-1990 in a combined Martian regolith simulant to provide further understanding of the durability of high-nutrient seeds after extended exposure to the space environment. A secondary study related to nutrient-rich microgreen germination in similar Martian simulant regolith was also conducted with the intention to provide a broader scope of useful data on the applications of growing microgreens on future crewed Martian missions. Following initial setup of both experiments on Sol 1, general maintenance and observational data of each seed set, including the growth tent environmental information and related information was recorded multiple times per sol, in addition to consistent nutrient-rich watering to further support the germination process. Beginning on Sol 3, the first evidence of germination was noted in the cress and broccoli microgreen set, with only the cress continuing to flourish considerably until harvest on Sol 9. Overall, while the highest rate of successful germination was shown in the cress microgreen set, the remaining broccoli, beets, and arugula showed evidence of notable yet lesser rates of germination, thereby providing a broader scope of understanding in microgreen germination in simulated Martian regolith and related studies. With regard to the primary LDEF seed sets, three pre-selected packets were officially opened and planted separately from the microgreens ranging from four to five seeds per cell to maximize growth opportunities. Similar to the secondary experiment, each LDEF seed set was given constant watering of nutrient-rich solutions, maintained and documented. In a major breakthrough, official evidence of germination was noted on Sol 9, marking a significant advancement in the understanding of the durability and sustainable germination capabilities of crops and plants in future Martian gardens. Additionally, only this particular seed continued to flourish throughout the remainder of mission operations. As an added surprise, it was discovered upon the conclusion of the mission that several other seeds also germinated, with some germinating significantly more than the first on Sol 6. though the culminative obtained data of all seed sets progress provided an adequate foundation of understanding for future studies.

Supply Cache Use for Extension of Human Exploration on Mars

Nicholas “Xman” Pender, Health and Safety Officer

The goal of this study was to demonstrate the use of a supply caches to extend human exploration on the Moon and Mars. The short-term goal was to identify solutions that will make supply cache use feasible and relevant to analog EVA research while the long-term goal is to gain a better understanding of constraints in the Lunar and Martian EVA environment and how supply cache concepts can improve the safety of these missions. The research concept was developed over the technical expertise and concepts adapted by the experiences gained by the principal investigator’s service in United States Air Force as a logistics technician. Research at MDRS was carried out over five phases. The first phase identified a baseline distance and pace of travel while in MDRS spacesuits. It also tested the ability to consume water and gel packs in spacesuit gear.  The second phase proved the ability to deploy a supply cache in the field. The third phase was used to ensure the supply cache was reliable for future EVAs. The fourth phase comprised of a 3-hour hike to demonstrate the use of a supply cache in an emergency scenario. This was a demonstration of a sustainment exercise, proving the concept that supply caches can be resupplied in an analog environment. The fifth phase demonstrated the ability to redeploy caches to new locations. In the case of this mission, the cache was redeployed back to the MDRS habitat.  The following temperature readings proved the cache was effective at maintaining warm temperatures throughout the frigid evenings.  Future research will look to scale up this proven concept.

Conclusion

Crew 274 closes this mission as the first analog mission to attend the Mars Desert Research Station on behalf of American Public University and American Military University and quite possibly, the first for an online institution. A sincere gratitude to the many supporters which have made this mission possible for the last two years. We want to personally thank the American Public University Grant Office, the Center for Space Studies, APUS Analog Research Group and faculty Advisor, Dr. Kristen Miller, Flight Director Terry Trevino, and the unwavering love and support from our families, friends, colleagues, and mentors. Finally, we thank the Mars Society and the Mission Support Team at the Mars Desert Research Station for the opportunity to conduct our many research projects which we hope will lead humanity to Mars and beyond.

Crew 271 – Mars Society
Crew Commander: Marc Levesque (United States)
Executive Officer/Crew Astronomer: Cesare Guariniello (United States/Italy)
Crew Engineer/Health and Safety Officer: Sergii Iakymov (Ukraine)
Crew Geologist/Journalist: Helen Eifert (United States)
Crew Medical Researcher/Green Hab Officer: Alicyn Grete (United States)
Crew Researcher: Andres Käosaar (Estonia)
MDRS 271 was a Mars Society crew, self-named I.M.A.R.S. (International Mars Analog
Research Simulation), was comprised of a diverse group of individuals representing four
countries, providing an international flavor to the mission. Three members were
veterans of past MDRS missions, while three were MDRS rookies. The crew’s priorities
were to maintain all MDRS facilities, vehicles, and equipment in a safe and operable
condition and to complete geological, astronomical, psychological, medical, and
operational projects.
Prior to the mission, the crew met for 10 video sessions to organize and prepare
themselves for their stay at MDRS. These meetings provided an orientation to the
station, expectations for accommodations and living conditions, additional simulation
protocols beyond those outlined in the MDRS Handbook, and expedition behavior
characteristics derived from several sources. For a crew assembled from individual
applications, the latter topic was vitally important to establish a cohesive and
cooperative effort immediately upon arrival at MDRS. As was proven during the
commander’s two previous missions, this set of expedition behaviors allowed this crew
to work and live together and support each other extremely well throughout the duration
of this mission. This also assisted in the completion of all planned projects and for
achieving the safe and effective operation of the station that had been established as
priorities for the mission. From this commander’s perspective, I could have not asked for
a better crew.
A brief summary of crew project accomplishments follows, with a full description found
in the Crew 271 End of Mission Science and Operations Report.

Titles: Coping Strategies for Long-Duration Space Exploration (Study 1); Team
Challenge Resolution Mechanisms in Isolated and Confined Space Analog
Mission Through Ethnographic Methods (Study 2)
Crew member: Andres Käosaar
The data gathering for the projects well very well – the members of Crew 271 patiently
filled in my surveys, and there seemed to be no missing data points. While there weren’t
too many overtly observable coping strategies or team challenge resolution
mechanisms executed, there were some instances that were noted for further analysis.
Due to the individual profiles of the Crew 271 members and the overall resemblance to
a potential real long-duration space exploration team (i.e., culturally and professionally
diverse crew very interested in human spaceflight), the data are good, and the sample
has high validity. While unable to access all the data collected from surveys and
journals, I'm quite hopeful and optimistic regarding the potential findings and
conclusions from the studies.
Title: Drying trends of a clay-rich surface
Crew member: Helen Eifert
The goal for this particular experiment was to observe the drying trends of a clay-rich
surface for a longer period of time following controlled wetting of the surface to
understand chemically bound water trends better. This contributes to the overall
understanding of how water may be retained, persevered, and detected on Mars. A
location was selected north of the Hab for an experiment to measure drying trends of a
clay-rich and Mars-like surface over the course of the MDRS mission. The initial wetting
of the experiment was conducted on Sol 4, and the immediate drying trends were
measured for an additional two hours following saturation of the surface on this first
EVA using an ASD FieldSpec3. Return EVAs were conducted on Sol 5, Sol 6, and Sol 9
for an additional two measurements each day. On the last day of measurement, a dry
sample was collected from a nearby site to get initial water content and an additional
sample was collected from the experiment site, which still appeared damper than its
surroundings. The two samples collected were returned to the Science Dome for loss
on ignition analysis. The spectral data was post processed and will be plotted and
analyzed to be used to supplement the findings of prior field campaigns. This work is in
preparation for publication in the late spring 2023.

Title: Geology – Samples for In-Situ Resource Utilization
Crew member: Cesare Guariniello
Three long-distance EVAs collected samples in the area of Barrainca Butte (black
vesicular igneous rocks, conglomerates, and light-colored mudstone), Candor Chasma
(Summerville formation: red mudstone and sandstone with cross-cutting gypsum veins),
and Skyline Rim (Dakota conglomeratic sandstone and Mancos Shale samples).
Samples were weighted and processed in the oven in the Science Dome, then weighted
again to ascertain water content. The samples will be shipped to Purdue University for
further spectroscopic analysis to identify geotechnical properties for ISRU via remote
sensing. In particular, spectra will be studied for indicators of water content and bulk
size.
Title: Astronomy
Crew member: Cesare Guariniello
Robotic Observatory: After adjusting the MDRS-14 telescope, multiple observations
were taken when the sky was clear. The most notable was M42 (Orion Nebula). Other
objects that were sampled are M1 (Crab Nebula), M3, M31 (Andromeda Galaxy), M97,
M101 (Pinwheel Nebula), Rosette Nebula, Barnard 33 (Horsehead Nebula). The
Astronomy Support will work further on the telescope focus.
Musk Observatory: The sky was hazy or cloudy on most sols. One observation of the
Sun was performed towards the end of the mission. This allowed the whole crew to
participate in a solar observation. One photo of a group of sunspots with visible umbrae
and penumbrae was captured and processed.
Title: Analog Mars Crew Evaluation of a Uniplanar External Fixation Training
Module
Crew member: Alicyn Grete
The purpose of this project was to verify whether Martian analog crew members could
use an offline, self-assessed module, and locally reproducible 3D printed bone
simulation models to become confident and competent in performing external fixation
procedures to manage open tibial fractures in an austere environment without access to
specialist support from Mission Control. The first two days were spent having
participants take a pre-learning confidence survey and complete the training materials
and video. Over the next four days, each participant successfully completed a skills test,
achieving a go ahead on each competence objective and verifying their work with self-
assessment photos. Afterwards, each participant completed a post-learning survey and
received Medical Makers certificate and memorabilia to commemorate their
accomplishment. These results suggest that my hypothesis was correct: the Tibial
Fracture Fixation Training Module can provide analog space crew members with the
confidence and competence necessary to teach themselves a new surgical skill. I will
be submitting an abstract to present this research at the West African College of
Surgeons Conference in Togo this spring, and I am working on an article to submit to
Aerospace Medicine and Human Performance journal.
Title: MDRS Engineering Projects
Crew member: Sergii Iakymov
During Crew 271 all 11 EVA suits were inspected for their power systems, and
especially wiring connections, charging hardware, and rechargeable batteries. Issues
were identified, changes were made to equipment, and recommendations made for
better suit maintenance by future crews. A second project evaluated MDRS power
consumption at the request of Mission Support by evaluating active station electrical
devices. A spreadsheet of the station components and power consumption was created
and sent to Mission Support.
Title: Radio communications system maintenance
Crew member: Marc Levesque
A maintenance check was conducted on the new MDRS radio repeater, and its antenna
was raised to improve reception between the Hab and EVA teams, since
communication gaps were discovered by crews this season. Communications checks
during Crew 271 validated this problem, and a recommendation is made to relocate the
repeater to the North Ridge. It is also recommended to re-establish Communications
Officer duties on each MDRS crew, with those duties most likely assigned to the Crew
Engineer to ensure proper radio usage and battery recharging.
The I.M.A.R.S. crew would like to extend its appreciation to Dr. Robert Zubrin and Dr.
Shannon Rupert for the opportunity to participate in a mission at MDRS and hope that
we performed in a manner befitting the safe and effective operation of the station while
contributing to the long term goal of human exploration and colonization of Mars.
Submitted by:
Marc Levesque
Crew 271 Commander

Crew 271 – Mars Society

Crew Commander: Marc Levesque (United States)

Executive Officer/Crew Astronomer: Cesare Guariniello (United States/Italy)

Crew Engineer/Health and Safety Officer: Sergii Iakymov (Ukraine)

Crew Geologist/Journalist: Helen Eifert (United States)

Crew Medical Researcher/Green Hab Officer: Alicyn Grete (United States)

Crew Researcher: Andres Käosaar (Estonia)

MDRS 271 was a Mars Society crew, self-named I.M.A.R.S. (International Mars Analog Research Simulation), was comprised of a diverse group of individuals representing four countries, providing an international flavor to the mission. Three members were veterans of past MDRS missions, while three were MDRS rookies. The crew’s priorities were to maintain all MDRS facilities, vehicles, and equipment in a safe and operable condition and to complete geological, astronomical, psychological, medical, and operational projects.

Prior to the mission, the crew met for 10 video sessions to organize and prepare themselves for their stay at MDRS. These meetings provided an orientation to the station, expectations for accommodations and living conditions, additional simulation protocols beyond those outlined in the MDRS Handbook, and expedition behavior characteristics derived from several sources. For a crew assembled from individual applications, the latter topic was vitally important to establish a cohesive and cooperative effort immediately upon arrival at MDRS. As was proven during the commander’s two previous missions, this set of expedition behaviors allowed this crew to work and live together and support each other extremely well throughout the duration of this mission. This also assisted in the completion of all planned projects and for achieving the safe and effective operation of the station that had been established as priorities for the mission. From this commander’s perspective, I could have not asked for a better crew.

A brief summary of crew project accomplishments follows, with a full description found in the Crew 271 End of Mission Science and Operations Report.

Titles: Coping Strategies for Long-Duration Space Exploration (Study 1); Team Challenge Resolution Mechanisms in Isolated and Confined Space Analog Mission Through Ethnographic Methods (Study 2) 

Crew member: Andres Käosaar

The data gathering for the projects well very well – the members of Crew 271 patiently filled in my surveys, and there seemed to be no missing data points. While there weren’t too many overtly observable coping strategies or team challenge resolution mechanisms executed, there were some instances that were noted for further analysis. Due to the individual profiles of the Crew 271 members and the overall resemblance to a potential real long-duration space exploration team (i.e., culturally and professionally diverse crew very interested in human spaceflight), the data are good, and the sample has high validity. While unable to access all the data collected from surveys and journals, I’m quite hopeful and optimistic regarding the potential findings and conclusions from the studies.

Title: Drying trends of a clay-rich surface

Crew member: Helen Eifert

The goal for this particular experiment was to observe the drying trends of a clay-rich surface for a longer period of time following controlled wetting of the surface to understand chemically bound water trends better. This contributes to the overall understanding of how water may be retained, persevered, and detected on Mars. A location was selected north of the Hab for an experiment to measure drying trends of a clay-rich and Mars-like surface over the course of the MDRS mission. The initial wetting of the experiment was conducted on Sol 4, and the immediate drying trends were measured for an additional two hours following saturation of the surface on this first EVA using an ASD FieldSpec3. Return EVAs were conducted on Sol 5, Sol 6, and Sol 9 for an additional two measurements each day. On the last day of measurement, a dry sample was collected from a nearby site to get initial water content and an additional sample was collected from the experiment site, which still appeared damper than its surroundings. The two samples collected were returned to the Science Dome for loss on ignition analysis. The spectral data was post processed and will be plotted and analyzed to be used to supplement the findings of prior field campaigns. This work is in preparation for publication in the late spring 2023.

Title: Geology – Samples for In-Situ Resource Utilization

Crew member: Cesare Guariniello

Three long-distance EVAs collected samples in the area of Barrainca Butte (black vesicular igneous rocks, conglomerates, and light-colored mudstone), Candor Chasma (Summerville formation: red mudstone and sandstone with cross-cutting gypsum veins), and Skyline Rim (Dakota conglomeratic sandstone and Mancos Shale samples). Samples were weighted and processed in the oven in the Science Dome, then weighted again to ascertain water content. The samples will be shipped to Purdue University for further spectroscopic analysis to identify geotechnical properties for ISRU via remote sensing. In particular, spectra will be studied for indicators of water content and bulk size.

Title: Astronomy

Crew member: Cesare Guariniello

Robotic Observatory: After adjusting the MDRS-14 telescope, multiple observations were taken when the sky was clear. The most notable was M42 (Orion Nebula). Other objects that were sampled are M1 (Crab Nebula), M3, M31 (Andromeda Galaxy), M97, M101 (Pinwheel Nebula), Rosette Nebula, Barnard 33 (Horsehead Nebula). The Astronomy Support will work further on the telescope focus.

Musk Observatory: The sky was hazy or cloudy on most sols. One observation of the Sun was performed towards the end of the mission. This allowed the whole crew to participate in a solar observation. One photo of a group of sunspots with visible umbrae and penumbrae was captured and processed.

Title: Analog Mars Crew Evaluation of a Uniplanar External Fixation Training Module

Crew member: Alicyn Grete

The purpose of this project was to verify whether Martian analog crew members could use an offline, self-assessed module, and locally reproducible 3D printed bone simulation models to become confident and competent in performing external fixation procedures to manage open tibial fractures in an austere environment without access to specialist support from Mission Control. The first two days were spent having participants take a pre-learning confidence survey and complete the training materials and video. Over the next four days, each participant successfully completed a skills test, achieving a go ahead on each competence objective and verifying their work with self-assessment photos. Afterwards, each participant completed a post-learning survey and received Medical Makers certificate and memorabilia to commemorate their accomplishment. These results suggest that my hypothesis was correct: the Tibial Fracture Fixation Training Module can provide analog space crew members with the confidence and competence necessary to teach themselves a new surgical skill. I will be submitting an abstract to present this research at the West African College of Surgeons Conference in Togo this spring, and I am working on an article to submit to Aerospace Medicine and Human Performance journal.

Title: MDRS Engineering Projects

Crew member: Sergii Iakymov

During Crew 271 all 11 EVA suits were inspected for their power systems, and especially wiring connections, charging hardware, and rechargeable batteries. Issues were identified, changes were made to equipment, and recommendations made for better suit maintenance by future crews. A second project evaluated MDRS power consumption at the request of Mission Support by evaluating active station electrical devices. A spreadsheet of the station components and power consumption was created and sent to Mission Support.

Title: Radio communications system maintenance

Crew member: Marc Levesque

A maintenance check was conducted on the new MDRS radio repeater, and its antenna was raised to improve reception between the Hab and EVA teams, since communication gaps were discovered by crews this season. Communications checks during Crew 271 validated this problem, and a recommendation is made to relocate the repeater to the North Ridge. It is also recommended to re-establish Communications Officer duties on each MDRS crew, with those duties most likely assigned to the Crew Engineer to insure proper radio usage and battery recharging.

The I.M.A.R.S. crew would like to extend its appreciation to Dr. Robert Zubrin and Dr. Shannon Rupert for the opportunity to participate in a mission at MDRS and hope that we performed in a manner befitting the safe and effective operation of the station while contributing to the long term goal of human exploration and colonization of Mars.

Submitted by:

Marc Levesque

Crew 271 Commander

The Aerospace Corporation Demo-1 Crew 269

Commander (CDR): Dr. Kristine Ferrone

Executive Officer (XO): Allison Taylor

Health & Safety Officer (HSO): Barbara Braun

Crew Engineer (ENG): Ashley Kowalski

Green Hab Officer (GHO): Matthew Eby

Technology Officer (TECH): Trevor Jahn

Crew 269 was the first self-organized MDRS crew from The Aerospace Corporation. The mission was internally named “Demo-1” to indicate the first demonstration on an all-Aerospace analog mission. The mission concept was first proposed by CDR and XO as a sprint exercise to determine the feasibility of assembling a complete MDRS crew and experiment team from within Aerospace in 2020. The results of that exercise formed the basis of the crew application and mission plan submitted for MDRS consideration. The crew learned of their acceptance in early 2021 with a mission date scheduled for late 2022.

Throughout 2021 and 2022, XO served as the project manager, interfacing with MDRS and leading weekly meetings for crew team building, mission formation, and experiment development. Several modifications were made to the original experiment manifest, indicating changes in Aerospace internal priorities and government customer needs during the span of several fiscal years. The crew adapted to these changes and worked to maximize involvement from across Aerospace to ensure maximum scientific return.

As the mission start date moved closer, the crew conducted in-person training at Aerospace headquarters with experiment teams and corporate environmental health and safety staff to ensure adequate pre-mission procedures and materials training. Crew also coordinated transportation and logistics arrangements for all experiment hardware.

Upon arrival at MDRS, the crew experienced a delayed COVID PCR test result causing simulation start to occur a day later than planned. The crew adapted to this challenge and was able to recover all scientific and operational objectives on other Sols. Simulation officially began on Tuesday, November 29 and completed on Friday, December 9. Individual reports on in-simulation activities are included below.

Crew 269 accomplished their primary objective of successfully demonstrating that The Aerospace Corporation can assemble a competent analog astronaut crew, compile a feasible experiment manifest, and execute an MDRS mission within the boundaries set by mission support, weather, and isolation obstacles.

Experiment Reports

I. Project Phantom Virtual Reality/Augmented Reality Demonstration

PI/Crew Lead: Trevor Jahn, M.S. Aeronautical/Astronautical Engineering

· Objective: Create 3D models of the aera surrounding MDRS, and show its effectiveness in mission planning in tandem with Aerospace’s unique Augmented Reality Software

· Accomplishments:

Demonstrated using Remote Control (RC) rover/robot to collect imaging data to be used for photogrammetry during a spacewalk on Mars
Demonstrated using Aerial Drone to collect imaging data to be used in photogrammetry to create 3D models, and maps, to be used for mission planning during a spacewalk on Mars
Demonstrated stitching together 3D models produced from Aerial Drone images, and 3D models from satellite imaging to create a 3D model of the operational environment that can be updated with new stitched in models
Demonstrated using Aerospace’s Augmented reality software for mission planning and execution
· Relevance: Photogrammetry is now becoming more common place and has already been used in limited capacity on Mars to create 3D models of the planet’s surface. There are also public documents outlining the use of Augmented Reality hardware in NASA’s next generation space suit. This research will lay the groundwork for ways to use 3D models from photogrammetry, and the augmented reality spacesuit capability, together on future space walks and missions on the Moon and Mars.

II. Mirror Coating Experiment

PI: Chelsea Appleget, Ph.D. Aerospace Engineering

Crew Lead: Ashley Kowalski, M.S. Aerospace Engineering

· Objective: Monitor and characterize mirror surface degradation under a simulated, accelerated environmental exposure over the two-week period at MDRS

· Accomplishments: The crew deployed four different mirror samples close to Marble Ritual on Sol 1. On Sol 5 and Sol 8, the mirror samples were brought in by a morning EVA crew and inspected in the Science Dome under The Aerospace Corporation microscope by Crew Engineer. During the inspections, the locations of abnormalities on the mirrors were noted and images of those anomalous areas were saved and delivered to the PI on Earth. Upon completion of each inspection, the mirror samples were redeployed to the Martian environment on an afternoon EVA the same day. Originally, one final mirror inspection was to be performed on Sol 12; however, upon receiving feedback from the PI on Earth, it was determined that an unexpected anomaly occurred during this experiment. Thus, an EVA was performed on Sol 10 to adjust the mirrors in the field. Additional mirror inspections were completed on Sol 11 with additional exposure time on Sol 12. Therefore, while the original procedures for this experiment needed to be modified, the crew was able to make necessary adjustments to the payload and successfully utilize the unique Martian environment to obtain an abbreviated data set to characterize the mirror surface degradation.

· Relevance: Highly reflective silver mirrors are used in many space applications, but exposure to environmental contaminants can rapidly degrade optical performance. The results of exposure to a simulated Martian environment with dust, variable temperatures, and harsh conditions will be compared to traditional laboratory accelerated environmental testing, allowing researchers to correlate laboratory testing to harsh desert conditions.

III. Ham Radio Demonstration

PI/Crew Lead: Matthew Eby, M.S. Aerospace Engineering

· Objectives: Demonstrate deployment of a ham radio field antenna in a Mars analog environment while wearing analog space suits; Conduct handheld ham radio range test on EVA

· Accomplishments: While at MDRS, the three ham radio operators on the crew (Eby KJ6ZCL, Ferrone KI5AMM, Braun N1VNJ) completed activation and checkout of the new MDRS ham radio station and two of their own handheld ham radios. The crew also deployed the whip antenna with vertical extension while on EVA. Subsequently, crew received transmissions on the ham radio station from as far away as Lithuania and Luxembourg, but the crew did not yet receive confirmation their own transmissions were received. Using the handheld radios, the crew conducted EVA communications tests at several locations around MDRS and determined that the handheld ham radios would make excellent alternative or backup communications to the MDRS EVA radios.

· Relevance: Pending improved understanding of the Martian ionosphere, ham radio communications may be employed to supplement traditional radio communications on the surface of Mars.

IV. EVA Tools Demonstration and Regolith Sample Collection

PI/Crew Lead: Allison Taylor, M.S. Space Studies

· Objective: Evaluate the operational use of the selected commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) tools in accomplishing regolith sampling during planetary surface EVAs

· Accomplishments: The COTS EVA tool suite included a rake and scoop, handheld battery-powered sifter with 75-micron mesh, and special sample collection bags. The crew successfully collected 10 regolith samples from sites near the Hab and known traverse routes in the Tharsis Montes quadrant, the Special Region in the Valles Marineris quadrant, and the Barrainca Butte region in the Charitum Montes quadrant. Sifted regolith is the first step in the beneficiation of material for in situ resource utilization (ISRU), as ISRU requires smaller grain sizes for processing. The regolith samples will be sent to a laboratory at The Aerospace Corporation for analysis to determine if any of the sampled regions near MDRS have compositions suitable for ISRU processing, such as creating building materials.

· Relevance: It is likely that similarly collected samples from the Moon and Mars will be analyzed for purposes such as future site construction with the goal to maximize the use of in situ material.

V. Weather Balloon Release

PI/Crew Lead: Matthew Eby, M.S. Aerospace Engineering

· Objective: Prepare and launch a high-altitude weather balloon in an analog Martian environment and in analog space suits; Measure dust in the atmosphere from ground level to 90,000 ft

· Accomplishments: This experiment leveraged existing Aerospace assets from prior high-altitude flights, including radio, telemetry, and tracking equipment, parawings, and spare weather balloons. To the existing sensor package, a dust sensor was added, requiring modifications to the flight code to add a two-wire serial data interface. An epoxy fiberglass cone was fabricated to house the experiment package. Upon arrival at MDRS, the experiment was unpacked and prepared for flight by loading the flight batteries and assembling the quarter-wave ground plane telemetry antenna. A dress-rehearsal launch was conducted with the team, activating the payload, and checking out the ground station. On flight day, the balloon was filled with 150 cubic feet of Helium. The balloon train (balloon-parachute-experiment) was assembled and in calm air near the ground, then the balloon was sent aloft. Measuring dust in the air, the balloon caught the Jetstream, and the crew tracked the balloon as it rose to the target altitude and then as it descended over the Colorado Rockies.

· Relevance: Balloons on Mars would enable in situ atmospheric measurements that are not feasible with other platforms such as satellites and rovers. Applications for human Mars missions include dust storm monitoring, atmospheric sounding, on-demand or rapid response science missions, and tethered communication relays.

VI. Exercise and Fitness Protocols

PI: Sylvia Kohn-Rich, Ph.D. Aerospace/Aeronautical/Astronautical Engineering

Crew Lead: Barbara Braun, USAF Lt. Col. (ret.), M.S. Aerospace Engineering

· Objective: Evaluate Hygear compact fitness equipment and other exercise protocols in space-like living environments

· Accomplishments: Five of the six analog crew members used the Hygear fitness bands and jump rope equipment in circuit-style workout plans, as supplements to other regimens, and in conjunction with videos and other exercises. Crew discussed their voluntary fitness activities and provided feedback on the equipment if used. The fitness bands have a simple and flexible attachment mechanism, ideal for an environment with limited fixed mounts. The bands are very compact and use elasticity rather than weight to provide resistance, as appropriate for a low-gravity environment, but require a moderate amount of free linear space to stretch to their full length. Crew members are finding the jump rope and rope-free weighted handles surprisingly effective; the weighted handles are particularly good for confined spaces. The crew is having difficulty fitting the recommended three 15-minute workouts into their day and recommend fewer, longer workouts as a more suitable regimen.

· Relevance: Maintaining astronaut fitness in low-gravity and limited-space environments is critical to successful space exploration. Evaluating exercise equipment and approaches in an analog environment allows a better understanding of their suitability for interplanetary habitat and space station use.

VII. Radiation Environment Monitoring and Mapping

PI/Crew Lead: Kristine Ferrone, Ph.D. Radiation Physics

· Objective: Demonstrate the use of a handheld portable radiation dosimeter to collect GPS-tagged radiation dose rate data to create a dose rate map of a designated area on Mars or another planetary surface

· Accomplishments: With assistance from other EVA crew members, Commander collected GPS-tagged environmental radiation dose rate measurements at regular intervals using the handheld Radex RD1212-BT radiation dosimeter. This dosimeter records the GPS-tagged radiation dose rate in preset intervals and submits data to a public database (https://quartarad.com/radexweb/#/ViewChart; zoom in to MDRS location on map). The data collected on this mission was also used to create a radiation dose rate map of the area around MDRS.

· Relevance: Crews could use a radiation dose rate map to aid in EVA planning to identify exposed or protected solar radiation areas or to locate radioisotopes on the surface. The GPS-tagged radiation dose rate data could also be integrated into VR/AR models in the future.

VIII. Discord Crew Communication Demonstration

PI: Elias Braun, 10th Grade Student

Crew Lead: Barbara Braun, USAF Lt. Col. (ret.), M.S. Aerospace Engineering

· Objective: Evaluate low-bandwidth, high-latency messaging (similar to texting) as a way for interplanetary astronauts to stay in touch

· Accomplishments: PI developed a special Discord text-only messaging server that simulated the light-time delay between Earth and Mars (currently five minutes each way). In addition to all-crew channels for talking to Aerospace mission support, each crew member had a set of private channels for talking to family and friends. Early bugs in the server were resolved by Sol 2. During the mission, the crew sent and received over 2000 messages across all channels. Crew members used Discord to stay in touch, conduct STEM outreach, consult with subject-matter experts, text with each other, and even to ask friends to look up information from “Earth” internet. The Discord server was highly effective with the relatively short five-minute light-time delay; future efforts might explore its effectiveness as the light-time delay grows to its maximum of about 20 minutes.

· Relevance: Crew morale will be a significant concern on long-duration interplanetary missions where communication is severely bandwidth-limited and time-delayed; this project demonstrates that the simple ability to text might provide an easy way to mitigate these concerns.

IX. EVA Planning

PI/Crew Lead: Allison Taylor, M.S. Space Studies

· Objective: Investigate how well a crew can manage experiment objectives and execution of daily tasks

· Accomplishments: Pre-mission, the crew created a high-level map of major activities showing allocation of the ~24-hour Sol. This was useful in evaluating the durations of major activities throughout the day and how much working time would be available. The second level plan was a Sol-by-Sol map of EVA and IVA activities. This was created with color-coded activity blocks in Excel, which made it easy to manipulate based on changes or adjustments to the plan while allowing all the objectives to remain on the plan. The third level plan included example timelines in 15-minute increments for each Sol. During the mission, the crew understood what they needed to accomplish each day and did not utilize the 15-minute increment schedules, which would have been too restrictive and labor-intensive to create without a mission control flight planning team in place. The 15-minute increment planning would be more appropriate for space station style missions and was not conducive to a more autonomous crew with long communications delays and planetary EVA traverses. Ultimately, the crew heavily used the second level Sol-by-Sol map of EVA and IVA activities as the master plan, which allowed for crew autonomy in management/decision-making. XO managed the schedule and EVA requests and marked major disruptions to the plan. Utilizing the color-coded EVA spreadsheet, the crew was able to ensure enough EVAs were completed to cover the objectives for each of the major experiments.

· Relevance: This mission planning methodology can be compared to existing NASA human spaceflight mission management/planning capabilities, as well as other analog planning approaches. Data on how planetary crews operate, with multiple EVA traverses in the mission plan, is relevant now as NASA is proceeding toward recurring lunar surface missions.

Engineering and Hab Operations

I. Operations Report

Maintaining the operations of the MDRS habitat was an important, realistic component of our mission. ENG, with the assistance from the rest of the crew, completed many tasks including:

· Maintain and troubleshoot issues with the habitat toilet

· Resolder wiring, replace fuses, and diagnose charging issues with EVA suits

· Report EVA radio headset anomalies

· Report daily status of the rovers used on EVAs

· Reattach front door air lock webbing

· Document kitchen appliance maintenance topics

· Monitor daily water use

· Replace furnace air filter

· Summarize and report Green Hab, Science Dome, Repair and Assembly Module (RAM) operations and issues

All operational tasks were done in coordination with the Mission Support team. ENG communicated the issues observed with Mission Support, submitted analysis and suggestions on how to repair the issues, received and incorporated Mission Support suggestions into repair plan. All operational issues discovered during the mission were successfully repaired.

II. Green Hab Operations

Throughout the mission, GHO, with help from the rest of the crew, gained experience in the day-to-day operations of growing and caring for plants in a simulated Mars station. The crew worked with plants at various stages of the growth cycle from new seedlings to plants starting to flower to plants ready to harvest. The crew also rotated plants within the Green Hab to optimize temperature variations. Edible plants supplementing the crew dinner table were tracked based on weight and date harvested.

III. Health and Safety Operations

HSO monitored the crew’s physical health and fitness activities over the course of the two-week simulation. The HSO conducted daily health checks that included pulse, blood pressure, temperature, and oxygen saturation, and discussed any health concerns with the crew. Health issues were limited to minor congestion, dry nasal passages, intermittent mild headaches related to hydration and high-altitude adjustment, and minor soreness from carrying spacesuit packs.

MDRS Crew 268 was an all-woman international mission sponsored by the Mars Society. Planning for this mission commenced in 2020, so we were excited to arrive at the station on November 13th and begin the journey. Some crew members have had their sights set on MDRS as early as 2012!

Crew
Commander: Dr. Jennifer Hesterman (United States)
Executive Officer/Scientist: Jas Purewal (United Kingdom)
Health and Safety Officer: Elizabeth Balga (United States)
Biologist & Greenhab Officer: Caitlyn Hubric (United States)
Engineer: Judith Marcos (United States)
Journalist: Izabela Shopova (Bulgaria)
The crew undertook important research and scientific exploration during the mission. We were excited to Beta test Paro, an artificial intelligence therapeutic robot in the form of a baby harp seal. We studied how Paro mitigated feelings of stress and isolation and the data will be useful in supporting research on future analog missions. Half of the crew enjoyed time with Paro during the first week, while the others had access to him during Week 2. We self-reflected on how his presence affected our mental health and emotional well-being.

The Crew Engineer successfully accomplished a carry capacity test with the Pleiades Anchor, designed to help astronauts easily retrieve rock and soil samples without having to bend over or squat. She deliberately pushed the robot to its breaking point, testing its ability to function with an accumulation of debris and on different surfaces. The information gleaned from the experiment will allow her team to improve the device’s design and hopefully travel to the Moon or Mars one day.

The Health and Safety Officer provided training and education on a variety of challenges we might encounter in a remote, austere environment. We also used the Oculus VR goggles for first aid training, and the crew carried out three splinting scenarios. To reinforce these concepts, the crew accomplished two emergency exercises and a tabletop scenario with many lessons learned. Crises included an injury on an EVA and two medical issues within the confines of the station. Follow on crisis leadership and communication training complemented the drills and enhanced learning and skill development.

The crew maximized our available food supply in the station to create healthy meals and maintain our energy level. We bonded during mealtimes, whether sharing our personal life experiences, or enjoying light conversation and laughter. The Crew Biologist harvested microgreens from the Green Hab for fresh salads, which we greatly enjoyed. She also attempted to cultivate edible mushrooms, however they were contaminated with a green mold. As with all research, this situation led to new insights as the biologist observed the speed at which the fungi colonized the substrate. These edible decomposers can be a valuable addition to a colony’s greenhouse for several reasons; not only can they generate food for a crew at a faster rate in comparison to fruits and vegetables, but they can also decompose matter and generate a compost/fertilizer blend to add to the greenhouse soil.

The crew journalist not only created colorful and impactful essays about our 2 week journey, but also successfully developed a simplified, error proof process for daily yogurt making in the station. She used the powdered milk and kitchen utensils already available at MDRS, which demonstrates the feasibility of making the homemade yogurt part of the analog astronauts’ diet. She used lactobacillus bulgaricus (chosen for its benefits for the digestive and immune systems) and the crew enjoyed yogurt in several recipes. She also demonstrated to the crew the simplicity of the process and educated them on the health benefits of yogurt consumption. The crew filled questionnaires, evaluating the quality of the yogurt, its ease of preparation and suitability for analog astronauts missions, which will add to the body of research already available on research of gut health and health benefits of lactobacteria. She also completed a video response to the more than 30 questions from school children from the Bulgarian Space Academy.

The Commander executed a slate of training and education modules and hands-on exercises on group development, leadership, followership and individual growth topics. These strategies will enhance knowledge of self and maximize success working in diverse groups in a remote, austere environment. They are also applicable in our daily lives. Throughout the mission, the crew discussed Tuckman’s five phases of group development – forming, storming, norming, performing and adjourning. Other sessions introduced the crew to a variety of self-assessment tools. Crisis leadership and communications modules complemented emergency exercises. A team building activity using LEGOs reinforced communication and listening skills. The crew also supported the Intertribal Space Conference with a video, and Beta tested the new Space ABC nutrition app which provided menus based on available food items and kitchen appliances. The U.S. crew hosted their foreign colleagues for a Thanksgiving feast and shared their family traditions for celebrating the holiday. Being in an austere, remote environment made us all thankful for family, partners and friends and the abundance of resources in our lives.

Crew 268 successfully accomplished the mission. We enjoyed exploring the stunning Mars-like landscape, incredibly rich sunrises and sunsets, and a star-filled sky at night. We hope our research activities will inform future space missions and will continue pursuing our dreams of living and working on another planet.

To summarize this mission is not an easy task : 3 years in the making, 2 times delayed and a last-minute change of crew. After finally making it to the MDRS, WoMars was so thrilled to finally get to work. It was a privilege to be able to test the robot from the Dronomy company : we look forward to seeing the data. We also tested an amazing deep space communication tool that brought us closer to Earth thanks to Braided Communications Ltd. And we self-reflected and shared our daily emotions as part of a sociology research led by Dr. Popovite.
Some mistakes were made, some paths were difficult to find, but finding ourselves surrounded by these red valleys, with nothing else around us but the station in the distance was an absolutely unique, and dare we say, out of this world experience. Our first meal compared to our last clearly demonstrates our ability to learn and adapt to new ways of feeding our bodies : never would we have thought we could enjoy so much freeze-dried food ! The perfect addition to those meals were the occasional harvest our Crew Biologist brought in from the Green Hab. We much appreciated the fresh microgreens and look forward to eating fresh food soon.
The bond we developed, the work we achieved, the regions we explored made this experience worth every hour of work we put in before coming.