Category: Sol Summary

Sol: 7

Summary Title: Momentum

Author’s name: Enkhtuvshin “Dono” Doyodkhuu

Mission Status: Nominal

Sol Activity Summary: The day started a bit late today around 9 AM. We had oatmeal breakfast, exercised, and meditated together and started the EVA preparation around 10:50 AM. The EVA #7 crew headed out to the field at 11:25 AM, visited White Rock Canyon, and returned to the HAB 20 minutes after 1 PM. Lunch was prepared by Duluu, who made a delicious full course meal for us. Dinner was prepared by Muggi, and we had a delicious spicy penne soup. At the time of writing, the crew has had dinner and are working on the research report we plan to compile at the end of the mission.

Davaa has started his testing on the mud samples. Duluu is intently caring for the Greenhab. Sunny is keeping up the public outreach work. Muggi is becoming more and more proficient at drone operation. Tungaa would have started her microbiological work, but she needs petri dishes, which we can’t seem to find around the station. Any support on this from Mission Support would be greatly appreciated. I still haven’t heard from Peter regarding opening the Musk Observatory. Hopefully I’ll get to have some telescope time before the end of the rotation.

Each day brings us closer to the culmination of our research, weaving together the individual threads of our work into the rich tapestry of this mission’s legacy.

Look Ahead Plan: Today, we’ve started focusing more intently on our goals and the results we want to achieve by the end of the rotation. Our goal is to have one comprehensive file elaborating on each of these areas which will lay the foundation for MARS-V analog station in the Gobi. These are, respectively:

· Improving the development of the MARS-V training program.

o Challenge Takers;

o Science Takers;

o Experience Takers;

· Experimenting with the freeze-dried Mars analog food.

o How to improve the packaging, cooking instructions, variety, and quality.

· Testing out the MARS-V analog suit.

o How the helmet can be improved. What the simulated LSS should include. How to make it ergonomically comfortable.

· Developing and improving the general structure of a Mars analog station.

· Learning from the operational structure of MDRS.

o Protocols. Mission support system.

Anomalies in work: We had a bit of a mishap with the charging of the rovers today, but Ben promptly mended the situation. No anomalies to report otherwise.

Weather: Sunny with abundant cloud cover. It was quite warm today with the warmest part of the day showing 16 degrees Celsius.

Crew Physical Status: All healthy.

EVA: Successfully completed one EVA.

Reports to be filed: Mid-mission report, Sol summary, Journalist report, Operations report, Greenhab report, EVA report, Photos.

Support Requested: I want to request the crew car for tomorrow if possible. Our destination is beyond Overlook and Sea of Shells, to the area around White House and Lith Canyon. This will be an out-of-sim trip for the crew for the purposes of photo shooting and drone videos.

Sol: 8

Summary Title: Settling

Author’s name: Enkhtuvshin “Dono” Doyodkhuu

Mission Status: Nominal

Sol Activity Summary: The day started today around 8:30 AM for the crew. We had the best sweet rice with milk for breakfast which is a Mongolian traditional meal. HSO Duluu and I got promptly to work in the morning since we had a long trip planned for the afternoon. She tended to Green Hab, and I started my work as the newly appointed crew astronomer. Tungaa, Davaa, Sunny, and Muggi performed our usual morning routine, starting the Sol with energy and vigor. Muggi has been appointed as the trainer/coach for the crew, and he has been leading the morning exercises.

Lunch was prepared by Sunny and Davaa, which took meticulous preparation—Martian lasagna made completely from a freeze-dried recipe. It was made with beef, potatoes, penne, and cheese. Nutritious, delicious, and groundbreaking. It has been chosen as the second-best meal we’ve had since coming to Mars. Competition is fierce in the kitchen.

We had our first and only 6-person out-of-sim EVA today with the crew car and headed out to Lith Canyon and Whitehouse. The view is amazing, and we managed to perform extensive drone footage and photo shooting. Capcom was Ben, and our communication was cut off somewhere around Whitehouse, but all went well.

We had a warm and nutritious soup for dinner and got to work immediately afterwards. We have now gotten completely accustomed to Mars, and it is hard to believe we’re already beyond halfway through our rotation. Our work efficiency is going up day by day as we get more and more adapted to our new lifestyle, environment, and workflow. This could be how it feels to actually settle on Mars. It’s invigorating.

Look Ahead Plan: We are now planning to hold off on doing EVAs for a while and focus on our research reports in the 5 priority areas we’ve been working on. Tungaa and I are the appointed chefs for tomorrow, and we plan to hold our own amongst the culinary skills of the crew. We have T-bone steak menu for Sol 10, but we are planning to save that for when the Netflix crew arrives, and the crew is very much looking forward to their company on Mars.

Anomalies in work: None.

Weather: Sunny. Almost no clouds. Very warm.

Crew Physical Status: All healthy.

EVA: Successfully completed one EVA.

Reports to be filed: Sol summary, Journalist report, Operations report, Greenhab report, EVA report, Photos.

Support Requested: None.

Sol: 9

Summary Title: The Case for Hot Spicy Curry

Author’s name: Enkhtuvshin “Dono” Doyodkhuu

Mission Status: Nominal

Sol Activity Summary: We had spicy beef curry for dinner which took the number 1 spot for the meal contenders, hence the title. Lunch was Korean beef bulgogi, which was also delicious. We had another harvest from the Greenhab today, and it really brings life to our palate.

We had a game night yesterday before bed, and the morning started leisurely for us a bit after 9 AM today. We decided to have brunch, after which we exercised until noon. I introduced the crew to the Musk Observatory afterwards. The crew then went onto individually work on their research and reports.

We noticed that the day was much more relaxed with no EVAs. We now have only two sols until our sim ends, and it feels like time blew past us too quickly. We’re trying to make time for team bonding every night after 8-9 PM to enjoy each other’s company, and hopefully afterwards when we return to Earth, we’ll positively reminisce about the time we shared a hot spicy curry on a distant, yet familiar planet.

Look Ahead Plan: Duluu’s hydroponic wick system has been working wonders in the Greenhab, and her newly sprouted plants seem fragile yet strongly willing to grow. Davaa has made two different types of bricks from the soil samples today—he mentioned that the clays were of such good quality that they can be used to make vases. He is now planning to make a geological map of the area around Cowboy Corner. I’ve encountered a solar prominence on the telescope today but haven’t managed to capture a good image of it. I’m planning to make use of all the programs on the astronomy laptop tomorrow and improve the quality of the pictures. Everyone is working on their respective reports to combine it at the end of the rotation. Hopefully we’ll see good results from these past two weeks.

Anomalies in work: None.

Weather: Sunny. Almost no clouds. Very warm.

Crew Physical Status: All healthy.

EVA: No EVA was performed today.

Reports to be filed: Sol summary, Journalist report, Operations report, Greenhab report, EVA report, Photos.

Support Requested: None.

Sol: 10

Summary Title: Regathering

Author’s name: Enkhtuvshin “Dono” Doyodkhuu

Mission Status: Nominal

Sol Activity Summary: I woke up feeling queasy in the morning today. The crew made a nutritious soup for me, and let me stay in bed until afternoon, for which I am very grateful. I was not able to use the observatory today and will not be submitting the Astronomy Report.

Everyone else started their day leisurely at 9 AM today, had breakfast, exercised, and headed out to EVA #9 in the afternoon. Led by HSO Duluu, accompanied by Geologist Davaa and Journalist Sunny, performed a test run for the geological mapping task that would later be performed in the Mongolian Gobi as part of the training program. Our goal is to come up with a guidance protocol for mapping out the surrounding area of the analog station.

Today’s meals featured garlic soup with dumplings for lunch, and Mongolian traditional dumplings called “buuz” for dinner, which usually takes extensive preparation, but the crew has gotten proficient at preparing meals in the Hab at this point. Our experiences here are sure to further the product development from freeze-dried recipes at the MARS-V project.

We had a meeting with the UCCS team currently working on the MARS-V analog helmet and was introduced to their final design concepts. Muggi and Davaa have finalized their ideas for the general structure of MARS-V analog station, and we plan to work on these further with the technology team back at the MARS-V project in the coming year.

Sunny, Duluu, and Tungaa are working on further developing the training programs to be implemented at the MARS-V analog station. The experiences we have gathered at MDRS during the rotation have given us a tangible handle on what being an analog astronaut is like.

We are incredibly grateful for the opportunity to have participated at the station as Crew #287, and we have had a great time and experience here that is sure to further the development of the MARS-V project going forward. Here’s to more future collaborations between Mars Society and Mongolian Aerospace Research and Science Association!

Look Ahead Plan: This is the last day of full sim for us. We’re planning on doing a bit of photo shooting and drone footage tomorrow morning, and we’ll end the sim in the afternoon. The day after that, we’ll receive the Netflix documentary crew on station, and show them around. We will then hold an online meeting with the team in Mongolia and recap the Alpha Mission. We plan to do the cleaning in the evening and head back out first thing in the morning on 9th of December.

Anomalies in work: None.

Weather: Sunny. Almost no clouds. Very warm.

Crew Physical Status: I seem to have caught a bit of cold today and stayed in bed until afternoon. Everyone else is completely healthy.

EVA: Successfully performed one EVA today.

Reports to be filed: Sol summary, Journalist report, Operations report, Greenhab report, EVA report, Photos.

Support Requested: None.

Sol: 11

Summary Title: Departure

Author’s name: Enkhtuvshin “Dono” Doyodkhuu

Mission Status: Completed

Sol Activity Summary: After a quick game night yesterday, the crew went to bed early and the sol started promptly at 7 AM. We had a couscous soup for breakfast, exercised, meditated, and headed out for our last EVA. We walked about 500m north of Hab and did photo shooting, portraits, and drone footage. Alas, this marked the end of our simulation.

We invited the on-site managers—Ben and Jewels—for lunch and got straight to working on reports and cleaning afterwards. Our plan tonight is to finish our final mission summary and cleaning, record a final crew log to be shared amongst the MARS-V members club, and run a comedy night. Tomorrow, we will receive the Netflix documentary crew on station and show them around. We will then complete the final check-out list in the evening, finish cleaning, and move out first thing in the morning.

This will be our final sol summary. It is bittersweet to have to say goodbye to Mars, but there is still much work to be done on Earth to support the next generation Martians, so that humankind may become multiplanetary species. Hopefully Earth will welcome us with open hands.

Onwards and upwards!

Look Ahead Plan: More collaborations amongst the Mars Society International Chapters! MARS OR BUST!

Anomalies in work: None.

Weather: Sunny. Minimal cloud cover. Very warm.

Crew Physical Status: All healthy.

EVA: Successfully performed one EVA today.

Reports to be filed: Mission summary, Sol summary report, Journalist report, Operations report, Greenhab report, EVA report, Photos.

Support Requested: We could use all the help we can get for tomorrow with the Netflix documentary crew on site.

Sol: 1

Summary Title: “Alpha Mission Initiation”

Author’s name: Enkhtuvshin Doyodkhuu

Mission Status: All is nominal except the fact that we lost our drone on the way to the station. Currently looking into possibilities of retrieving the lost drone or having a new one sent to Hanksville.

Sol Activity Summary: The crew woke up around 8:30 am in the morning and did morning exercises. Made breakfast and started our training. Instructor Ben explained in detail the HAB operations starting with the second floor continuing onto the first floor. We then did a tour around the station. Ben took us to the RAM, Science Dome, Musk Observatory, and the greenhab. After that, we took a lunch break and made steak with mashed potatoes, broccoli, and a cranberry sauce. We then continued onto Rover training. All 6 crew members along with Ben took 4 of the rovers and visited Marble Ritual. After that, we finished EVA and COMMS training. All in all, it was a very successful training day, and we are officially in sim. Looking forward to our time on Mars.

Look Ahead Plan: We plan to perform 2 test EVAs tomorrow. We will test out our analog suit in both EVAs. We might try timing how long it takes for 2 members to put on both suits using a buddy system. We also plan to make a Zoom call with the Netflix documentary crew in the evening.

Anomalies in work: None

Weather: Cold and humid in the morning,

Crew Physical Status: Crew commander has a bit of a runny nose. All nominal otherwise.

EVA: –

Reports to be filed: Sol summary, Journalist report, Greenhab report, Operations report, Photos.

Support Requested: None

Sol: 2

Summary Title: “Getting acquainted with Mars”

Author’s name: Enkhtuvshin “Dono” Doyodkhuu

Mission Status: Nominal

Sol Activity Summary:

Morning Routine:

· The crew woke up at 8:00 AM with Davaa and Sunny designated for today’s duties of cooking and cleaning. This follows yesterday’s responsibilities handled by Muggi and Duluu, while Dono and Tungaa will take over tomorrow.

· Breakfast featured a traditional Mongolian milk rice.

EVA #1:

· Preparation for the first EVA began at 9:30 AM for a 10:00 AM start, led by Dono.

· Muggi and Tungaa operated the rovers to Marble Ritual, where they added rocks to the three poles and went on to explore the surrounding area of foot.

· CAPCOMM was led by Davaan from the Science Dome, who noted the battery usage and distance travelled.

· The team returned promptly at 11:00 AM for a debriefing.

Meals:

· Lunch consisted of fried meat with potatoes, carrots, and mushrooms, accompanied by a fresh salad from our greenhab’s harvest, which was thoroughly enjoyed.

Second EVA:

· The afternoon EVA was prepared for at 2:30 PM, with a start time of 3:00 PM.

· Led by crew geologist Davaa, joined by journalist Sunny and HSO Duluu. The activity was documented by the CAPCOMM led by Dono from the Science Dome, noting battery usage and distance covered.

We wore two of the analog suits brought from Mongolia, and they turned out to be quite comfortable. We still haven’t used the helmet. After that, all 6 crew members went out with suits to take a picture in front of the HAB, which was the first time we broke protocol. HSO Duluu is now in charge of the greenhab, and engineer Muggi oversees operation reports. Journalist Sunny oversees public outreach, geologist Davaa is currently in charge of media and content, psychologist Tungaa is keeping close tabs on the crew mindset. We lost our drone on the way to Mars and are expecting to have a new one delivered tomorrow. Davaa will then start mapping out the topography of the surrounding area. Dinner is being made at the time of writing, and we are all looking forward to a delicious meal made from freeze dried Mongolian recipe.

Look Ahead Plan: The next two days on Mars promises to be an exciting day for us since we have all gotten experience doing EVAs. We plan to go on reconnaissance EVAs twice a day for the next couple days and determine areas of geological interest. CAPCOMM will operate fully during these long-distance EVAs, and we plan to utilize COMMS fully and effectively. We plan to use the helmet we brought from Mongolia to see if the battery will hold for 4 hours. We also have 2 psychological games to play throughout the rotation to analyze individual and team mindset. Each member is in the process of proactively setting goals for themselves and coming up with action plans for the remainder of our time on Mars. We are still getting used to the station and the environment, but so far Mars is treating us quite well.

Anomalies in work: The distance travelled by the rovers came out to be inconsistent with the reality. Curiosity’s odometer reading went down, and Perseverance’s reading said it travelled for about 100m. These may need maintenance.

Weather: Sunny with minimal clouds. Not much wind. 6 degrees Celsius during the warmest part of the day. Perfect for wearing MARS-V analog suits.

Crew Physical Status: Nominal.

EVA: Two test EVAs performed successfully.

Reports to be filed: Sol summary, Journalist report, Greenhab report, Operations report, Photos.

Support Requested: None.

Sol: 3

Summary Title: Winding down.

Author’s name: Enkhtuvshin “Dono” Doyodkhuu

Mission Status: Sleep schedule is slowly settling in. Still waiting for our drone to arrive. Getting used to doing EVAs. Water and power consumption needs to be closely monitored.

Sol Activity Summary: Our power went off last night due to a generator issue and we are trying our best to conserve electricity. The crew was well prepared for such occasions, and we spent the evening playing cards after dinner. Fortunately, the HAB’s propane supply is still sufficient for our meals, and we turned on the space heater in the HAB’s first floor to stay warm throughout the night. We also faced connectivity issues due to the power failure and could not send in the Greenhab report and the daily photos to Mission Support. I have just sent them in. Water consumption is also becoming a problem now, and we only have 6 days’ worth of water according to our calculations. We are now carefully monitoring our water usage.

The sol started around 8:30 AM. We had a lentil soup with vegetables for breakfast and some coffee. The first EVA started a little after 10:00 AM with Muggi as the leader with Davaa and Dono accompanying him as the designated drivers. We reached a bit farther than Cowboy Corner and returned with 48% batteries on both rovers. The rest of the day has been relaxed, and the crew is finally able to rest after a long trip and a busy initiation of the mission. Mars is starting to challenge us in a variety of ways, but the crew came prepared to survive and adapt, and morale is high.

Look Ahead Plan: We are planning to take it easy for the next few days and get accustomed to the time zone. Tomorrow, we plan to head out to Gateway to Lith while carefully monitoring the battery power of the rovers, and with constant communication with CAPCOMM. The drone should arrive sometime in the afternoon tomorrow, and we will get a better view of the environment from up above.

Anomalies in work: Power failure. Low water level. Connectivity issue. I also burnt our dinner, wasting a perfectly good black bean burger patty. Apparently it is super important to pay close attention to cooking on Mars.

Weather: Sunny with a good amount of clouds.

Crew Physical Status: 3 of the crew members are showing fatigue from the long journey. Our sleep schedule is also yet to completely settle in.

EVA: Successfully performed 1 EVA today with Muggi as the leader of the expedition.

Reports to be filed: Sol summary, Journalist report, Operations report, Greenhab report, EVA report, EVA request, Photos.

Support Requested: It has become apparent to us that the water we have left is not sufficient for the rest of the mission. We are requesting a water refill during the weekend if possible.

Sol: 4

Summary Title: Habituation

Author’s name: Enkhtuvshin “Dono” Doyodkhuu

Mission Status: Nominal

Sol Activity Summary: We are quickly adapting to our life on Mars. The power situation has been sorted out: propane is resupplied, and the generator has been fixed. Water has been refilled. We had our second salad harvested from the Greenhab. Finally received our drone. Ben worked wonders on assisting us so far, with his delightful companion, Jewels. We are having rice soup with Mongolian beef for dinner and are getting ready to play a psychology game at the time of writing.

The crew woke up promptly at 8 AM, had breakfast and exercised together. We had a quick meeting to discuss our roles and our individual target results for the rotation and started to prepare for the EVA of the day. Led by Tungaa, the EVA crew of 3 headed for Gateway to Lith, but the rover batteries proved insufficient to reach there; this is considering the 55% protocol. This was our first long-distance EVA and the CapComm led by Sunny showed quite the professionalism, checking with us every 5 minutes. We are getting used to communicating effectively via the different channels. The foot exploration after parking the rovers proved to be physically demanding, but it is not a challenge we can’t face.

The afternoon was relaxed, and the crew managed to take a quick nap. During this time, I had a chat with the Netflix documentary producer – Lauren, their logistics person – Skoti, and the Mars Society’s Director of Public and Media Relations – Michael Stoltz. We are getting ready to receive them on the last day of our rotation.

We will be contacting the MARS-V team back in Mongolia later during the Comms window today, and the crew has taken care of the reports in advance to make time for that. We’ve also tested our drone inside, and all seems nominal.

It has already been 5 days since we came to Mars. It has become apparent to us that there lie innumerable base challenges in this alien place in terms of infrastructure, psychology, physiology, consumption, daily routine, and crew chemistry. We came prepared for all these challenges but facing them head-on is an incredible reality check. Onwards and upwards!

Look Ahead Plan: We will now start using the drone for EVAs and will commence geological and microbiological testing. We also plan to record a crew log early in the morning tomorrow. The MARS-V training program is also ready to be tested in a true sense starting tomorrow. Hopefully more positive updates to follow.

Anomalies in work: None

Weather: Bit chilly during the night, but nice and sunny during the day.

Crew Physical Status: All healthy and energetic.

EVA: Performed one successful long-distance EVA today.

Reports to be filed: Sol summary, Journalist report, Operations report, Greenhab report, EVA report, EVA request, Photos.

Support Requested: Fixing Perseverance’s parking brake.

Sol: 5

Summary Title: The Case for Hybrid Mars

Author’s name: Enkhtuvshin “Dono” Doyodkhuu

Mission Status: Nominal

Sol Activity Summary: We decided last night during our daily meeting to stay flexible with the sim from now on until the end of our rotation. We will be performing hybrid EVAs with 2 of the members in suit, with the accompanying one without a suit. We realize this is not ideal for the purposes of MDRS operations, but our goal is to explore around as much as possible, and effectively operate the drone during the EVAs. Crew HSO also warned me that the physical toll of in-sim EVAs on two of our crew members is high, and I want them to experience the environment as much as possible during their time at MDRS.

The crew woke up today at 6 AM and made our first crew log. We discussed everything starting from how we received the invite to MDRS, how the preparation went, the support from our sponsors and collaborators, the trip to the US, and what we experienced and learned since coming to Mars. The breakfast early in the morning was simple quick oats at 6:30 AM and fried eggs around 8 AM. We have been using the food provided to us by the station here and there, mixing it with the freeze-dried food we brought.

The morning ritual has been set in stone for the crew. We exercised together, did breathing exercises afterwards, and meditated. This was the most active we have been in the morning since coming here, and the sleep quality of the crew is improving drastically. We have been measuring our sleep quality with the smart watch, and the deep sleep time reached over 6 hours the past two days.

The EVA preparation today commenced around 9:30 AM. As usual, we check our comms, suits, helmets, and tracker, and head out to the field. The drone operation today was experimental at best, and we plan to improve the maneuverings from here on out. We notified Ben that we were going with the hybrid EVA plan prior to heading out, and he was kind enough to be flexible with us. The crew headed out to Compass Rock and spent around 40 minutes out of contact, but apparently it is a known issue around that site. Crew geologist identified four different muddy soil types to test out making building blocks, but the site they reached on foot had abundant vegetation, so we’re postponing the gathering of soil samples for the next two days.

We had fried beef with lettuce for lunch after the EVA. Dinner was prepared by the crew psychologist, Tungaa, and she made a delicious fried beef with potatoes and carrots, with brown rice on the side. In the RAM, Muggi and Duluu made aeroponic planting equipment for the Greenhab and are planning to test it out tomorrow. We are now planning to play a team game to test out our crew psychology, and everyone is very much looking forward to it.

The crew has officially adapted to the environment, the station, and their new lifestyle, and are starting to have fun, listening to music and dancing during the day, exercising whenever time allows, and making full use of different parts of the station. The only inaccessible part of the station right now is the observatory, and I have inquired Peter whether it would be possible to grant me a late permission to use the telescope. I plan to take the test and send a proposal promptly tomorrow. We’ll see how it goes.

I’ve noticed today that the crew has gotten much more proficient at running things around here, preparing for the EVA with zero mistakes, directing the CapComm with professionalism, and preparing delicious meals for 6 within 20 minutes. The reports were cumbersome at the beginning, but we have gotten used to it.

Our two biggest areas of water usage were taking showers and washing dishes. We are now using buckets to take showers, with everybody taking one every 3-4 days, and are conserving and saving the water when washing dishes. We are saving the water even when washing hands. Hopefully this resolves our water consumption problem.

It has already been almost a week since arriving here, and we’ve noticed that adaptation has taken the majority of our time. Looking at the performance of the crew today, I’ve gained a bit of confidence that we may even be able to survive on actual Mars, provided that Mars Direct commences within our lifetime.

Look Ahead Plan: Crew psychologist, Tungaa, is also trained in microbiology. She and Davaa are planning to take several soil samples to start a few elementary microbiological experiments. Geologist Davaa is planning on testing out different materials to determine which is best for making building blocks. The EVAs for the next two days will be for taking soil samples. Greenhab officer Duluu will try out her new aeroponic equipment tomorrow. Muggi has already come up with a novel design for a Mars analog helmet and is now planning to design a general structure for a Mars analog station with the support of Davaa. Sunny has been actively engaging in public outreach; the interest and support back home amongst the MARS-V community has been incredible and uplifting. We are in the process of finalizing our plans and logistics for our trip back home. Hopefully we won’t be tired to our bones before the long journey back to Earth.

Anomalies in work: None

Weather: Sunny with a bit of cloud cover. Seems like it might rain tonight, but the weather station says otherwise.

Crew Physical Status: All healthy and happy.

EVA: Performed one successful EVA today to Compass Rock.

Reports to be filed: Sol summary, Journalist report, Operations report, Greenhab report, EVA report, EVA request, Photos.

Support Requested: We would like the crew car to be made available to us on Sol 11 which is December 7th for the purposes of out-of-sim exploration around the station.