Category: Sol Summary

Crew 216 Sol Summary Report 24-NOV-2019
Sol: 0
Summary Title: Training Day
Author’s name: Marc Levesque, Commander

Mission Status: Active

Sol Activity Summary: Today was a training day in which the crew learned about rover operations, EVA equipment, and procedures, and overall operations of the Hab and sim requirements.

Anomalies in work: N/A.

Weather: Freezing overnight, light winds, clear skies.

Crew Physical Status: Healthy

EVA: N/A

Reports to be filed: Operations Report, GreenHab Report, Science Report, EVA Requests, HSO Pre-Mission Checklist, and Commander Report.

Support Requested: N/A

[title Sol Summary – November 23rd]

[category sol-summary]

Crew 216 Sol Summary Report 23-NOV-2019

Sol: -1

Summary Title: Change over day

Author’s name: Marc Levesque

Mission Status: Inactive

Sol Activity Summary: Today was a hand over day with Crew 215 who introduced our crew to MDRS and its systems. We have learned engineering procedures, identified EVA locations, GreenHab operations, inquired about rover operations, but tomorrow is when all the familiarizations will be carried out.

Look Ahead Plan: Tomorrow we will be running through Science Dome operations, GreenHab operations, RAM operations, EVA procedures and equipment, rover operations, and familiarization of the Hab operations, including cooking, cleaning, and maintenance.

Anomalies in work: N/A.

Weather: Just freezing overnight, light winds, clear skies.

Crew Physical Status: Healthy

EVA: N/A

Reports to be file: Sol Summary Report, Operations Report

Support Requested: N/A

Crew 215 Sol Summary Report 21-NOV-2019
Sol: 11
Summary Title: Finishing up Experiments
Author’s name: Andrew Wheeler
Mission Status: Active
Sol Activity Summary: More overnight rain continued to leave the environs impassable but a strong wind in the early morning had things drying out. After the morning brief, more seedlings and seeds were planted in the Green Hab and, in the Science Dome, the making of gypsum tiles continued. The final tiles were completed in the afternoon and have been left out to dry. Just after lunch, the final emergency simulation was carried when a checklist-supported response was initiated for an injured crew member within the hab. It was successfully carried out and evaluated. Meanwhile, another test of the gypsum powder was devised when a small splint was manufactured and applied to a simulated broken index finger. Though it was applied before being fully set, the gypsum splint proved successful in immobilizing the finger for 2 hours before it was removed. A further 1.5ml of water was collected for testing as a basis for medical grade solutions. Dinner tonight was tortilla soup with fresh bread followed by chocolate pudding with jelly, fruit salad and peanut butter cookies.
Look Ahead Plan: Cleaning of staterooms and living areas, inventorying food and equipment and cleaning of the Science, Green Hab and RAM areas in preparation for end of rotation handover. Packing away of experiments and personal equipment.
Anomalies in work: N/A
Weather: Rain and clouds clearing, light winds.
Crew Physical Status: Healthy
EVA: N/A.
Reports to be file: Sol Summary Report, Operations Report, Science Report, Green Hab Report, Journalist Report, Daily Photos.
Support Requested: N/A

Crew 215 Sol Summary Report 20-NOV-2019
Sol: 10
Summary Title: Rain on Mars?
Author’s name: Andrew Wheeler
Mission Status: Active
Sol Activity Summary: Overnight rain made the environs impassable so all activities
were confined to the habs. In the Green Hab, pots were filled in preparation for more
seedlings and in the Science Dome, gypsum was heated and rehydrated to create cement
tiles that were set aside for drying and strength testing. There are only 10 more
planned for this expedition. In addition, the water liberated from the heating process
was captured and will be investigated for suitability as a basis for medical solutions.
Meanwhile, the main hab became a haven for report writing. The afternoon saw more
gypsum cement tiles were constructed and dinner approached. Tonight,it was a spicy
jambalaya followed by chocolate chip cookies and lime and pineapple jelly.
Look Ahead Plan: Plantings in the Green Hab, the final 10 gypsum cement tiles to be
created and set aside for drying and an actual gypsum plaster of paris milled for a
splint making demonstration.
Anomalies in work: Three false alarms with smoke detectors (caused by water/humidity).
Weather: Rain and clouds clearing, light winds.
Crew Physical Status: Healthy
EVA: N/A.
Reports to be file: Sol Summary Report, Operations Report, Science Report, Green Hab
Report, Journalist Report, Daily Photos.
Support Requested: N/A

Crew 215 Sol Summary Report 10-NOV-2019
Sol: 0
Summary Title: Crew 215 in residence
Author’s name: Andrew Wheeler

Mission Status: In the commissioning phase

Sol Activity Summary: Introducing Crew 215. Andrew Wheeler Crew Commander and Science Officer is an exploration geologist continuing sampling for the micrometeorite flux and use of gypsum as an ISRU analogue. Guy Murphy Green Hab Officer and Journalist is the Mars Society representative who will grow and nurture the crops and provide daily commentary including photos. Steve Whitfield Health and Safety Officer, from Griffith University, is a lecturer in paramedicine who will investigate health and well being in isolated communities. Jennifer Lane EVA coordinator is a Curtin University doctoral candidate in ‘Marsitecture’ and is investigating habitat design. Larissa Wilson Quartermaster of food and water stores is a mechanical engineering student at the University of Canterbury (NZ) evaluating acoustics, will be identifying and attenuating noise sources and levels. Shane Usher Crew Engineer and IT Officer is a chemist and chemical engineer from the University of Melbourne who will be evaluating communications, data management and information dissemination within closed systems. After introductions, later in the morning, we bid farewell to crew 214 members Dianne McGrath and Sandy Dance before spending the afternoon with the hab briefing, doffing and donning of space suits, egress, and ingress through the airlocks and operation of rovers. Finally, after a hot meal, we settled in to await our first dawn on Mars.

Look Ahead Plan: Reconnaissance EVA to the wash area south of Zubrin’s Head. Preparations for the setting out of the micrometeorite sampling grid.

Anomalies in work: N/A

Weather: Marginally below freezing overnight, no breeze, partly cloudy.

Crew Physical Status: Healthy

EVA: None

Reports to be file: Sol Summary Report, Operations Report, HS Report, GreenHab Report, EVA Request, Photos.

Support Requested: Nil

[title Sol Summary – November 19th]

[category Sol-Summary ]