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Sol Summary – December 23rd

Crew 306 Sol Summary Report 23-12-2024
Sol: 01
Summary Title: First day on Mars
Author’s name: Jesus Meza
Mission Status: Active. All systems are nominal.
Sol Activity Summary:
Today was our first day on the red planet. GHO Adriana Sanchez and GEO Elizabeth Howard treated everyone to chocolate chip pancakes. The crew then embarked on our first two EVAs. EVA 01 saw CMD Jesus Meza, ENG Keegan Chavez, and Adriana perform the tradition of dropping a pebble into the baskets at Marble Ritual. EVA 02 was led by Elizabeth with HSO Ryan Villarreal and JOU Rodrigo Schmitt joining to also perform the ritual. The evening was then spent completing Ryan’s team puzzle task, completing their first puzzle in record time, but failing to complete the second puzzle within the time limit… but we haven’t given up yet.
Look Ahead Plan:
Sol 2 looks to be a productive day for research. EVA 03 will see Elizabeth, Rodrigo, and Jesus make a trip to Kissing Camel Ridge. Elizabeth will collect magnetic data of the surrounding area using an EMF meter. Rodrigo will attempt the maiden flight of his DRONE (Digital Reconstruction and Optical Navigation of the Environment) experiment. Meanwhile, Jesus will attempt to harvest Iron-rich minerals for his In-Situ resource utilization study. The HAB team will see Ryan set up our VR study, Adriana continues to set up her mushroom study, and Keegan install and debug sensor payloads for Purdue’s station monitoring study.
Anomalies in work: None
Weather: Weather saw clear skies with a high of 50 degrees Fahrenheit and winds as high as 3 mph.
Crew Physical Status: Crew is happy and well.
EVA:
EVA 01 saw Jesus, Keegan and Adriana complete the marble ritual. EVA 02 saw Elizabeth, Rodrigo and Ryan complete the marble ritual.
Reports to be filed: Sol Summary, Journalist Report, Greenhab Report, Operations Report, Crew Photos, EVA Report, and EVA Request.
Support Requested: None

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Operations Report – December 23rd

Crew 306 Operations Report 23-12-2024
SOL: 01
Name of person filing report: Keegan Chavez
Non-nominal systems: Suit 1 battery, Suit 9 battery
Notes on non-nominal systems: Suit 1 and suit 9 battery packs are not charging, suit 1 battery pack was at 100%SOC at beginning of day and is now at 89%SOC after EVA, suit 9 battery pack was at 81%SOC at beginning of day and is still at this level, both suits have been charging all day
ROVERS
Spirit rover used: Yes
Hours: (before EVA): 259.6
Beginning charge: (Before EVA): 100
Ending charge: (On return from EVA, before recharging): 92
Currently Charging: Yes

Opportunity rover used: Yes
Hours: (before EVA): 199
Beginning charge: (Before EVA): 100
Ending charge: (On return from EVA, before recharging): 96
Currently Charging: Yes

Curiosity rover used: No
Hours: (before EVA):
Beginning charge: (Before EVA):
Ending charge: (On return from EVA, before recharging):
Currently Charging: Yes

Perseverance rover used: Yes
Hours: (before EVA): 297.4
Beginning charge: (Before EVA): 100
Ending charge: (On return from EVA, before recharging): 92
Currently Charging: Yes
General notes on rovers: Operations were nominal

Summary of Hab operations: Operations were nominal
Water Use (please use both methods to estimate water usage)
Time of measurements: 12/22/2024 1200 – 12/23/2024 1700
1) Per formula: 75.15 gal
2) Smart Home Dashboard: 36.7 gal
Water (static tank, remaining gallons): 474.85 (per formula)
Static tank pipe heater (on or off): On
Static tank heater (on or off): On
Toilet tank emptied (no or yes): No, 2/3 full

Summary of internet: Mission support provided crew with second router for Hab to test connectivity, after multiple resets and sync attempts no connection was made, router was returned to mission support; nominal internet usage otherwise

Summary of suits and radios: suits 1-6 were used for EVA, see note above on suit 1 and suit 9 battery pack, radios were all operational and are fully charged

Summary of GreenHab operations: watered plants, checked fruiting of cucumbers and tomatos, hand pollinated cucumbers tasted arugula (needs to be removed), harvest of radish and broccoli
WATER USE: 7 gal
Heater (On or Off): On, automatic
Supplemental light (hours of operation): 1700 – 2200
Harvest (name, weight in grams): radish greens, 32 grams; broccoli microgreens, 14 grams

Summary of Science Dome operations: GreenHab officer: fed mushrooms, used laminar flow hood to collect precipitates from mushroom, moved pipette equipment out of laminar flow hood
Dual split (Heat or AC, On or Off): On, automatic

Summary of RAM operations: Engineer: unpacked and took inventory of sensor equipment; Journalist: integrated raspberry pi and lidar onto drone, used 1 heavy duty zip tie

Summary of any observatory issues: No issues.

Summary of health and safety issues: Multiple repairs to the tunnel have been identified:
Hab rear airlock to RAM: 6 rings are missing zip ties
Hab rear airlock to GreenHab split: 6 rings missing zip ties
GreenHab tunnel: 6 rings missing zip ties
GreenHab split to ScienceDome/Observatory split: 2 rings missing zip ties, tarp over intersection has numerous holes of varying size
ScienceDome Tunnel: 5 rings missing zip ties, 1 ring has been completely torn out, 1 tennis ball missing
Observatory Tunnel: 6 rings missing zip ties, 3 small holes in tarp

Questions, concerns and requests to Mission Support: Please send instructions on how to patch holes in tarp, planning on doing all listed repairs tomorrow

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EVA Report – December 23rd

Crew 306 EVA Report 23-12-2024
EVA # 02
Author: Elizabeth Howard
Purpose of EVA: The purpose of this EVA was to test equipment and team operations for half of the crew. Crew members familiarized themselves with the process of driving to and from EVA sites, team communications, and equipment use.
Start time: 12:00 PM
End time: 13:30 PM
Narrative: Because the first and second EVAs of the day were back-to-back, the post-EVA survey from EVA 01 doubled as the pre-EVA survey for EVA 02. Spirit and Opportunity were driven to the site. During the EVA, crew members observed geography south of Marble Ritual, deviating slightly from the planned route eastward. This deviation was observed by mission support and corrected for with directions from crew CAPCOM. Crew Engineer, Keegan Chavez acted as CAPCOM. While the first crew of the day had stayed on Channel 1, which is shared between the EVA and Hab crew members, the second crew attempted to switch between this and Channel 2. Channel 2 only transmits between crew on EVA; switching channels while in EVA gear proved to be tricky and is something the crew anticipates getting smoother at. After EVA, the crew completed post-EVA surveys from the HSO. So far, all members of Crew 306 have opted to go on EVA using the two-piece suits.
Destination: Marble Ritual
Coordinates (use UTM WGS 84): 518800E, 4251000N
Participants: Elizabeth Howard, Ryan Villarreal, Rodrigo Schmitt
Road(s) and routes per MDRS Map: EVA began at MDRS and travel Northeast on Cow Dung Road 0110. The EVA took place at Marble Ritual, with the crew intending to walk approximately 1000 ft East of Marble ritual. The crew followed the same route back to the habitat.
Mode of travel: Driving and walking

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GreenHab Report – December 23rd

Crew 306 GreenHab Report 23Dec2024
GreenHab Officer: Adriana Sanchez
Environmental control (fan & heater): Heater and fan on automatic at 94 and off at 82
Average temperatures (last 24h): 82.7
Maximum temperature (last 24h): 95
Minimum temperature (last 24h): 70.5
Hours of supplemental light: 1700 – 2200
Daily water usage for crops: 7 gallons
Daily water usage for research and/or other purposes: 1 gallon for mushroom humidifiers
Water in Blue Tank (200-gallon capacity): 183
Time(s) of watering for crops: 12:10 pm
Changes to crops: Harvested two pots of broccoli microgreens
Narrative: Today was my first day as GreenHab Officer! It was a great first day of familiarizing myself with all the plants, they all looked so happy. I noticed that the humidity was below 80% so I decided to fill the spray bottle and give all the plants a nice mist. In the future I will do this when the sun rises. While checking the tomatoes I noticed there were a lot of suckers or small sprouts growing in between the fruiting limbs and I plucked them all off. In total I removed 10 grams of tomato biomass. I also hand pollinated about 5 flowers on each cucumber plant using q-tips form the science dome. I plan on removing flowers from the cucumber plants to encourage stronger fruit. I harvested two broccoli microgreen pots and ~ 6 radish leaf greens for dinner. I

Harvest: 32g of Radish greens and 14 g of broccoli microgreens
Support/supplies needed: None

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EVA Report – December 23rd

EVA # 01
Author: Elizabeth Howard
Purpose of EVA: The purpose of this EVA was to test equipment and team operations for half of the crew. Crew members familiarized themselves with the process of driving to and from EVA sites, team communications, and equipment use.
Start time: 10:00 AM
End time: 11:30 AM
Narrative: Prior to going on EVA, crew members completed pre-EVA surveys; these are administered by the crew HSO and are intended to gauge how crew members are feeling about the mission. Spirit and Perseverance were driven to the site. During the EVA, Jesus showed Adriana and Keegan around the Marble Ritual and introduced them to the tradition of having each crew member find a marble to put in one of the baskets. EVA members observed the geography and variety of rocks in the area and got accustomed to how their suits fit. Crew Geologist, Elizabeth Howard, acted as CAPCOM. After EVA, the crew completed post-EVA surveys from the HSO and debriefed with the second EVA group.
Destination: Marble Ritual
Coordinates (use UTM WGS 84): 518800E, 4251000N
Participants: Jesus Meza, Adriana Sanchez, Keegan Chavez
Road(s) and routes per MDRS Map: EVA began at MDRS and travel Northeast on Cow Dung Road 0110. The EVA took place at Marble Ritual, with the crew intending to walk approximately 1000 ft East of Marble ritual. The crew followed the same route back to the habitat.
Mode of travel: Driving and walking

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Sol Summary – <date – January 5th>

Crew 306 Sol Summary Report 24-12-2024
Sol: 02
Summary Title: Martians at Work
Author’s name: Jesus Meza
Mission Status: Festive! All systems are nominal.
Sol Activity Summary:
The day started with a spa-con (spam bacon) and egg breakfast curtesy of Elizabeth. At 09:00 the team observed a stretching and meditation session led by Adriana and Rod. At 09:30 the team started preparations for EVA 03. Jesus, Elizabeth, and Rod went to Kissing Camel Ridge for DRONE’s maiden flight. The initial phase of the experiment was a success. Rod was able to safely pilot DRONE with the Li-DAR camera. While on EVA, Elizabeth was able to collect ambient magnetic data at the base of Kissing Camel East. Jesus was able to collect a miniscule amount of iron from the sand found in the dry stream beds in the area. Several bags of sand we’re collected for iron extraction in the coming days. Meanwhile at the HAB, Keegan provided CAPCOM for EVA, Ryan set up the Virtual Reality (VR) exercise for the team, and Adriana took care of the greenhouse and her mushrooms. At 13:00, the crew returned from EVA to fresh spaghetti cooked by Adriana using herbs from the greenhouse. At 14:00, the crew split up to perform research and work tasks. Keegan performed repairs on the tunnels connecting the station modules. Ryan ran VR studies on the crew. Elizabeth analyzed her magnetic data. Adriana performed her GreenHab tasks. Jesus organized his EVA samples with corresponding photographs and geotags, the way he was taught by 305 commander Hunter Vannier. Rod discovered that DRONE did not initiate data collection during its flight. Ryan and Rod spent the rest of the afternoon resolving this issue and DRONE is ready for it’s next mission.
Look Ahead Plan:
Happy Holidays! Sol 3 will be a day dedicated to personal research and relaxation. Only mission critical tasks will be accomplished. Weather permitting, EVA 04 will feature a DRONE test flight around the HAB. The crew will spend most of the day in the HAB celebrating the holidays by sleeping in, baking cookies, watching movies, and solving Ryan’s puzzle.
Anomalies in work: None
Weather: Weather was clear skies with a high of 45 degrees F. Winds picked up in the late evening reaching up to 8 mph.
Crew Physical Status: Crew is happy and well.
EVA:
EVA 03: Jesus, Elizabeth, and Rod completed their first research EVA. The EVA objectives were to perform DRONE maiden flight, take ambient magnetic data, and canvas the area for iron and iron-oxide minerals. All objectives for this EVA were completed.
Reports to be filed:
Sol Summary, Journalist Report, Greenhab Report, Operations Report, Crew Photos, EVA Report. EVA request.
Support Requested: None

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EVA Report – December 24th

Crew 306 EVA Report 24-12-2024
EVA # 03
Author: Elizabeth Howard
Purpose of EVA: The purpose of this EVA was to begin collecting data for the three projects that require EVAs. Crew Geologist would collect EMF meter readings and take a sample of the soil used by the instrument, Commander would collect samples of soil from the Kissing Camel Ridge area, and Crew Journalist would test the DRONE battery capabilities and make preliminary flights.
Start time: 10:00 AM
End time: 13:00 PM
Narrative: After arriving at Kissing Camel Ridge on Perseverance and Opportunity, the group scouted for a flat location where DRONE could test fly. After checking a couple of possible locations, Crew Geologist Elizabeth Howard selected a spot for the EMF meter to take readings from and placed the instrument after digging approximately two inches down. Crew Journalist Rodrigo Schmitt was able to test fly the Li-DAR/Drone system for four flights to record data. About an hour and a half into the EVA, the drone battery was getting low, making the fourth test flight the last one for the day; for future EVA planning it is good that the Li-DAR/Drone system was able to stay powered for a reasonable duration of the EVA. Crew Commander Jesus Meza used a magnet to scout for locations with metals present in the soil, and samples were taken from a few locations around the Kissing Camel Ridge site. Several different soil compositions were sampled. The EVA crew walked around the site to check for locations with possible hematite, although none were found at Kissing Camel Ridge. Before leaving, Crew Geologist Elizabeth Howard picked up the EMF meter and sampled the soil where the instrument had been placed, then the group traveled back to MDRS.
Destination: Kissing Camel Ridge
Coordinates (use UTM WGS 84): 518500E, 4249500N
Participants: Jesus Meza, Rodrigo Schmitt, Elizabeth Howard
Road(s) and routes per MDRS Map: EVA began from MDRS; EVA crew drove southwards on Cow Dung Road, and parked slightly North of Kissing Camel Ridges East and West. The crew took data within the bounds of (518000E, 4249500N) and (518500E, 4249500N) before returning to MDRS along the same route.
Mode of travel: Driving and walking

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Operations Report – December 24th

Crew 306 Operations Report 24-12-2024
SOL: 02
Name of person filing report: Keegan Chavez

Non-nominal systems: Headset 4
Notes on non-nominal systems: Headset 4 microphone was not working, headset 4 speaker was nominal, radio 4 was nominal

ROVERS
Spirit rover used: No
Hours: (before EVA):
Beginning charge: (Before EVA):
Ending charge: (On return from EVA, before recharging):
Currently Charging: Yes

Opportunity rover used: Yes
Hours: (before EVA): 199.3
Beginning charge: (Before EVA): 100
Ending charge: (On return from EVA, before recharging): 77
Currently Charging: Yes

Curiosity rover used: No
Hours: (before EVA):
Beginning charge: (Before EVA):
Ending charge: (On return from EVA, before recharging):
Currently Charging: Yes

Perseverance rover used: Yes
Hours: (before EVA): 297.6
Beginning charge: (Before EVA): 100
Ending charge: (On return from EVA, before recharging): 89
Currently Charging: Yes
General notes on rovers: Opportunity battery level dropped more than Perseverance, operating conditions were nominal for both

Summary of Hab operations: Operations were nominal
Water Use (please use both methods to estimate water usage)
Time of measurements: 12/23/2024 1700 – 12/24/2024 1700
1) Per formula: 42.4775 gal
2) Smart Home Dashboard: 38.64 gal
Water (static tank, remaining gallons): 432.37 (per formula)
Static tank pipe heater (on or off): On
Static tank heater (on or off): On
Toilet tank emptied (no or yes): No, 2/3 full

Summary of internet: nominal internet usage

Summary of suits and radios: suits 4-6 were used for EVA, radios were all operational and are fully charged

Summary of GreenHab operations: GreenHab Officer: watered cucumbers, watered floor to increase humidity, harvest of basil, thyme, and radish; Commander: gathered water to wash sand samples collected during EVA
WATER USE: 6.13 gal
Heater (On or Off): On, automatic
Supplemental light (hours of operation): 1700 – 2200
Harvest (name, weight in grams): Basil: 7g; Thyme: >1g ; Radish: 14g

Summary of Science Dome operations: Commander: moved samples collected from EVA to science dome, weighed and organized samples, used scale and beakers, washed samples of sand to prepare for iron extraction; GreenHab Officer: fed mushrooms
Dual split (Heat or AC, On or Off): On, automatic

Summary of RAM operations: Engineer: used 25 heavy duty zip ties, 2 tennis balls, and duct to make repairs throughout tunnels; HSO: attempting to fix Christmas Grogu, using wire strippers, solder wire, solder station

Summary of any observatory issues: No issues.
Summary of health and safety issues: No issues.

Questions, concerns and requests to Mission Support: N/A

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GreenHab Report – December 24th

Crew 306 GreenHab Report 24Dec2024
GreenHab Officer: Adriana Sanchez
Environmental control (fan & heater): Heater and fan on automatic at 94 and off at 82
Average temperatures (last 24h): 82.6
Maximum temperature (last 24h): 95
Minimum temperature (last 24h): 70.2
Hours of supplemental light: 1700 – 2200
Daily water usage for crops: 6.13 gallons
Daily water usage for research and/or other purposes: None
Water in Blue Tank (200-gallon capacity): 176.97
Time(s) of watering for crops: 8:40 am, 2:44 pm
Changes to crops: None
Narrative: After watching the sunrise, the plants got a nice misting. I checked the moisture level on the plants, and everything was moist but the cucumbers, so I gave them good water. I also decided to pour a gallon of water on the ground to see if it would help with the humidity. I went back to check and most of the water had evaporated, and the humidity was above 40%, much higher than the usual 20-30%. On today’s lunch menu, spaghetti, garnished with basil! I chopped up a few grams of basil and thyme and carefully selected 6 basil tops for our spaghetti plates. In the afternoon, the crew geologist and I went out to the GreenHab to inspect the radishes and by inspection, I mean taste. We are cooking up a plan for them. There are some sizable cucumbers as well, they seem much happier with the higher humidity. I brought some CO2/Humidity/Temperature sensors with me and left mine in the GreenHab to compare with the monitor already in the GreenHab. My values are higher than the values being recorded by 3 to 5 digits for both the humidity and the temperature.
Harvest: 7g of Basil, ~1g of Thyme, 14g of Chinese Rose Radish
Support/supplies needed: None