Journalist Report – January 25th

Title: “A Commander comes back down to Earth, and knows…”

Author: Oscar Ojeda

And just like this, the mission comes to an end. I can sound repetitive, but I can’t be happier with the crew that got here, thanks to their personal path. Each one of them with their personal and professional inputs made better each minute of this Sols, Hermes with his energy and comments, Freddy with his disposition and abilities, David with his madness and enthusiasm, Yael with her tenderness and discipline, Liza with her spot-on comments and passion, and Santiago with those photos of the sky that left us amazed. I just hope to have been up to it as a Commander.

How is it like to be on Mars? Demanding, and a lot… Physicaly, mentaly, emotionaly, and I would even dare to say, spiritualy. Being in a desert in the middle of nowhere is at the same time an inspiring and overwhelming sensation. Just hearing the voices of the 6 crewmembers for two weeks, just eating dehydrated food, at the same time that you perform physically demanding tasks as the EVAs are, it’s not easy… things fail often, a small problem can become quickly into a crisis, people get stressed, tired, bored… but it just takes a look out of the window, remember where we are, remember the people we love, who we left behind… and all that vanishes, and a great wave of enthusiasm to keep going comes, and to fight for the success of the mission and, of course, for our dreams.

What do I miss being here? It’s curious… the simplest things. A fried egg, given that there’s only powdered egg (yes, powdered “Egg”), a tree, wind, a hot shower, hopefully a long one, fresh fruit, and of course, my cat Spock (And everyone who I love and love me back, or, how Matt Bellamy would say “The people who care if I live or die”).

What won’t I miss? The fast pace of life, the hyperconnectivity, the bad news, maybe traffic, just that in the life that awaits me back on Earth there’s not much traffic, among other things.

And yes, it’s going to be a wonderful memory. And I hope, the beginning of many new and good things. Every second was worth it. And just like life, sometimes the sense of them is that they have an end.

And the stars look very different today…

Per Aspera Ad Astra

Titulo: “A Commander comes back down to Earth, and knows…”

Autor: Oscar Ojeda

Y así, de repente, la misión llega a su fin. Puedo sonar repetitivo, pero no puedo estar más felíz con la tripulación que llegó hasta acá, gracias al camino personal de cada uno. Cada uno de ellos con sus aportes personales y profesionales hizo mejor cada minuto de estos Soles, Hermes con su energía y sus comentarios, Freddy con su disposición y sus habilidades, David con su locura y entusiasmo, Yael con su ternura y disciplina, Liza con sus apuntes y su pasión, y Santiago con esas fotos del cielo que nos dejaban con la boca abierta. Yo solo espero haber estado a la altura como Comandante.

¿Cómo es estar en Marte? Demandante, y mucho… fisica, mental, emocional, y, me atrevería a decir, hasta espiritualmente. El estar en un desierto en medio de la nada es al mismo tiempo una sensación inspiradora y sobrecogedora, el solo oir por dos semanas las voces de los 6 tripulantes, el solo comer comida deshidratada, al tiempo que realizas una actividad física fuerte, como lo son los EVA, es fuerte… las cosas fallan a menudo, un pequeño problema se puede convertir rápidamente en una crisis, las personas se estresan, se cansan, se aburren… pero basta mirar por la ventana, recordar donde estamos, recordar a las personas que queremos, que dejamos atrás… y todo eso desaparece y viene una ola de ganas de seguir adelante y de luchar por el éxito de la misión y, por supuesto, por nuestros sueños.

¿Qué extraño estando acá? es curioso… las cosas mas sencillas. Un huevo frito, ya que acá solo hay huevo en polvo (si, “huevo” en polvo), un árbol, el viento, una ducha caliente, ojala larga, fruta fresca, y por supuesto a mi gato Spock (y a todos los que quiero y me quieren, o como lo diria Matt Bellamy, “toda la gente que se preocupa si vivo o muero”).

¿Qué no extraño? el acelere de la vida, la hiperconectividad, las malas noticias, el tráfico quizá, solo que en la vida que me espera en la Tierra tampoco es que haya mucho tráfico, entre otras cosas.

Y si, va a ser un recuerdo maravilloso. Y espero, el comienzo de muchas cosas nuevas y buenas. Cada segundo valió la pena. Y así como la vida, a veces el sentido de las cosas es que tienen fin.

Y las estrellas se ven muy direrentes hoy…

Per Aspera Ad Astra

Operations Report – January 25th

Hi Mission Support!

Crew 203 Operations Report 25-JAN-2019

SOL: 13

Name of person filing report: Freddy Castaneda

Non-nominal systems: Suit #11 and suit #6 batteries don’t charge properly.

Notes on non-nominal systems: None

Generator (hours run): 0hr 0min; Not turned on last night (24Jan2019); Turned On today (25Jan2019) at 16:45.

Solar SOC – Turned on (24Jan2019) 86%; Turned off (25Jan2019) 100%; Turned on (25Jan2019) 91%

Diesel Reading – Under 1/2 tank.

Propane Reading – 80%

Ethanol Free Gasoline – Nothing to report.

Water (auxiliary tank) – Not in use.

Water (static tank) – About 40%; 215 gallons (Refilled)

Auxiliary to Static tank transfer – No

Gallons transferred: Not applicable

Water in GreenHab – About 33%; 98 gallons

Water (loft) – At level marker 12

Static to Loft Pump used – Yes; At 20:20 to refill tank

Water Meter: 01404805

Toilet tank emptied: No.

Deimos rover used: No, still not functional

Hours: Not applicable

Beginning charge: Not applicable

Ending charge: Not applicable

Currently charging: Not applicable

Sojourner rover used: ASSIGNED TO DIRECTOR

Hours: Not applicable

Beginning charge: Not applicable

Ending charge: Not applicable

Currently charging: Not applicable

Spirit rover used: Not used.

Hours: 70.3

Beginning charge: 100%

Ending charge: 100%

Currently charging: Yes

Opportunity rover used: Not used.

Hours: 46.2

Beginning charge: 100%

Ending charge: 100%

Currently charging: Yes

Curiosity rover used: Not used.

Hours: 72.2

Beginning charge: 100%

Ending charge: 100%

Currently charging: Yes

Notes on rovers: Brakes on Opportunity still not working properly.

ATV’s Used: None (Honda, 300, 350.1, 350.2, 350.3)

Reason for use: None

Oil Added? No

ATV Fuel Used: None

# Hours the ATVs were Used today: None

Notes on ATVs: None

HabCar used and why, where? Used to get water from Hanksville.

CrewCar used and why, where? Off campus

General notes and comments: Nothing to report.

Summary of internet: Nothing to report.

Summary of suits and radios: Suit #10 and Suit #6 batteries don´t charge.

Summary of Hab operations: RV Digest liquid is almost empty. Water tank was refilled with 125 gallons, it was refilled to prevent a damage on the submersible pump and to get a shower before leaving Mars.

Summary of GreenHab operations: Nothing to report.

Summary of ScienceDome operations: Nothing to report.

Summary of RAM operations: Nothing to report.

Summary of any observatory issues: Nothing to report.

Summary of health and safety issues: Nothing to report.

Questions, concerns and requests to Mission Support: Nothing to report.

Freddy

Greenhab Report – January 25th

Crew 203 Greenhab Report 25-Jan-2019

Greenhab Officer: Hermes Bolivar

Environmental Control:

Heating

Cooling w/ ambient air (7 hrs)

40% Shade Cloth on

80% Shade Cloth on

Average Temperatures:

Low: 16°C

High: 28.2°C

Hours of Supplemental Light: 5

Daily Water Usage of Crops: 12 gallons

Water in Blue Tank (gallons): 35.3%, 106 Gallons.

Times of Watering for Crops:

10:30

12:51

17:10

19:21

Changes to crops: There were 8 new twist ties on the sticky papers.

Narrative:

* The Greeenhab has supplemental light again. I changed the twist ties to keep the mold under control. I also harvested radishes for dinner.

Harvest: * 47 g of Radish

Support/Supplies Needed: NONE

Sol Summary – January 25th

Crew 203 Sol Summary Report 25-Jan-2019

Sol: 13

Summary Title: Knights of Cydonia

Author’s name: Oscar Ojeda

Mission Status: Nominal, broke sim today.

Sol Activity Summary: We woke up knowing that it was going to be a special day. Our last day on Mars. Some results from the research were still to be taken, so after breakfast (some leftovers from yesterday’s dinner), everyone took off to work. We had lunch together and decided to break sim just after it. We went to the airlock, went out together, and with that, finished our simulation.

The crew took a small stroll around the hab, feeling the air again. Two crewmembers went then to Hanksville for a water run, while the rest stayed in the station to keep working on the projects. I prepared an "Arroz Chaufa" (the Martian version of it), which is a Peruvian dish, for Atila, who will share dinner with us tonight.

Look Ahead Plan: We expect to finish up the activities tomorrow morning, get the hab ready for the checkout, and get ready to receive crew 204. Looking forward to the traditional hamburger in Hanksville, Earth.

Anomalies in work: None

Weather: Sunny with some clouds, low intensity to no winds.

Crew Physical Status: In good health.

EVA: None.

Reports to be filed: Sol Summary, Operations Report, Greenhab Report, Journalist Report.

Support Requested: None.

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