Crew Photos Nov 15th
GreenHab Report – Nov 15th
Crew 215 GreenHab Report 15-11-2019
GreenHab Officer: Guy Murphy
Environmental control: Door left open for ventilation 12 midday then reclosed 3pm as the day was overcast.
Average temperatures: –
Hours of supplemental light: Automatic system
Daily water usage for crops: 16 litres (2 full blue watering cans).
Daily water usage for research and/or other purposes:
Water in Blue Tank –
Time(s) of watering for crops: 10am, 4:00pm.
Changes to crops: Acorn pumpkin, snow pea seed planted.
SEASONAL PLANTING HISTORY
Established plants introduced 03/11/2019
[3x] strawberry plants (Everbearing), in medium metal planter
[1x] spicy orange thyme (thymus fragantissimus), small terra cotta pot
[1x] lemon balm scented geranium (pelargonium x Melissinum), small terra cotta pot
[1x] Mint Mentha – Berries & Cream, small terra cotta pot
[1x] Pineapple Mint – mentha suaveolens variegated, small terra cotta pot
[1x] Ice plant – Delospermo ‘jewel of the desert garnet’, small terra cotta pot
[1x] Sempervium textorum assorted Hen & Chicks, small terra cotta pot
[1x] Rosemary ‘Barbecue’ (Rosmarinus officinalis ‘Barbecue’), large plastic pot
[1x] Rosemary ‘Spice Island’ Rosmarinus officinalis ‘Spice Island’, large plastic pot
[1x] mint, grapefruit, large plastic pot
[2x] small Aloe Vera, in medium metal planter, frost damaged (removed 1311219)
Seeds Planted 04/11/2019 (Large metal planting tub)
Greek Oregano – Origanum heracleoticum
Chives – Allium schoenoprasum
Sweet Marjoram – Origanum majorana
Lemon Balm – Melissa officialnis
Sage – Savia Officinalis
Thai Basil – Siam Queen
German/Winter Thyme – Thymus vulgaris
Seeds Planted 10/11/2019 (Large metal planting tub)
Corinader – Coriandrum Sativum
Seeds Planted in12/11/2019 (2 smaller planting tubs)
Carrots ‘Purple Sun F1’
Radish ‘icicle’
Seeds Planted 13/11/2019
Perpetual Spinach, Rocket, Spinach ‘Lakeside F1’in medium metal planter.
Tomato (Chocolate Cherry) and Tomato Pole Roma in small pots for transplantation.
Seeds Planted 14/11/2019
Tomato (Chocolate Cherry) and Tomato Pole Roma in small pots for transplantation.
Onion (Evergreen White Bunching)
Cucumbers (Patio Snackers F1) in hanging pot
Pepper (Mini Bell Color Mix) in small pots for transplantation.
Seeds Planted 15/11/2019
Acorn Pumpkin in a small pot for future transplantation. Seed taken from a pumpkin brought to the Hab at start of rotation as a vegetable.
Snow Peas in 2 hanging pots.
Other seeds stored in the Greenhab are identified as –
Rocket ‘Arugula Rocket Salad ‘Rocky’ (Diplotaxis tenuifolia), 1/2 packet
Spinach ‘Lakeside F1’, 1/2 packet
Carrots ‘Purple Sun F1’ – 1/2 packet
Radish ‘icicle’ – 1/2 packet
Snow Pea (Oregon Giant)
Cucumbers (Patio Snackers F1), 1/2 packet
Onion (Evergreen White Bunching), 1/2 packet
Pepper (Mini Bell Color Mix), 1/2 packet
Perpetual Spinach (Green Leaf Chard), 1/2 packet
Partly used packed of seed have been stored in the provided tin to protect from vermin. This will also also repropogation later in the season to stagger harvest times and allow resowing if crops are lost.
25 white Narcissus bulbs (Paperwhites ‘Ziva’)
Harvest: None
Support/supplies needed: N/A
Journalist Report Nov 15th
Fri 15 Nov Sol 5
by Guy Murphy
This morning Andrew and Jennifer ventured out on an EVA to continue sampling at the micro-meteorite site I visited yesterday. Unusually, they were buzzed by an unknown drone. I stayed at the Hab for the morning catching up the admin of life, planting further seeds in the Greenhab early afternoon. Late in the day, we undertook a simulated emergency rescue, which I will describe in more detail tomorrow.
The MDRS is located at an elevation of approximately 1300 metres in a semi-arid climatic zone. It is in part of the Colorado plateau that is a cold desert ecology rather than a hot desert. Not all deserts are hot, though it is much warmer here in summer. It is now near the end of autumn (or fall). While there is a sprinking of brown, dead vegetation in a few localities, the area around the campus is completely devoid of green. Outside, there are no natural sounds at all. No birds, only an occasional insect to be found after a long search.
The weird mounded landscape is formed of pale, powdery swellinbg clays known as bentonite at its lower reaches rather than sand. Start walking up the an incline, and the seemingly firm crust gives way, and your foot will fall into a large moving and sliding depression filling with fine powder. It seldom rains here, but when it does the landscape transforms to slushy clay than can barely be driven upon, let alone walked across for any distance. Dry or wet, it it hard not to carry it into the Hab airlocks on your feet or on your clothes, where it then trails into the lower interior level and starts to gradually coat flat surfaces of the upper level as it gets churned up as dust.
The problems with dust management Crew 215 are encountering mirror those early explorers will face on Mars. Martian dust is extremely fine. It has been generated by billions of years of aeolian activity, having being blown around and abraded in a dry environment. It is likely to stick to the external surfaces of space suits and follow them inside through airlocks. It may be activated by static electricty. Andrew and Jennifer did their best to shake off all dust this morning, but a small amount always comes in.
Operations Report – Nov 15th
Crew 215 Operations Report 15-Nov-2019
SOL: 5
Name of person filing report: Shane Usher
Non-nominal systems:
Notes on non-nominal systems:
Generator: run
Hours run: 12 h 42 min
From what time last night: 1830
To what time this morning: 0712
List any additional daytime hours when the generator was run: N/A
Solar— SOC % (Before generator is run at night): 68%
Diesel Reading – 49%
Station Propane Reading – 70%
Ethanol Free Gasoline: N/A
Water (loft tank) (gal): 47
Water Meter (units): 1458114
Water (static tank) (gal): 392
Static to Loft Pump used – yes
Water in Green Hab (gal): 355.5
Water in Science Dome (gal): 0
Toilet tank emptied: yes
Deimos rover used: not at Hab
Hours: –
Beginning charge: –
Ending charge: –
Currently charging: –
Sojourner rover used: Assigned to Director
Hours: –
Beginning charge: –
Ending charge: –
Currently charging: –
Spirit rover used: yes
Hours: 111.0
Beginning charge: (Before EVA): 100%
Ending charge: (On return from EVA, before recharging): 67%
Currently charging: yes
Opportunity rover used: no
Hours: 66.2
Beginning charge: 100%
Ending charge: 100%
Currently charging: yes
Curiosity rover used: yes
Hours: 117.1
Beginning charge: (Before EVA) : 100%
Ending charge: (On return from EVA, before charging): 80%
Currently charging: yes
Notes on rovers:
ATV’s Used: (Honda, 300, 350.1, 350.2, 350.3): no
Reason for use: N/A
Oil Added? no
ATV Fuel Used (gal): 0
# Hours the ATVs were used today: 0
Notes on ATVs: Assigned to the director
HabCar used and why, where? With Director
CrewCar used and why, where? At Grand Junction awaiting Crew 216
General notes and comments: This report template is now produced through an Excel spreasheet template developed by Crew Engineer, Shane Usher.
Summary of internet: Functional
Summary of suits and radios: Functional
Summary of Hab operations: Kitchen benchtop installed. Sink plumbed by Shane Usher and Andrew Wheeler.
Summary of GreenHab operations: Atmospheric equalization to the green hab carried out during the afternoon, plants were watered (16L, 4.5 gal). The heater automatically came on at 5pm.
Summary of Science Dome operations: Washed and crushed gypsum samples, Re-bagged micrometeorite samples.
Summary of RAM operations: Nominal
Summary of any observatory issues: Nominal
Summary of health and safety issues: Conducted a simulated medical emergency.
Questions, concerns and requests to Mission Support:
EVA Report Nov 15th
Crew 215 EVA Report 15-Nov-2019
EVA # 06
Author: Jennifer Lane
Purpose of EVA: Continue with the sweeping of Micrometeorite Site (5) (MM5) grid squares
Start time: 0930
End time: 1150
Narrative: We made our way south on Cow Dung road to the micrometeorite site and
managed to sweep an additional 24 of the 1m squares of the grid. This leaves 36 more
squares to complete.
Destination: MM5 site south along Cow Dung Road
Coordinates (use UTM NAD27 CONUS): 518462E 4248949N
Participants: Andrew Wheeler and Jennifer Lane
Road(s) and routes per MDRS Map: Cow Dung Road
Mode of travel: Curiosity and Spirit Rovers.
EVA # 07
Author: Jennifer Lane
Purpose of EVA: Rescheduling of the simulated electrocution of the engineer while the
daily engineering EVA is being conducted (EVA request #5).
Start time: 4:50
End time: 5:05
Narrative: Whilst conducting his daily engineering EVA, Shane feigned an electric
shock. Guy and Larissa suited up and depressurized to conduct an emergency rescue.
Using a heavy duty carry sheet, they were able to drag and carry Shane back into the
airlock and then coordinate with the remainder of the crew how to lift him over the
final step while pressurizing.
Destination: Directly outside the hab
Coordinates (use UTM NAD27 CONUS): 518230E 4250725N
Participants: Guy Murphy and Larissa Wilson
Road(s) and routes per MDRS Map: N/A
Mode of travel: Foot
Science Report Nov 15th
Science Report 15 November 2019
SOL: 5
Crew 215 – Expedition Boomerang Crew
Submitted by Science Officer Andrew Wheeler
Science Dome Operations: More micrometeorite samples were collected in the morning and
processed in the afternoon. Further gypsum samples were ground in preparation for the
cement making experiments to be carried out later in the rotation.
Green Hab: Green Hab operations have continued. See Green Hab report.
RAM Operations: N/A
EVA: The fifth EVA for science saw us returning to the MM5 (518462E 4248949N) site
where 24 micrometeorite samples were collected. 64% of the grid has now been sampled.
See EVA Report.
EVA Suit Maintenance: Nominal. See Operations Report.
Psycho-social Stressors Monitoring: Data collection continues through the hexoskin
monitoring vests. The simulated emergency retrieval of the engineer was carried out
during the engineering EVA and the performance of all participants is being evaluated.
In addition, indicated modifications to the airlock that would make this activity
easier are being evaluated.
Additional activities: N/A.
Sol Summary Report Nov 15th
Crew 215 Sol Summary Report 15-NOV-2019
Sol: 5
Summary Title: Practice Rescue Day
Author’s name: Andrew Wheeler
Mission Status: Active
Sol Activity Summary: Another early departure EVA for this sol had again returning to
the micrometeorite sample grid in the stream wash at MM5 (518462E 4248949N). We
collected another 24 samples before returning to the hab for lunch. 64% of the plots
have now been sampled. With only 36 samples to go, we will have completed the second of
the micrometeorite sampling grids and allow flux rate comparisons to be made between
undisturbed surfaces and accumulation surfaces. The afternoon was spent processing the
micrometeorite grid samples and grinding gypsum for cement experimentation. An
emergency response simulation was carried out at 1700 in which an EVA was carried out
to retrieve an unresponsive Marstronaut. This was successfully carried out by 1725.
Following an extensive debrief, dinner was very welcome as adrenaline levels returned
to normal.
Look Ahead Plan: Planning an EVA to MM5 (518462E 4248949N) to continue collection of
micrometeorite samples (see EVA request), continue preparing gypsum for cement
manufacture and Green Hab operations. Continue monitoring of psycho-social stressors.
Anomalies in work: N/A.
Weather: Marginally below freezing overnight, light winds, partly cloudy.
Crew Physical Status: Healthy
EVA: Micrometeorite sampling EVA. See EVA report
Reports to be filed: Sol Summary Report, Operations Report, Science Report, GreenHab
Report, EVA Request, EVA Report, Journalist Report, Daily Photos.
Support Requested: N/A
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