Crew 216 Commander Report 02-DEC-2019
Sol: 8
Summary Title: Progress on Projects
Author: Marc Levesque
Crew 216 accomplished one of its main objectives during its mission by reaching the summit of the North Ridge to confirm there is an accessible route to the summit and that it would be an ideal site for a radio repeater. This repeater would be the heart of an enhanced communication system that would allow the Hab to remain in direct radio contact with EVA teams over a much wider area around MDRS, thereby enhancing EVA safety. The second EVA of the day captured some spectacular drone footage of an EVA team walking in Lithe Canyon for Michael’s project and allowed Evgenia to film additional footage to complement what she already has for her project. In a discussion over this evening’s dinner, the only group meal that seems to range from simple to complex, we discussed the optimal size for a crew at MDRS, or on a Mars mission. Six seems to be a magic number, as that size distributes tasks well and maintains beneficial group cohesion. A number smaller would likely be more burdensome on crew members, possibly affecting the completion of their projects; a number larger would make the Hab seem much more crowded.