Month: March 2020

Crew 223 Journalist Report 02Mar2020
Author: Clément Plagne, Crew Journalist
Sol 1
Title: Baby steps

After years spent on Earth, with the comfort of modern technology and the plentiful Western lifestyle, seeing ourselves so limited is as refreshing as it is a shock. We’re like born again on Mars, having to re-learn everything as we move along in our new home. And, as newborns, even our first steps weren’t so easy. Today was EVA day, and it was time for four of us to step out into the (nearly) unknown, making our way into the hills after a first run to replace the batteries of our atmospheric experiments. Between the heat outside, the weight of the life support system and the little air we got from it, it was no walk in the park. Still, with every heavy step, we discovered beautiful features of the terrain, and it was like facing a brand-new landscape every few meters. Deserts are not boring, that’s for sure.

Like the explorers of old, we were on our own, too far away to communicate with help of any kind, and having to figure things out ourselves if anything went wrong. During the EVA, Blandine’s suit had issues with its ventilation systems – while she was perfectly safe in earth’s atmosphere, this could have proven problematic or even critical in real conditions. We had to react quickly, and solved the issue even with our unwieldy gloves. It’ll be up to Luc, the Crew Engineer, to figure out what is wrong and solve the issues.

While we were out, something possibly even more important was going on: Valentin, our botanist and resident cook for the day, was starting to get busy in the kitchen. For lunch, he was preparing homemade pasta with pesto, made from basil harvested this very morning in the GreenHab. As a side, zucchini flowers dipped in batter and shallow fried. An absolute success! And, as if that wasn’t enough, bread was rising for tonight’s dinner. Food: truly the best morale booster for an all-French crew!

Scarcity breeds creativity, so here’s to many more days of delicious food and creative problem solving!

Crew 223 Journalist Report 01Mar2020
Author: Clément Plagne, Crew Journalist
Sol 0

Title: Out with the old, in with the new!

How lucky it is to wake up among friends! As we had taken our new
quarters in the Hab’s bedrooms, our fellow students from Crew 222 spent their last night in the MDRS on the Lower Deck, and it does look like a good night of sleep was had by all. It’s hard to imagine the level of excitement from both crews: one satisfied to have completed their mission, and one eager to finally start living on Mars.

Alas, while we had spent a year planning our missions with Crew 222, it was time for them to go. After a great many hugs and sweet goodbyes, they took off as the sun rose on the Martian desert. As the soft roar of the CrewCar began to quiet down in the distance, it dawned on us that we would be on our own for the two coming weeks.

Farewell, Crew 222! We wish you a safe trip back to Earth, and we promise we’ll take good care of the Station.

There was only one final step before we could finally be in isolation.
We needed to be briefed and trained by Shannon, the Station Director, on how to operate the spacesuits and the vehicles available to us for EVAs. Driving with the desert wind in our hair was a pleasant experience – sadly for us, we will all be wearing cumbersome suits from now on.

After a quick look through the GreenHab, the training was done. And, as simple as that, we were ready to go.

We spent our last moments of freedom on a quick run near the Hab,
enjoying for the last time the touch of the sun and the bite of the
freshening air on our bare skin. Finally, with the metallic clang of the
heavy airlock door, the simulation began. There was little time for us
to ponder over our newfound confinement, as it also meant there was much work to be done.

Valentin was busy at the GreenHab, making his first harvests for tonight’s meal; Luc, our Crew Engineer, had to make his first EVA check on the Station’s support systems. Meanwhile, in the Hab, the sounds of EVA comms clash with the clacks of our many keyboards, working in unison to type up the many reports needed by the
Mission Support.

Soon enough all of today’s work will be done, and we will have dinner
and some rest as a crew in the solitude of the Martian desert. A
comforting thought crosses my mind: on Mars, the sun sets just the same as it does on Earth.