Astronomy Report – March 11th

Crew 223 Astronomy Report Mar 11 2020

Name: Florian Delpech

Crew: 223

Date: 3/11/2020

MDRS ROBOTIC OBSERVATORY

Robotic Telescope Requested (choose one) MDRS-14

Objects to be Imaged this Evening: NGC 1961, NGC 4490, NGC 3368, NGC 3115, NGC 2403, NGC 4618, NGC 4559, NGC 3521, NGC 4569, NGC 4725, NGC 3675. This is part of the research project.

Images submitted with this report: 1 picture of NGC 3031

Problems Encountered: N/A

MUSK OBSERVATORY

Solar Features Observed: Maybe a small sunspot or a large granule. I only could observe it a few seconds with the camera before clouds hide the sun so I don’t have image to submit.

Images submitted with this report: N/A

Problems Encountered: N/A

Provenance : Courrier pour Windows 10

EVA Report – March 11th

Crew 223 EVA Report 11-03-2020

EVA # 11

Author: Blandine Gorce (XO)

Purpose of EVA: Change batteries of LOAC and MegaAres, and then first exploration for the crew 223

Start time: 13:53 AM

End time: 14:52 AM

Narrative: Today it was raining so we decided to cancel the EVA we had plan. But we still needed to change the batteries of LOAC and Mega Ares.

The rain stopped at noon so we went out after that.Then we came back after changing the batteries and download the

Destination: The plane place in front of the Hab

Coordinates (use UTM NAD27 CONUS): 12S 4250800 518500

Participants: Team red: Blandine Gorce (HSO, EVA leader), Florian Delpech (Astronomer)

Road(s) and routes per MDRS Map: Entrance Road, Cow Dung Road

Mode of travel: Rovers : Perseverance

Provenance : Courrier pour Windows 10

Journalist Report – March 11th

Crew 223 Journalist Report 10Mar2020

Author: Clément Plagne, Crew Journalist

Sol 10: Save it for rainy days

Today, we woke up to the sound of raindrops softly hitting the roof of the Hab. On any other day, the idea of spending a day with friends, stuck inside, watching rainfall from the window from the comfort of y. our home can be pleasant. It is much less so when you don’t always get to go outside even when it’s sunny. In fact, it is even less so because we must go outside somehow, but don’t know how we’ll do it safely. The science doesn’t care if it rains, and at least two of us must go on EVA to make sure everything is alright.

The sky is a cruel mistress. Explorers on Mars will be lucky enough to avoid rain, but may have to suffer through massive dust storms. Not knock over Matt Damon’s spaceship bad (the film kind of exaggerates that), but wide enough to cover much of the planet, and capable of causing electrical malfunctions and power losses. The even bigger danger comes from far away. With little atmosphere and no magnetic field, Mars is particularly vulnerable to solar winds and the intense radiation from solar flares.

It’s ironic to write a report about our astronomer’s work on a cloudy morning. Florian’s luckily had the chance of doing some fantastic work while he had clear skies, and still has things to do when he doesn’t do observations. Astronomy isn’t just pointing a telescope at the sky. During the day, the sun needs to be tracked and monitored. Night-time observations through the remote-controlled telescope must be scheduled, with the necessary calibrations that come with it. And once the observations are done, there are heaps of treatment needed to create a beautiful picture, or one where data can be extracted. Besides astrophotography, Florian looks at thirty galaxies in a search for supernovae: incredibly powerful, but very short-lived and extremely rare explosions of massive stars.

Things then began looking up: having a free-ish morning helped us all cook delicious burgers for lunch, we saw some tomatoes beginning to grow, and the sky turned blue in the afternoon which helped us take a look at the observatory and watch the sun live. Things began to look up, until they kind of didn’t.

“This is Shannon, is everyone together right now?”, buzzed the Station Director over radio. That’s an unexpected one, as we’re left alone all day long usually. We were reading, coincidentally, our daily email from Supaéro students back on Earth, with focus on the coronavirus epidemic.

“The World Health Organisation has recently classified COVID-19 as a pandemic.”

Well, not an epidemic anymore, I guess. Earth sure does spin when we’re away. When we cut ourselves off most communications, Italy was looking somewhat worrisome, but things felt fine enough at home. In recent days, it turns out everything looks like it’ll be canceled, and we’re probably in for some quarantine coming back.

The good thing is, we’re probably some of the safest human beings in the world right now. The bad news is, all our plans for our return have been thrown into chaos. There’ll be no crew following us, and no one is looking forward to LA anymore. We began our day with our eyes looking at the sky, and end it looking back at Earth. We look with worry to the people at home, and hope they’re as healthy as we are.

Provenance : Courrier pour Windows 10

Operations Report – March 11th

Crew 223 Operations Report 11/03/2020

SOL: 10

Name of person filing report: Luc FORTIN

Non-nominal systems: Nothing to report

Notes on non-nominal systems: Nothing to report

Tuesday generator:

Off at 6:00am

On at 9:59pm SOC was 87%

Wednesday generator:

Off at 6:10am

On at 9:00pm SOC was XX%

Diesel Reading – 65%

Station Propane Reading – 71%

Ethanol Free Gasoline – 5.5 gallons

Water (loft tank): 47 gallons

Water Meter: 149794.55 units

Water (static tank) – 234 gallons

Static to Loft Pump used – yes

Water in GreenHab – 120.9 gallons (17.4 gallons collected from MyFood tower)

Water in ScienceDome: 0 gallons

Toilet tank emptied: no

Perseverance rover used: yes

Hours: 151.8

Beginning charge: 100%

Ending charge: 99%

Currently charging: yes

Sojourner rover used: ASSIGNED TO DIRECTOR

Hours: Nothing to report

Beginning charge: Nothing to report

Ending charge: Nothing to report

Currently charging: Nothing to report

Spirit rover: no

Hours: 134.2

Beginning charge: 100%

Ending charge: 100%

Currently charging: yes

Opportunity rover used: Since this afternoon, Opportunity is back on the campus !

Hours: 70.3

Beginning charge: 67%

Ending charge: Nothing to report

Currently charging: yes

Curiosity rover used: no

Hours: 139.6

Beginning charge: 100%

Ending charge: 100%

Currently charging: yes

Notes on rovers: Nothing to report

ATV’s Used: yes (1, 2 and 3)

Reason for use: ATVs 1, 2, 3 started during the EVA Engineer.

Oil Added? no

ATV Fuel Used: Nothing to report.

Hours the ATVs were Used today: 5 minutes

Notes on ATVs: Nothing to report.

HabCar used and why, where? The HabCar is parked at the MDRS Campus.

CrewCar used and why, where? The CrewCar is in Grand Junction.

General notes and comments: Nothing to report

Summary of internet: All ok.

Summary of suits and radios: Suits 7, 10 were used during the EVA.

Summary of Hab operations: Nothing to report.

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

Provenance : Courrier pour Windows 10

Sol Summary – March 11th

Crew 223 Sol Summary Report 11-03-2020

Sol: 10 Summary Title: Mars is safer than Earth

Author’s name: Aurélien Mure – Crew Commander

Mission Status: Routine

Sol Activity Summary:

The crew woke up at 6:50am. The sport session began at 7:00am. A light rain and the night outside were telling us warmly to go back to bed, but quickly we thought about how lucky we are to be here. Without EVA planned for the morning because of the rain, the crew started to prepare the end of the mission, thinking about packing our experiments and writing reports about the science we did during the mission. For the afternoon, Blandine and Florian went out 30min to change the batteries and data from our experiments.

We have had news about the Covid19 at 4:00 pm.

It is strange to see it from here, we are really like martians on this.

Look Ahead Plan : Unmount the outdoor experiments.

Anomalies in work: None.

Weather: rainy in the morning, then cloudy and sunny in the late afternoon, 12°C at 5:00pm

Crew Physical Status: All crew members safe and sound.

EVA: LOAC and MegaAres batteries changed.

Reports to be filed: Journalist report, Operations report, EVA request, Green Hab report, EVA report, Astronomy report.

Support Requested: None

GreenHab Report – March 11th

Crew 223 GreenHab Report – 11-03-2020 GreenHab Officer: Valentin BELLEMIN-LAPONNAZ

Environmental control: Ambient with Door open

Average temperature: 21.8°C

Low temperature: 20°C
High temperature: 26°C

Hours of supplemental light: 4 hours (from 9P.M to 1 a.m.)

Daily water usage for crops: 8.2 gallons

Daily water usage for research and/or other purposes: 0.3 gallon

Water in Blue Tank— 120.9 gallons

Time(s) of watering for crops: 3 (one only for tomatoes)

Changes to crops: Today we saw the first tomato fruits! They’re tiny for the moment, but it is normal.

Narrative: This morning, Aurelien MURE and Clement PLAGNE took care of the GreenHab, as I had to cook for the crew. I made homemade burgers with fresh plants from the hab : basil, lettuce, radish, onions and wild rocket. This afternoon, I carried out the experience Music For Plants. Nothing to report for the moment. I was so happy to see the first tomatoes fruits. There are 6 of them on 3 different plants. I am looking forward to see some more on other plants, especially cherry tomatoes.

Harvest: 100g Onions / 40g Radish / 15g Basil / 10g Lettuce

Support/supplies needed: NA

Provenance : Courrier pour Windows 10

Operations Report – March 10th

Crew 223 Operations Report 10/03/2020

SOL: 9

Name of person filing report: Luc FORTIN

Non-nominal systems: Nothing to report

Notes on non-nominal systems: Nothing to report

Monday generator:

Off at 6:30am

On at 10:07pm SOC was 86%

Tuesday generator:

Off at 6:00am

On at 9:00pm SOC was XX%

Diesel Reading – 67%

Station Propane Reading – 72%

Ethanol Free Gasoline – 5.5 gallons

Water (loft tank): 47 gallons

Water Meter: 149777.35 units

Water (static tank) – 251 gallons

Static to Loft Pump used – yes

Water in GreenHab – 112.0 gallons

Water in ScienceDome: 0 gallons

Toilet tank emptied: yes

Perseverance rover used: yes

Hours: 151.7

Beginning charge: 100%

Ending charge: 98%

Currently charging: yes

Sojourner rover used: ASSIGNED TO DIRECTOR

Hours: Nothing to report

Beginning charge: Nothing to report

Ending charge: Nothing to report

Currently charging: Nothing to report

Spirit rover: no

Hours: 134.2

Beginning charge: 100%

Ending charge: 100%

Currently charging: yes

Opportunity rover used: moved from campus to the shop to repair the brakes.

Hours: Nothing to report

Beginning charge: Nothing to report

Ending charge: Nothing to report

Currently charging: Nothing to report

Curiosity rover used: no

Hours: 139.6

Beginning charge: 100%

Ending charge: 100%

Currently charging: yes

Notes on rovers: Nothing to report

ATV’s Used: yes (Honda, 1, 2 and 3)

Reason for use: ATVs 1 and 3 used during the EVA. ATV 2 started during the EVA Engineer.

Oil Added? no

ATV Fuel Used: ~5%

Hours the ATVs were Used today: 10 minutes

Notes on ATVs: Nothing to report.

HabCar used and why, where? The HabCar is parked at the MDRS Campus.

CrewCar used and why, where? The CrewCar is in Grand Junction.

General notes and comments: Nothing to report

Summary of internet: All ok.

Summary of suits and radios: Suits 7, 8, 9, 10 were used during the EVA.

Summary of Hab operations: Nothing to report.

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

Astronomy Report – March 10th

Crew 223 Astronomy Report Mar 10 2020

Name: Florian Delpech

Crew: 223

Date: 3/10/2020

MDRS ROBOTIC OBSERVATORY

Robotic Telescope Requested (choose one) MDRS-14

Objects to be Imaged this Evening: NGC 4621 ; NGC 2655 ; NGC 3032 ; NGC 3344 ; NGC 4450 ; NGC 2775 ; NGC 4449 ; NGC 4254 ; NGC 4125 ; NGC 3338 ; NGC 2683 ; NGC 6503 ; NGC 5248 ; NGC 4038 ; IC 342 ; M100. Let’s back to the research project aimed at tacking supernovae!

Images submitted with this report: 1 picture of the cluster M35 and 1 picture of the galaxie NGC 2403

Problems Encountered: N/A

MUSK OBSERVATORY

Solar Features Observed: N/A

Images submitted with this report: N/A

Problems Encountered: N/A

Journalist Report – March 10th

Crew 223 Journalist Report 10Mar2020

Author: Clément Plagne, Crew Journalist

Sol 9: Why we do it

If you’re reading this, it probably means that you’re either a family member or friend of ours, interested by science and the exploration of Mars, or both. From your point of view, being out in the desert and being like astronauts for some time is fascinating, or at least intriguing. There’s this funny bubble of odd people, who see the prospect of near-total isolation from the outside world as something to envy, or to try out yourself. They read about the golden age of superhero astronauts, and look with admiration to the people shooting themselves upwards to live in the literal middle of nowhere, six at most in a metal tube zipping through the vacuum of space.

I have no doubt that every member of our crew is in that bubble. But, as it turns out, most of the world lives outside of it. It’d be stupid to imagine ourselves as more adventurous or curious than them – and I like to imagine we’re no less normal than the rest. They simply don’t see the point, and it’s not unreasonable. They ask: how will you live away from everyone you love? Why would you live without showering for weeks? Why are you doing this?

From inside the bubble, it’s easy to dismiss those questions; they simply don’t get it. But they often do, and they make a great point. Everyone here misses loved ones. We miss being clean, we miss walking outside without 10 kilograms weighing on us, we miss eating whatever we want, we miss knowing all about the news, we miss watching any movie or reading any book we want. Some people say that a stay at MDRS is just a two-week vacation, a relaxing time away from everything, and they sure are wrong. But those who think that it’s the opportunity of two weeks of acting like cool astronauts are missing the point too.

Yes, there’s the honeymoon period, where everything is brand new and exciting, and you don’t think you can get enough of it. Every day has its unexpected moments of fun, and of learning. But the routine sets in fast too. Your hair gets greasy, the spacesuits begin to hurt a little, the experiments don’t work that well, and you can’t get new material in anyway. You remember the time where you could leave work at 5 and sit in a park, breathing the fresh air like everyone else. The distinction between work and daily life gets blurry. Things get boring, and that’s the point. So, yes, why are we doing this?

It’s funny how, after writing so negatively, I still have no regrets about being here. I don’t think anyone in the crew does either, and I’d be sad to imagine people leaving the MDRS wishing they’d done something else. No, it’s not that glam. If any one of us ever walks on Mars, it probably won’t be with the grandeur of the giant leap for mankind, but as one of many starting a colony out there. We don’t do it because it’s cool, no, and certainly not for the fun (though we do have a lot of it). It’s work, and that’s all there is. And that’s fine. Everyone needs to work. We all sacrifice a bit of our comfort to give it to others, and the world moves onward a little. Nearly everybody doesn’t even have the privilege of wondering why they’re doing their job, and there are very, very few jobs that don’t get boring or tiring.

I like to think every person is a dreamer. Our dream is to work so that, someday, humanity will flourish somewhere else, away from its cradle. It’s no more or less valid than any other. Here, we have the chance of working towards that dream. There are sacrifices, but few are those who get to try and turn their dream into reality. We’re alone, yes. We’re dirty, yes. But we’re lucky.

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