Commander Report – November 17th

Sol: 4
Summary Title: First Harvest
Author’s name: Dr. Jenni Hesterman, Commander
Mission Status: Nominal
Commander Report: The crew was up early and enjoyed breakfast burritos and fresh yogurt for breakfast. We then discussed our goals for the day and updated the EVA checklist with lessons learned.

After additional first aid training on the Oculus VR headset, 3 crew members took rovers out for a two-hour EVA to collect lichen, soil and rock samples from White Rock Canyon. They explored the dry riverbed, searching for fossils and plant life.

After a lunch of miso soup and dried seaweed, the other half of the crew set out on foot to Hab Ridge Road for an orientation expedition near the station. They also completed an inspection of the exterior of the habitat.

Additional activities included the crew engineer repairing the kitchen sink drain. Also, the crew biologist inoculated mushroom spores into substrate, which included coffee grounds and other food waste generated by the crew. She also harvested the first batch of microgreens for a dinner salad, which was served with chili and fresh bread.

Although we all just met for the first time a few days ago, the crew is already a high performing team. We attribute this to the months spent mission planning and getting to know each other on weekly video calls.

We wake up each day thankful for this incredible experience, endeavoring to maximize our time here on Mars.

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