Crew 281 Operations Report 25 May 2023
SOL: 11
Name of person filing report: Megan Kane (Commander), Ritupriya Patil (Executive Officer) and KC Shasteen (Crew Engineer)
Non-nominal systems:
Electrical outlets in kitchen
Remote observatory
EVA Helmet
Notes on non-nominal systems: None
ROVERS
Spirit rover used: No
Hours: (before EVA): 222.5
Hours: (after EVA): NA
Beginning charge: (Before EVA): 100%
Ending charge: (On return from EVA, before recharging): NA
Currently charging: Yes
Opportunity rover used: Yes
Hours: (before EVA): 131.2
Hours: (after EVA): 132.1
Beginning charge: (Before EVA): 100%
Ending charge: (On return from EVA, before recharging): 95%
Currently charging: Yes
Curiosity rover used: Yes
Hours: (before EVA): 240.2
Hours: (after EVA): 241.0
Beginning charge: (Before EVA): 100%
Ending charge: (On return from EVA, before recharging): 75%
Currently charging: Yes
Perseverance rover used: No
Hours: (before EVA): 264.6
Hours: (after EVA): NA
Beginning charge: (Before EVA): 100%
Ending charge: (On return from EVA, before recharging): NA
Currently charging: Yes
General notes on rovers: Oppy and Curie used on long EVA to the intersection of Cow Dung and Hwy 1101 and back. Operation was nominal.
Summary of Hab operations:
WATER USE: 32.4 gallons
Water (static tank): 202.2 gallons
Static tank pipe heater (on or off): off
Static tank heater (On or off): off
Toilet tank emptied: no
Summary of internet:
nominal
Summary of suits and radios: All suits and radios are fully recharged.
Summary of GreenHab operations:
WATER USE: 2.25 gallons
Heater: Off
Supplemental light: Off
Harvest: in grams : None
Summary of Science Dome operations:
Dual split: Heat and AC, Off
Cacao Experiment:
Watered cacao seedlings
Initial cleaning in preparation for exiting the station.
Summary of RAM operations: (Tools used, work done)
Initial cleaning completed in preparation for exiting the station.
Summary of any observatory issues: NA
Summary of health and safety issues:
No new issues to report.
Questions, concerns and requests to Mission Support:
Request Mission Support assistance to take down or retrieve the ham radio antenna in case of emergency or high winds.
Journalist Report – May 25th
Crew 281 Journalist Report 25 May 2023
Journalist Report
By: Rachel Jones
11th Sol, Went for a Stroll
It’s almost the end of our time here on Mars, but our crew still has a thousand things to do. KC, Ana, and Ritu went on a long EVA to an alluvial plane along Watney Road (I wonder if Watney Road is named after the main character from The Martian…I hope so). They then walked a kilometer from Cow Dung Rd to Barrainca Butte. They collected samples and took additional drone footage at both locations.
For lunch, I successfully got some of Ritu’s leftover casserole. Ritu, Megan, KC, and Anna worked on end-of-mission reports. KC also did routine maintenance checks and inventorying.
I spent my morning, afternoon, and evening on the radio. My goal was to make over 50 contacts while I was at the Mars Desert Research Station, and I have! A contact in amateur radio is when two radio operators successfully exchange information. If you are a cyber/aviation geek (like me), think of it like a three-way handshake. A typical conversation might be similar to the following:
Rachel: “CQ. CQ. CQ. This is KO4HLC” (CQ is a code used to say an operator is open to talk with anyone)
Tony: “KO4HLC this is NR1Z, I read you at a 5.5” (The responding operator might give my call sign (KO4HLC), or they might just say their own (NR1Z). They then might give a signal report that indicates how well received one station is to the other.)
Rachel: “NR1Z, I read you 5.3 from a portable in Utah. QSL?” (QSL is a code used to indicate a successful contact)
Tony: “QSL, 73. NR1Z Out.” (73 means “best regards”)
I am grateful for those that took the time to talk with me from around the United States and Canada. I’m also so thankful for my crew mates that supplied me with food and drink as I worked hard to accomplish my contact goal.
This evening, our MDRS Crew 281 talked to the HI-SEAS Crew “Ike Loa.” We each got a virtual tour of each other’s analog Habitats. I particularly enjoyed meeting the Hi-Sea’s robotic seal, Pono.
I’ll still be on the air for one more day. I hope to make some additional contacts before we wrap up our mission on Mars. 73s.
GreenHab Report – May 25th
Crew 281 GreenHab Report 25 May 2023
GreenHab Officer: Megan Kane
Environmental control: mixed door open/ door open with fan
Average temperatures: 85.73 °F
Hours of supplemental light: None
Daily water usage for crops 1.45 gallons
Daily water usage for research and/or other purposes: 0.79 gallons
Water in Blue Tank 153.59 gallons
Time(s) of watering for crops:
0707: refilled 5 water bottle (2.5 L) watered other plants as needed 3L
Changes to crops: None
Narrative:
In the morning the GreenHab was checked and watered. The cooling cloth’s reservoir was also refilled to the full 3L. The temperature was checked several times. The highest recorded temperature today was 101.8.
Harvest: (include which crop and mass in grams): None
Support/supplies needed: None
EVA Report – May 25th
Crew 281 EVA Report 25-05-2023
EVA # 12
Authors: Ritupriya Patil (Executive Officer), Ana Pires (Crew Scientist)
Purpose of EVA:
Drone flight to record and do aerial imagery for new exploration areas
Acquire vertical images and videos for previously done geotechnical survey of Marble Ritual (Not completed)
Start time: 0753 hrs
End time: 1112 hrs
Narrative:
This was another long EVA with a crew of three. At 0748 hrs the crew entered the airlock exiting at 0753 hrs. They first checked all the rovers and collected the hours and SoC information, and it was verified that all were securely plugged in. They then unplugged Opportunity and Curiosity and headed out for the first destination at 0758 for the intersection of Cow Dung and Watney Road. The area seemed like a former riverbed; the crew saw lots of sedimentary rocks possibly washed by the flowing water in the past. They also witnessed calcite compressions on the sides of the pathway. The crew walked no more than 600 m and explored. Ana (Crew Scientist) collected 7 rocks (1167 g) and 1 Tube pf soil (72 g). Ritu (XO, EVA Lead) deployed the drone to capture aerial.
For the next stop, the crew wrapped up and drove on Cow Dung Road until they arrived at 1101 Road intersection. From there, they went on foot for about 1 Km and reached Barrainca’s Butte. On the way, they saw Hematite and Ana collected 6 rock samples (789 g) and 1 tube of soil (60g). Ritu was ready for the drone flight and got some great shots of the crew against Barrainca’s Butte with the drone along with other footage of the area.
The crew then left for MDRS and dropped Marble Ritual due to overheating. Today’s EVA was a great reminder of how space and extreme environments can be challenging. A total of almost 2 Km hiking with the suit and backpacks as life-support system was not an easy task in the high sun. Combined with driving the rover without a support for the backpacks to rest on gave the crew some muscle aches. Which is why ergonomics in spacesuit design proves to be an essential aspect of space exploration. Comfortable spacesuits will aid in longer exploration times and achieving research goals.
Also, to add to the challenges of hiking, XO’s waist buckle kept popping open and the backpack would slide down, pulling the weight of the life support system and the helmet on the shoulders. Rest of EVA crew tried to change length of the belt and resetting it but seemed like the buckle has seen some wear and tear over past missions and that wasn’t a permanent fix.
Despite all the pain and exhaustion the expedition was fruitful and left the crew with happiness for exploring one more geological miracle!
Overview of EVA
Drove to the intersection of Cow Dung and Watney Road and then walk no more than a radius of 1 Km to explore the area
Drove further on Cow Dung and 1101 Road intersection and walked 1 Km to north explore Barrainca’s Butte
Issues Experienced During EVA
Intermittent comms issues.
XO, backpack buckle came undone a couple of times while hiking back from Barrainca’s Butte. It could have been due to inadvertent pressure on the belt buckle, and it popped open. Also seems like the buckle has seen a bit of wear and tear.
Outcomes
Crew completed Rover checks
Explored intersection of Cow Dung and Watney Road area, collected soil and rock samples, and drone footage
Explored Barrainca’s Butte region, rock and soil samples and drone footage
Collected 18 rocks, 1.956 Kg; 2 tubes of soil, 132 g
Destination:
Intersection of Cow Dung (Zubrin’s Head) and Watney Road. Then walk 1 Km North East
Intersection of Cow Dung and 1101. Explore Barrainca’s Butte region, and then walk 1 Km to North/ North West
Marble Ritual, walking no more than a radius of 500m; (Depending on Wind conditions)
Coordinates :
(use UTM WSG 84): 519833E, 4248257N
(use UTM WSG 84): 519984E, 4247645N
(use UTM WSG 84): 518687 E, 4250789 N
EVA Participants 3: Ritupriya Patil (XO, EVA Lead), Ana Pires (Crew Scientist), KC Shasteen (Crew Engineer)
Road(s) and routes per MDRS Map:
Drive on Cow Dung Road to the South until the Watney road intersection, park on the side park on the side of intersection
Drive on Cow Dung road further south the intersection of 1101, park on the side of intersection
Mode of travel: Rover
Crew Photos – May 24th
Sol Summary – May 24th
Crew 281 Sol Summary Report 24 May 2023
Sol: 10
Summary Title: Drones and winds
Author’s name: Ritupriya Patil (XO) and Megan Kane (Commander)
Mission Status: Nominal
Sol Activity Summary:
EVA:
The EVA crew went out 0905 hrs and checked the Rovers before heading to the radio antenna. After assessing the antenna and making sure it was working properly the crew moved on to near the science dome. From within the observatory Ritu (XO) commenced the drone payload tests. Six flights were planned. Only 2 were completed due to the wind conditions. During the second flight the drone was able to successfully deliver the payload to the simulated injured astronaut. Unfortunately, winds started gusting while the drone was returning, and it took effort to land it inside the Musk Observatory fence. Which resulted in a minor accident and slight damage to the propellers of the drone causing one of the leading edges to dent. We would like to recommend installation of a windsock for continuous wind information to help mitigate such accidents.
After the drone tests were completed, the EVA crew did a short external inspection of the hab documenting any visible issues. No safety issues were found. Minor findings will be added to the final inspection report.
After the EVA, Ritu made cheddar broccoli and rice casserole. Feeling some exhaustion over the days of EVA, research, and other activities the crew took some afternoon time off to rest. Megan (Commander) and Ritu then began prep for pizza dough for dinner, which turned out great given the dryness and higher altitude at MDRS. After a delicious pizza dinner, the crew jumped in on report writing.
Rachel (HSO) made further progress in contacting other stations on her ham radio station and got clearance to join the Old Man International Side Band Society!
In the Green hab, Megan harvested cucumbers, chives and tomatoes (that went into the yummy pizza sauce!). KC continued his magic to keep the hab running without any problems. There were no operations in the RAM today.
Look Ahead Plan: Tomorrow we will do 3-person, long range EVA to Barrainca’s Butte. On our way back if the winds cooperate we will stop at Marble Ritual for images of scanlines that were measured on earlier EVAs.
Anomalies in work: None
Weather: Winds and thunder
Crew Physical Status: Nominal
EVA: Completed 1 today
Reports to be filed:
Greenhab Report
EVA Report
EVA Request
Ops Report
Journalist Report
PHOTOS!
Photo of the Day
Support Requested:
Mission support is requested in case of storms if the antenna needs to come down or be retrieved.
Journalist Report – May 24th
Crew 281 Journalist Report 24 May 2023
Journalist Report
By: Rachel Jones
Sol 10 We’ve Achieved Zen.
Sol 10 started with an EVA. Ana and I went outside to checkup on my HF antenna. Due to the rain and the winds, I wanted to ensure my coax connection hadn’t gotten wet or damaged. While I would have liked to have driven the ground spike in further, KC hypothesized that there was a layer of caliche below the surface, and I wouldn’t be able to get the spike in further. After we checked on the antenna, we attempted to do another series of medical drone deployments. Unfortunately, the winds picked up and made it unsafe for flying. We had to abort that segment of our EVA mission. The final part of the EVA had us take another visual inspection of the outside of the facility. This was a very realistic simulation of a task that might be completed at least once a week on Mars. There were some debates within the crew on how often and whether it should be a human or a drone that conducted those safety observations.
After the EVA, I, of course, had to get on the air and ensure the operation of the radio. I could listen in to a veterans’ hospital net in CA, and then I made four successful contacts within the OM International Sideband Society net. I made contacts in CA, AL, and FL.
For lunch today, Ritu made broccoli, cheese, and rice casserole. It was absolutely amazing. I am constantly impressed by the ingenuity of our crew. Together, we have combined cultures, backgrounds, and flavors to make a creative and dynamic (mostly) vegetarian meal plan.
This afternoon many of us took a moment to relax and reflect upon our time here thus far. We are working on our various papers, reports, and research. Ana and Ritu worked with KC to plan their long EVA for tomorrow. Megan spent time in the GreenHab tending plants and harvesting tomatoes, cucumbers, and chives for tonight’s dinner.
Tonight, we are having pizza made from scratch. Megan and Ritu spent 2 hours working on pizza dough. Then, we rehydrated and supplemented the GreenHab veggies to make individual pizzas. After dinner, I got back on the radio and made 5 more contacts from AR, MO, and PA.
T-minus two sols to go, till our days are filled with cleaning, and then the team blasts back to Earth.
GreenHab Report – May 24th
Crew 281 GreenHab Report 24 May 2023
GreenHab Officer: Megan Kane
Environmental control: mixed door open/ door open with fan
Average temperatures: 97.48 °F
Hours of supplemental light: None
Daily water usage for crops 2.91 gallons
Daily water usage for research and/or other purposes: 0.79 gallons
Water in Blue Tank 155.83 gallons
Time(s) of watering for crops:
1055: refilled 8 water bottle (4 L) watered other plants as needed 8 L
1553: watered plants as needed 6L.
Changes to crops: None
Narrative:
In the morning the GreenHab was checked and watered. The cooling cloth’s reservoir was also refilled to the full 3L. The temperature was checked several times. The highest recorded temperature today was 103.6, however it was the most uniform high temperature as there were very few winds in the afternoon to assist with cooling. In the afternoon harvesting was done and additional watering was done.
Harvest: (include which crop and mass in grams):
Tomatoes 531
Cucumber 458
Chives 10
Support/supplies needed: None
EVA Report – May 24th
Crew 281 EVA Report 24-05-2023
EVA # 11
Authors: Megan Kane (Commander), Ritupriya Patil (Executive Officer), Ana Pires (Crew Scientist)
Purpose of EVA:
Drone payload test and drill
Test attaching a payload harness to the drone
Fly with payload to 100 m (short distance test)
Collect footage
Antenna check to the Northwest of the hab’s rear airlock for Ham Radio set up
Start time: 0905 hrs
End time: 0948 hrs
Narrative:
The EVA crew went out and checked the Rovers before heading to the radio antenna. After assessing the antenna and making sure it was working properly the crew moved on to near the science dome. From within the observatory Ritu commenced the drone payload tests. Six flights were planned. Only 2 were completed due to the wind conditions and slight damage to the propellers of the drone during landing in the windy conditions.
After the drone tests were completed, the EVA crew did a short external inspection of the hab documenting any visible issues. Once this was completed they reentered the Hab.
Overview of EVA
Inspect Antenna setup
Conduct drone tests
Visual inspection of Hab
Issues Experienced During EVA
The winds were too strong to complete the planned drone tests.
Drone was slightly damaged on the return flight. Propellers are slightly dented.
Outcomes
Crew completed Rover check
Crew completed Antenna Inspection
Crew began drone tests, and accomplished one objectives of delivering payload weighing 40 gms
Testing was aborted after the first payload test due to drone damage and winds. We will adjust our procedure to inquire against additional resources for wind conditions. We would recommend installation of wind-sock for continuous wind information.
Crew conducted a visual inspection of the exterior of the Hab
Destination: MDRS Hab and surrounding 500 m radius
Coordinates : Coordinates (use UTM WSG 84): 518100 E, 4250900 N
EVA Participants 2: Rachel Jones (HSO), Ana Pires (Crew Scientist)
Note: Drone pilot, Ritupriya Patil (XO) launched the drone from Musk Observatory and conducted the tests.
Road(s) and routes per MDRS Map: Walk around the Hab
Mode of travel: Walk
Operations Report – May 24th
Crew 281 Operations Report 24 May 2023
SOL: 10
Name of person filing report: Megan Kane (Commander), Ritupriya Patil (Executive Officer) and KC Shasteen (Crew Engineer)
Non-nominal systems:
Electrical outlets in kitchen
Remote observatory
EVA Helmet
Notes on non-nominal systems: None
ROVERS
Spirit rover used: No
Hours: (before EVA): 222.5
Hours: (after EVA): NA
Beginning charge: (Before EVA): 100%
Ending charge: (On return from EVA, before recharging): NA
Currently charging: Yes
Opportunity rover used: No
Hours: (before EVA): 131.2
Hours: (after EVA): NA
Beginning charge: (Before EVA): 100%
Ending charge: (On return from EVA, before recharging): NA
Currently charging: Yes
Curiosity rover used: No
Hours: (before EVA): 240.2
Hours: (after EVA): NA
Beginning charge: (Before EVA): 100%
Ending charge: (On return from EVA, before recharging): NA
Currently charging: Yes
Perseverance rover used: No
Hours: (before EVA): 264.6
Hours: (after EVA): NA
Beginning charge: (Before EVA): 100%
Ending charge: (On return from EVA, before recharging): NA
Currently charging: Yes
General notes on rovers:
Summary of Hab operations:
WATER USE: 33.4 gallons
Water (static tank): 234.6 gallons
Static tank pipe heater (on or off): off
Static tank heater (On or off): off
Toilet tank emptied: no
Summary of internet:
nominal
Summary of suits and radios: All suits and radios are fully recharged.
Summary of GreenHab operations:
WATER USE: 3.7 gallons
Heater: Off
Supplemental light: Off
Harvest: in grams :
Tomatoes 531
Cucumber 458
Chives 10
Summary of Science Dome operations:
Dual split: Heat and AC, Off
EVA & Research Planning
Cacao Experiment:
Watered cacao seedlings
Summary of RAM operations: (Tools used, work done)
None
Summary of any observatory issues: NA
Summary of health and safety issues:
No new issues to report.
Questions, concerns and requests to Mission Support:
Request Mission Support assistance to take down or retrieve the ham radio antenna in case of emergency or high winds.
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