Month: May 2023

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EVA Report – May 17th

Crew 281 EVA Report 17-05-2023

EVA # 4

Authors: Ritupriya Patil (Executive Officer), Ana Pires (Crew Scientist)

Purpose of EVA:
Conduct Geotechnical Survey of the area and geomechanical assessment
Schmidt Hammer and Equotip measurements along scanlines
Geological and geotechnical assessment of the scanline using the created datasheet by the Crew Scientist
Acquire images and collect loose rock/soil
Take pictures at Marble Ritual, on the way back, if time and energy allow

Start time: 0735 hrs

End time: 0944 hrs

Narrative:
Crew of started pre-EVA prep at 7 am. KC Shashteen (Crew Engineer) did radio and suit checks. The crew donned the suits and were ready for 15 mins of pre-breathing at 0715 hrs. The crew left the hab at 0735 hrs to begin the EVA on Opportunity rover, which was driven to Pooh’s corner. The crew arrived at Pooh’s corner at 0748 hrs and found a location for rock and soil sample collection about 125 m north of where the rover was parked. They began hardness sampling with a scanline of 200 m, and set up fibreglass tape, Schimdt hammer and equotip equipment. The crew took water breaks to keep themselves hydrated throughout the EVA. After a 5 station long scanline they completed the measurements and returned to the vehicle at 0913 hrs. On their way back to the hab, the crew stopped at Marble Ritual for some pictures of the geological features.
Overall, the crew had a successful EVA with new learnings and they re-entered the hab at 0944 hrs after 5 mins of pressurisation time in the air lock.

Overview of EVA

Collect rock and soil samples for hardness analysis
Visual observation on the area at Marble Ritual

Issues Experienced During EVA

The crew had only one pen to record the scanline measurements. This became problematic when the ball point was badly damaged since it may have hit a rock and it temporarily stopped working. They were able to make it work but we should have a contingency plan.
The equipment came unscrewed and due to the gloves, the crew lost the sensation that the equipment fell off. They were able to locate the part and put it back together to continue with measurements.
Tourists showed up at the EVA location again but there was no interaction from them.

Outcomes

The crew had some confusion on first stop for the EVA, there should have been a pre-brief in the morning that did not happen.
The system works well but we need to understand how to integrate the geotechnical equipment with the spacesuit and gloves for better handling in future space activities.
Collected hardness sampling measurements for 5 station long scanlines.
Collected 18 rocks of 1120 grams and 1 soil sample of 95 grams at Pooh’s corner

Destination: a) Pooh’s Corner and walking no more than a radius of 500m; b) On the way back, stop in Marble Ritual and walk no more than 300m.
Coordinates a) (use UTM WSG 84): 0519025 E, 4251183 N
Coordinates b) (use UTM WSG 84): 0518687 E, 4250789 N
EVA Participants 2: KC (Crew Engineer), Ana Pires (Crew Scientist and EVA Leader)
Road(s) and routes per MDRS Map: Drive on Cow Dung Road and walk east until Pooh’s Corner. On the way back, a quick stop in Marble Ritual to take extra photos.
Mode of travel: Opportunity

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Journalist Report – May 17th

Crew 281 – Journalist Report, 17 May 2023

Report by: Rachel Jones

Sol 3, Today was our first "longer" EVA mission. The whole team worked to prepare KC and Ana. They were going to Pooh’s Corner and Marble Ritual to perform scan lines while testing new geotechnical equipment. Once the EVA team returned everyone helped them doff their gear.

For lunch Megan made fresh bread. We ate bread dipped/spread/stuffed with a sauteed vegetable medley containing tomatoes harvested from the Green Hab combined with freeze dried vegetables and rice vinegar. It was astonishingly delicious. We’ve voted that the rice vinegar KC brought was a welcome edition to the MDRS kitchen.

The afternoon sent us all to our various projects. Megan checked on her chocolate seeds. Ana analyzed her collected data. Ritu started on our reports and planned for the next EVA. KC handled various Hab maintenance. We had strong winds in the afternoon and KC fortified the tunnel system. I (not having cooked) challenged myself to use less water doing dishes. MDRS recommends a sink of soapy water and a sink of rinse water. Then I did general Hab cleaning on the upper floor, before taking an inventory of MDRS’s amateur radio station. Truly, it’s science, maintenance, and cleaning everyday.

Pre-dinner we did a group yoga session. Dinner tonight is leftovers. I’m hoping to eat some of Sol 2’s quesadillas.

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Operations Report – May 17th

Crew 281 Operations Report 17-05-2023

SOL: 3

Name of person filing report: Megan Kane

Non-nominal systems:

· Lower deck shopvac

· Electrical outlets in kitchen

· Remote observatory

· EVA Helmet

Notes on non-nominal systems:

· No new notes.

ROVERS

Spirit rover used: No

Hours: (before EVA): NA

Hours: (after EVA): NA

Beginning charge: (Before EVA): NA

Ending charge: (On return from EVA, before recharging): NA

Currently charging: Yes

Opportunity rover used: Yes

Hours: (before EVA): 129.4

Hours: (after EVA): 129.6

Beginning charge: (Before EVA): 100

Ending charge: (On return from EVA, before recharging): 94

Currently charging: Yes

Curiosity rover used: No

Hours: (before EVA): NA

Hours: (after EVA): NA

Beginning charge: (Before EVA): NA

Ending charge: (On return from EVA, before recharging): NA

Currently charging: Yes

Perseverance rover used: No

Hours: (before EVA): NA

Hours: (after EVA): NA

Beginning charge: (Before EVA): NA

Ending charge: (On return from EVA, before recharging): NA

Currently charging: Yes

General notes on rovers: Opportunity was used today

Summary of Hab operations: put notes here

WATER USE: 32.7 gallons

Water (static tank): 425.8 gallons

Static tank pipe heater (on or off): off

Static tank heater (On or off): off

Toilet tank emptied: no or yes: no

Summary of internet:

· Open internet hours now from 6 to 10 pm

Summary of suits and radios: All suits and radios are fully recharged.

Summary of GreenHab operations:

WATER USE: 1.72 gallons

Heater: Off

Supplemental light: Off

Harvest:

Tomatoes 514

Basil 1

Sage 1

Chives 7

Oregano 1

Thyme 1

Summary of Science Dome operations:

Dual split: Heat and AC, Off

Cacao Experiment:

Cacao seeds in trays. Temperature and Humidity have remained in the desired range throughout the day. Seeds and trays were cleaned and set out again. Seeds that are not sprouting were removed.

Geotechnical Experiment Activities:

· Conducted tests geotechnical equipment

· Weighed samples from EVA 4

Summary of RAM operations: (Tools used, work done)

No new work in the RAM.

Summary of any observatory issues: NA

Summary of health and safety issues:

· No new issues to report.

Questions, concerns and requests to Mission Support:

· Crew would like to review procedures for in-sim contingencies, for example suit failure or a rover needs to be towed. If there are examples of lessons learned from previous crews it would be helpful to receive copies.

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Sol Summary – May 16th

Crew 281 Sol Summary Report 16-05-2023
Sol: 2
Summary Title: Around the Hab and Experiments
Author’s name: Ritupriya Patil (XO) and Megan Kane (Commander)
Mission Status: Nominal
Sol Activity Summary:
Before the EVA prep began Megan Kane (Commander) checked the greenhab.
EVA 3: Ritupriya Patil (XO, EVA Lead), Ana Pires (Crew Scientist)(EVA Comm), Rachel Jones (HSO). Hab Comm: Megan Kane
EVA prep began at 7:45 am when we started prepping our suits, radio comms, helmets and air circulation. KC Shasteen (Crew Engineer) made the pre-EVA checks with radios and spacesuit. We donned the EVA team’s suits, conducted a 15 minute pre-breath followed by a 5 minute depressurization in the air lock, leaving the airlock at 8:35 am. Waterchecks were scheduled for every 45 minutes. Mid EVA one suit required adjustments. All objectives were completed. Due to the suit requiring further adjustment the EVA crew returned to the hab early at 0956. After the EVA crew returned, KC and Megan assisted with adjusting the suit for future EVAs and, hopefully, solving the issue with the fit. Additionally during the EVA there was a communications issue that was successfully resolved.
In the Greenhab an airflow diverter was added to the fan to improve the conditions for the plants.
In the science dome, 2 research projects were worked on.

Look Ahead Plan:
Tomorrow we plan to conduct the first Geotechnical survey for the Crew Scientists research.
Additional experiments are in the works and existing experiments will be continued.
Anomalies in work: None
Weather: Fine
Crew Physical Status:
· 1 crew in suboptimal condition, monitoring
EVA: Completed 1 today
Reports to be filed:
● Greenhab Report
● EVA Reports EVA 3
● Ops Report
● Commander’s Report
Support Requested:
● Issue with power system was observed and reported to Mission Support.
● Trash pickup requested for this evening.

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Journalist Report – May 16th

Crew 281 Sol 2 Journalist Report 16 May 2023

Setting the Scene for Science!

By: Rachel Jones

Sol 2: 16 May 2023

Sol 2 on Mars. Today started with a multiple mission EVA. Ritupriya, Ana, and myself conducted a close range EVA around the areas immediately surrounding the habitat. Ritu conducted drone surveillance of the area. Ana looked for a suitable area to deploy her geotechnical robotic device in a later mission. My goal was to look at the area where the amateur radio antenna was previously deployed. Then a final team goal was to pick up debris surrounding the Hab. We collected 38 grams of debris! Overall it was a mission success.

Ritu was in charge of meals and hab support for Sol 2. Afternoon consisted of a wonderful Ramen lunch, followed by multiple report writing. I had cleaning duty and tried to ensure our EVA ready room remained as clean as possible. Utah dirt is not unlike Georgia clay. (Growing up on Flat Creek Ranch has prepared me well.) Megan is growing chocolate in the grow tent. Her research goal focuses on lurxary crops for space food production. (People will definitely want chocolate and Coffee on Mars.) Ana gathered all her materials for a long EVA tomorrow. KC designed and built an experimental air flow diverter for the Green Hab. Previously, Megan had rigged an experimental Terra Cotta watering system in the Green Hab. It’s taking a lot of effort from Megan and KC to keep the plants alive in the extreme Utah desert heat.

The night ended with a chickpea curry and rice dinner. (So good) Lots of discussion on future research and collaborations happened over dinner. We also thought of our team morale Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) campaign which should start soon. Finally, the evening centered on report writing. There are over 6-8 daily reports that have to be submitted, revised, then re-submitted.

Another successful day on Mars!

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Sol Summary – May 16th

Crew 281 Sol 2 Journalist Report 16 May 2023

Setting the Scene for Science!

By: Rachel Jones

Sol 2: 16 May 2023

Sol 2 on Mars. Today started with a multiple mission EVA. Ritupriya, Ana, and myself conducted a close range EVA around the areas immediately surrounding the habitat. Ritu conducted drone surveillance of the area. Ana looked for a suitable area to deploy her geotechnical robotic device in a later mission. My goal was to look at the area where the amateur radio antenna was previously deployed. Then a final team goal was to pick up debris surrounding the Hab. We collected 38 grams of debris! Overall it was a mission success.

Ritu was in charge of meals and hab support for Sol 2. Afternoon consisted of a wonderful Ramen lunch, followed by multiple report writing. I had cleaning duty and tried to ensure our EVA ready room remained as clean as possible. Utah dirt is not unlike Georgia clay. (Growing up on Flat Creek Ranch has prepared me well.) Megan is growing chocolate in the grow tent. Her research goal focuses on lurxary crops for space food production. (People will definitely want chocolate and Coffee on Mars.) Ana gathered all her materials for a long EVA tomorrow. KC designed and built an experimental air flow diverter for the Green Hab. Previously, Megan had rigged an experimental Terra Cotta watering system in the Green Hab. It’s taking a lot of effort from Megan and KC to keep the plants alive in the extreme Utah desert heat.

The night ended with a chickpea curry and rice dinner. (So good) Lots of discussion on future research and collaborations happened over dinner. We also thought of our team morale Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) campaign which should start soon. Finally, the evening centered on report writing. There are over 6-8 daily reports that have to be submitted, revised, then re-submitted.

Another successful day on Mars!

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Operations Report – May 16th

Crew 281 Operations Report 16-05-2023
SOL: 2
Name of person filing report: Megan Kane
Non-nominal systems:
· Lower deck shopvac
· Electrical outlets in kitchen
· Remote observatory
· EVA Helmet – One of the helmets has some damage to the collar, base and back. The spare helmet will be used instead. Per mission control guidance this has been set aside and marked not for use.
Notes on non-nominal systems:
· Lower deck shopvac filter is beyond end of life and needs replacement; significant amount of hair and dust by-passed filter and entered blower. This has been mostly removed with pliers. Makeshift filter from previous crew removed from outlet, older filter banged and blown clean, but frame is bent out of shape and cannot easily be reformed. Recommend replacement.
· Electrical outlets in kitchen remain non functional from previous crew.
· Remote observatory still out of commission from previous mission.
· EVA Helmet collar damage similar to previous crew, additional fracture in rear panel, additional use will likely extend fracture.
ROVERS
Spirit rover used: No
Hours: (before EVA): NA
Beginning charge: (Before EVA): NA
Ending charge: (On return from EVA, before recharging): NA
Currently charging: Yes
Opportunity rover used: No
Hours: (before EVA): NA
Beginning charge: (Before EVA): NA
Ending charge: (On return from EVA, before recharging): NA
Currently charging: Yes

Curiosity rover used: No
Hours: (before EVA): NA
Beginning charge: (Before EVA): NA
Ending charge: (On return from EVA, before recharging): NA
Currently charging: Yes
Perseverance rover used: No
Hours: (before EVA): NA
Beginning charge: (Before EVA): NA
Ending charge: (On return from EVA, before recharging): NA
Currently charging: Yes
General notes on rovers: No Rovers were used today
Summary of Hab operations: put notes here
WATER USE: 26.14 gallons
Water (static tank): 458.51 gallons
Static tank pipe heater (on or off): off
Static tank heater (On or off): off
Toilet tank emptied: no or yes: no
Summary of internet:
· Password to Outpost Internet is incorrectly labelled, resolved by radio communications with Mission Control
· Open internet hours now from 6 to 10 pm
Summary of suits and radios: All suits and radios are fully recharged.
Summary of GreenHab operations:
WATER USE: 0.66 gallons
Heater: Off
Supplemental light: Off
Harvest:
Rocket(Arugula) 15
Lettuce 23
Chives 6
Basil 1
Crew engineer created an airflow diverter out of cardboard for the fan to reduce the intensity of the airflow on the plants directly in front of the fan. Diverter was completed at approximately 6 pm. Will test its effectiveness tomorrow.
Summary of Science Dome operations:
Dual split: Heat and AC, Off
Cacao Experiment:
Cacao seeds in trays. Moisture dropped overnight water was added to promote germination. Temperature and Humidity have remained in the desired range throughout the day.
Geotechnical Experiment Activities:
· Conducted preliminary tests on the rock sampling device.
· Weighed samples from EVA 3

Summary of RAM operations: (Tools used, work done)
· Water came in around the edges of the skylight window. Everything in the RAM was moist. This is the most likely cause of the rust visible on the tools.
· Removed masking tape for use in the main hab. It is still in the main hab so it remains dry for future use.
· Removed multimeter to lower deck for use in testing comm and suit batteries.
· Removed tape measure to lower deck for use in measuring water usage.
· RAM was used in construction of Greenhab airflow diverter.

Summary of any observatory issues: NA
Summary of health and safety issues:
· During EVA the XO experienced some discomfort with the suit. Adjustments were made on EVA to alleviate the discomfort. After EVA the suit fit was readjusted and tested in the hab. No discomfort was detected after the readjustment.
· Hydration packs have been used,
· HSO is monitoring XO who appears to have a cold or allergies. In an abundance of caution an at home covid test was taken and was negative. Until symptoms dissipate the subject will be masking.
Questions, concerns and requests to Mission Support:
· Downstairs shopvac was clogged and had to be cleaned prior to use. Suggest that future crews empty all vacuums at the end of the mission. Additionally, recommend that filters are checked between missions.
· Crew would like to request procedure for putting in place an emergency plan (EVA) to assist crew on EVA. For example, if Rover needs to be towed. Please advise. If there are examples of previous crews creating such a plan it would be helpful to receive copies.b

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GreenHab Report – May 16th

Crew 281 GreenHab Report 16 May 2023
GreenHab Officer: Megan Kane
Environmental control: fan with door open
Average temperatures: 84.38
Hours of supplemental light: None
Daily water usage for crops: 0.66 gallons
Daily water usage for research and/or other purposes: NA
Water in Blue Tank 175.91 gallons
Time(s) of watering for crops:
0730: refilled one water bottle (500 mL) watered other plants as needed 1 L
1810: refilled 1 water bottle (500 mL) watered other plants as needed 500 mL
Changes to crops:
Crops seem to be responding well to the conditions. New growth on tomatoes and other plants is in good condition.
Narrative:
In the morning the greenhab was checked and watered as required. It was noted that water in planters had to be added little by little to ensure water was absorbed into the soil. Will survey more closely to determine if perforation of the soil would be helpful to water absorption and retention.
Trained 2 crew members on Greenhab startup procedures.
For two hours this afternoon a test was conducted to see if the greenhab operation remained constant or was improved by turning up the fan and closing the door to allow the louvers to open. The test showed that the temperature and humidity conditions in the greenhab were stable with the door open or closed as long as the fan was on.
Crew engineer created an airflow diverter out of cardboard for the fan to reduce the intensity of the airflow on the plants directly in front of the fan. Diverter was completed at approximately 6 pm. Will test its effectiveness tomorrow.
Harvest: (include which crop and mass in grams)
Rocket(Arugula) 15g
Lettuce 23g
Chives 6g
Basil 1g
Note: greens measured as Rocket appear to be mixed microgreen seeds.
Support/supplies needed:
None
NOTE: Photos included per Dr. Rupert’s request yesterday.

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EVA Report – May 16th

Crew 281 EVA Report 16-05-2023

EVA # 3

Authors: Megan Kane (Commander), Ritupriya Patil (Executive Officer), Ana Pires (Crew Scientist)

Purpose of EVA:
Scouting the area for antenna erection using the DJI Mavic mini drone –
Explored the area around the Hab including where the Ham Radio was last set up North West of Hab rear airlock
Made pictures and videos for the region around the hab.
Scout for and collect debris around the hab
Walk to the MDRS sign and a sound hab area looking for a location to carry out the first tests with the rock sampling device (Pegasus Scoop)

Start time: 8:30 AM

End time: 9:56 AM

Narrative:
Crew of 3 started pre-EVA prep at 7 am. After a quick pre briefing on objectives of the EVA KC Shahteen (Crew Engineer) did radio and suit checks. The crew donned the suits and was ready for 15 mins of pre-breathing at 8:15 am. The crew left the hab at 0835 to begin the EVA. They went around the hab area and picked up about 38 grams of debris. This tested the manoeuvrability and flexibility in the suits which varied for taller crew members (who found it comfortable) and shorter crew members (who had to stagger while kneeling or bending to pick something off the floor, since the weight of the back pack needed to be balanced).

After achieving objective 1 of debris collection, the crew located the area for Ham Radio set up to the North West region of the Hab’s rear airlock. A coaxial cable will be run from the rear airlock to the location. While Rachel Jones (HSO) did visual observation for the cardinal directions for antenna setup, Ritupriya Patil (XO, EVA Lead) set up her drone for aerial surveillance of the region. Ritupriya flew the drone, which soared up to 60 m high and did a 360° sweep for radio interference and imagery. Through the other maneuvering flights, the crew got some great shots with a birds eye view of the hab, analog astronauts and the surrounding region.

Finally for objective three, Ana Pires (Crew Scientist) identified a couple good areas for testing the rock sampling device for the first time in the field. Ana then led the team south east of the hab and found a good site for collecting soil samples. These will later be sent to the lab for geo physical tests.

Overall the crew had a successful EVA with new learnings and the crew reentered the hab at 09:56 am.

Overview of EVA

Collected debris around the hab will weigh and place in airlock for disposal
Visual observation on the area to locate potential sites to test the rock sampling device (Pegasus Scoop)
Loose rocks were collected and soil from the area
Scouted location for Radio antenna

Issues Experienced During EVA

The XO experienced some discomfort with the suit. This was adjusted with the assistance of the other two on EVA.
There was an issue with the XO’s comms during drone deployment due to the microphone being out of position. As the drone had already been deployed it was decided for safety reasons that the mic issue would be resolved after the drone was safely landed. The other two crew members were able to visually confirm that the XO was fine, also the XO was able to hear Mission Support.

Outcomes

Scouted location for radio installation
Collected 6 rock samples of 977 grams and 1 soil sample of 37 grams
Collected 38 grams of debris
Flew drone in Aerial survey of the Hab, took some good imagery of the region
At least 2 or 3 places were identified as good areas for testing the rock sampling device for the first time in the field

Destination: MDRS Hab and surrounding 500 m radius
Coordinates (use UTM WSG 84): 0518100 E, 4250900 N
EVA Participants 3: Ritupriya Patil (XO) (EVA Leader), Rachel Jones (HSO), Ana Pires (Crew Scientist) (EVA Comm)
Hab Comm: Megan Kane (Commander)
Road(s) and routes per MDRS Map: Walk around the Hab
Mode of travel: Walk
Vehicles you will be using (If applicable): Not applicable

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