Month: January 2024

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Operations Report – January 11th

Crew 290 Operations Report 11-01-2023

SOL: 4

Name of person filing report: Anna Tretiakova

Non-nominal systems: None

Notes on non-nominal systems: Not Applicable

ROVERS

Spirit rover used: No

Hours: (Before EVA)

Beginning Charge: (Before EVA)

Ending Charge: (After EVA and before recharging)

Currently Charging:

Opportunity rover used: No

Hours: (Before EVA)

Beginning Charge: (Before EVA)

Ending Charge: (After EVA and before recharging)

Currently Charging:

Curiosity rover used: No

Hours: (Before EVA)

Beginning Charge: (Before EVA)

Ending Charge: (After EVA and before recharging)

Currently Charging:

Perseverance rover used: No

Hours: (Before EVA)

Beginning Charge: (Before EVA)

Ending Charge: (After EVA and before recharging)

Currently Charging:

General Notes on Rovers: The mirrors on all rovers were tightened and now should shake less when the rovers are moving. The mirror on perseverance is cracked. However this rover has problems with breaking so it will not be used in most future EVAs. It is also important to note that the mirrors on all rovers were very loose before tightening.

Summary of Hab Operations:

In the evening, the double hinge main airlock door was tied down and during the night it flew open a bit. EVA 5 crew had to properly close the door. The furnace had a similar issue of not working. It was reset by the crew and is now nominal. The septic tank was emptied and the toilet smell was gone.

WATER USE: 12 gallons

Water (static tank): 400.4 gallons

Static tank pipe heater (on or off): on

Static tank heater (on or off): on

Toilet tank emptied: no

Summary of Internet: internet is nominal during times 18:00 to 22:00

Summary of Suits and Radios: Radios nominal. Suits nominal.

Summary of Greenhab Operations:

The Greenhab door has been harder and harder to close. It also looks like the door does not seal the door frame properly, causing the warmth to seep out of the Greenhab during the night. The magnetic sheets for the Kelway pH soil sensor were not found in the Greenhab, but Chopper does have a flashlight magnet that was used to calibrate the pH sensor.

WATER USE: 1.2 gallons

Heater: on

Supplemental Light: off

Harvest: 80g of red cabbage, 19g of arugula, 56g of micro green kale, 3 leaves of basil.

Summary of Science Dome Operations:

Completed science training of the crew on all MADMEN science experiments. The process to work with the pH sensor was worked out and now we have a reliable pH sensor.

Dual Split Heater or AC: On

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

Measuring tape was used to measure the water level. The ram was used as the airlock for EVA 5.

Summary of any observatory issues: Nominal

Summary of health and safety issues:

All crew in good health and happy spirits. No safety issues. Everyone showered.

Questions, concerns and requests to Mission Support:

What should be done about the poorly working door in the greenhab?

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EVA Report – January 9th

Crew 290 EVA Report 09-01-2024

EVA # 02

Author: Madelyn Hoying

Purpose of EVA: training EVA with second half of crew

Start time: 08:58

End time: 10:26

Narrative: Second training EVA to familiarize crew members with rover operation and navigation. At around 0815, the crew began prepping for EVA 02. Becka, Ben, and Nicole completed suit and comms checks right on schedule, with Becka trying on the one-piece suit and noting no airflow. All EVA members selected the two-piece suit option, with Anna (Crew Engineer) investigating the suit malfunction of the one-piece during EVA. The EVA then proceeded successfully, with the crew noting important changes that need to be made for future EVA success in scientific expeditions (including glove selection and headset placement). Of note, Becka’s headset fell completely off but stayed inside the helmet, with comms unaffected; CAPCOM (Madelyn) instructed the crew to proceed with EVA while monitoring for potential loss of comms, which would be an abort scenario. Crew found sites of interest for future science EVAs and loved the rocks. EVA successfully concluded on schedule at 1026.

Destination: Marble Ritual

Coordinates (use UTM WGS 84): N518700, E4250800

Participants: Rebecca McCallin (XO), Ben Kazimer (GreenHab), Nicole Chan (Crew Journalist)

Road(s) and routes per MDRS Map: Drive on Cow Dung Road and walk east until Marble Ritual

Mode of travel: Driving and walking

Vehicles to be used (If applicable): Opportunity, Spirit

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Journalist Report – January 8th

Journalist Report

Nicole Chan, Crew 290 Journalist

01.08.2024

Sol 1

We woke up today to our first Martian sunrise. The crew was taken aback by the view and took plenty of pictures with our crew mascot, Snapper. We seized the opportunity for final out-of-sim photos with the whole crew, including inspiring poses as well as silly ones. Breakfast was one of high personalization, where each crew member customized their oatmeal with a variety of dehydrated fruits and condiments. The workday began with finishing our onboarding training including rover driving practice.

As we headed back to the Hab, GreenHab officer Ben began cooking up lunch of vegetable fried rice with a side of lentil and beef curry leftovers. We continue to be impressed with each of Ben’s culinary creations at every meal. Shortly after, we officially started simulation around 1330. We had a great time marking this start with a commemorative video taken by our GreenHab officer Ben.

Following the start of sim, we began to prepare for the crew’s first EVA to Marble Ritual which started at 1445. This first EVA was carried out by the Commander (Madelyn Hoying), Crew Engineer (Anna Tretiakova), and Crew Scientist (Anja Sheppard). The remainder of the crew assisted with the EVA preparation and enjoyed learning more about the suit-up process. The EVA crew successfully completed the Marble Ritual and began scouting the surrounding area for research. They discovered a very suitable site to look for signs of life in future EVAs. The crew chose this site because there was evidence of past pools of water which represents a favorable location for microbes. Besides site surveyance, the Crew Engineer experimented with making field sketches of the terrain using pen and paper in EVA gear. It was a great success and will be an excellent tool to have another method of recording visual data of any EVA site or findings in the future. Logistically speaking, this first EVA also allowed the crew to sort out comms and camera difficulties, so we hope to have a smoother EVA experience from here on out.

While the EVA crew was away, GreenHab officer Ben began his role by hydrating the plants and experimenting with musical therapy with the cucumbers. We wonder what sort of music they would like. Ben said he might try complimenting them to encourage growth. Results to come, I suppose. The crew is hopeful for harvest. Meanwhile, Executive Officer Rebecca McCallin and I were based in the ScienceDome where we worked to calibrate the pH Meter for our crew’s science objectives and connected the microscope with the computer software with Ben’s help.

Looking ahead, we are hopeful for stargazing tonight. The crew took in the beautiful Martian sunset with cotton candy clouds and hopefully the skies will be clear. Moreover, we look forward to EVA #2 tomorrow where the second half of our crew will make a similar trek to Marble Ritual in the Sol 2 morning along with a third EVA to roll out Anja’s robot (tentatively named Remi (Robotic Exploring Martian Imager)) onto the Martian terrain for the first time.

Picture of the Day: 290-01_08_2024 crew jump.jpeg

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Operations Report – January 8th

Crew 290 Operations Report 08-01-2023

SOL: 1

Name of person filing report: Anna Tretiakova

Non-nominal systems: none.

Notes on non-nominal systems: none.

ROVERS

Spirit rover used: Yes

Hours: 240.9

Beginning Charge: 100%

Ending Charge: 84%

Currently Charging: No

Opportunity rover used: Yes

Hours: 154.4

Beginning Charge: 100%

Ending Charge: 87%

Currently Charging: No

Curiosity rover used: No

Hours: (Before EVA)

Beginning Charge: (Before EVA)

Ending Charge: (After EVA and before recharging)

Currently Charging:

Perseverance rover used: No

Hours: (Before EVA)

Beginning Charge: (Before EVA)

Ending Charge: (After EVA and before recharging)

Currently Charging:

General Notes on Rovers: Rovers are fully functioning and are working well.

Summary of Hab Operations:

WATER USE: 5.5 gallons

Water (static tank): 424.5 gallons

Static tank pipe heater (on or off): on

Static tank heater (on or off): on

Toilet tank emptied: no

Summary of Internet: internet is nominal during times 18:00 to 22:00

Summary of Suits and Radios: Nominal. All suits are around 13.7V and all radios around 8.3V.

Summary of Greenhab Operations:

WATER USE: 5.9 gallons

Heater: on

Supplemental Light: off

Harvest: Not yet.

Summary of Science Dome Operations: Tried calibrating the pH meter and connecting the microscope to the laptop. The microscope is operational but the software on the computer needs to be updated.

Dual Split Heater or AC: On

Summary of RAM Operations: (Tools used, work done): The multimeter was used to test all the suits and radios. The multimeter was used to measure the

Summary of any observatory issues: Nominal

Summary of health and safety issues: All crew in good health and happy spirits. No safety issues.

Questions, concerns and requests to Mission Support:

How often should the suits and radios be checked with a multimeter? Is this a daily task or more just a troubleshooting procedure?

Due to our crew not having an astronomer, does the crew engineer have to check the observatory or is this a non applicable situation? If yes, what deems it nominal?

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GreenHab Report – January 8th

Crew 290 GreenHab Report: 08 Jan 2024 (Sol 1)

GreenHab Officer: Ben Kazimer

Environmental control: Heater on, fan off, door closed

Average temperatures: 80.1⁰F at 14:40, 65.3⁰F at 16:35

Hours of supplemental light: Nominal 4 hours at night

Daily water usage for crops: 5.19 gallons

Daily water usage for research and/or other purposes: 0

Water in Blue Tank:188.8 gallons

Time(s) of watering for crops: 14:40 water and mist, 16:28 misting

Changes to crops: none

Narrative: First day of official greenhab operations was great! I checked on the plants while EVA #01 took place and discovered the dual use of the greenhouse as a personal sauna. The building cooled as I watered the plants but with all my layers still on from training, it got toasty. Tomato plants are doing great: all are flowering and most are showing small fruits (plant number 9 is the all-star with the biggest fruit so far, and all others were green with envy). The herb planter is happy and healthy, hoping to harvest dill tomorrow and basil later in the week. In that vein, I’m brainstorming farm-to-table recipes with the crew for potential harvests! The only plants underperforming are the cucumbers in the back corner planter :/ I checked the soil with the moisture meter, provided supplemental water where necessary, and heavily misted them. These troublemakers are the main reason for my second trip to the greenhouse later in the afternoon, where I found they had maintained their look of saggy sorrow. I provided more mist and even held a music therapy session: Good Lovin’ by the Grateful Dead (Live at MSG, 3/9/81). If problems persist, I may prescribe some botanical songs from that set such as China Cat Sunflower or Ramble on Rose.

Harvest: None

Support/supplies needed: Additional botany guidance for troubleshooting the cukes and general knowledge (I will consult internal MDRS knowledge found in the textbooks from the Science Dome). Also, potting soil if ever possible for future plantings 😊

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EVA Report – January 8th

Crew 290 EVA Report 08-01-2024

EVA # 01

Author: Madelyn Hoying

Purpose of EVA: training EVA with half of crew

Start time: 14:15

End time: 15:35

Narrative: Training EVA to familiarize crew members with rover operation and navigation. At around 13:30, the crew officially entered sim and began prepping for EVA 01. Madelyn, Anna, and Anja completed suit and comms checks ahead of schedule. On entering the airlock for depressurization, some comms issues caused a delay leading to re-pressurization and suit adjustments. The EVA then proceeded successfully, with the crew noting important changes that need to be made for future EVA success in scientific expeditions (including glove selection and headset placement).

Destination: Marble Ritual

Coordinates (use UTM WGS 84): N518700, E4250800

Participants: Madelyn Hoying (Commander), Anja Sheppard (Crew Scientist), Anna Tretiakova (Crew Engineer)

Road(s) and routes per MDRS Map: Drive on Cow Dung Road and walk east until Marble Ritual

Mode of travel: Driving and walking

Vehicles to be used (If applicable): Opportunity, Spirit

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Sol Summary – January 8th

Crew 290 Sol Summary Report 08-01-2024

Sol: 1

Summary Title: Jumping into Sim

Author’s name: Madelyn Hoying

Mission Status: Nominal

Sol Activity Summary:

We began by completing the required training to enter sim, with a few photo ops along the way. At around 13:30, the crew officially entered sim and began prepping for EVA 01. Madelyn, Anna, and Anja completed suit and comms checks ahead of schedule. On entering the airlock for depressurization, some comms issues caused a delay leading to re-pressurization and suit adjustments. The EVA then proceeded successfully, with the crew noting important changes that need to be made for future EVA success in scientific expeditions (including glove selection and headset placement). While the EVA crew was out, Becka, Ben, and Nicole shared CAPCOM duties and settled into their roles. Becka and Nicole worked to establish a microbiology lab in the Science Dome and managed to troubleshoot several equipment difficulties as they came up. Ben hydrated plants (along with trying some Grateful Dead music therapy on some less-than-stellar cucumbers), planned meals for our time on Mars, and cooked a very popular lunch of fried rice and leftover curry. The crew is planning to spend some time stargazing tonight if the weather allows, to check out the view of the constellations from the red planet!

Look Ahead Plan: Complete training EVA 02, conduct the first research EVA to collect GPR data, complete Science Dome setup

Anomalies in work: Finding Shannon’s pH meter

Weather: Cold and windy! Winds picked up by the end of EVA 01

Crew Physical Status: nominal

EVA: 01, Marblehead ritual completed with Madelyn, Anja, and Anna

Reports to be filed: Sol Summary, Journalist Report, Greenhab Report, Operations Report, EVA report, EVA Request(s)

Support Requested:

Assistance in locating Shannon’s pH meter, confirmed for use in the pre-mission research meeting – already addressed by Ben S. Thank you! Our crew is very grateful.
Does the laminar flow hood in the Science Dome have any time limitations for how long we can use it? We don’t plan on using it for over 3-4 hours at a time.
Additional botany guidance if possible – see Greenhab report for details

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HSO Beginning Of Mission Checklist- January 8th

HSO BEGINNING OF MISSION CHECKLIST 2023-2024

Submitted by: Madelyn Hoying and Rebecca McCallin

Crew: 290

Date: 08 Jan 2024

Part 1: Using the attached Safety Equipment Inventory, locate, test and confirm operation of all safety equipment. List any equipment not found and/or missing: All components in order as listed in inventory.

Part 2: Locate and confirm the emergency escape routes in the Hab are functional and clear:

Stairs
Emergency window
Commander’s window
Confirmed

Part Three:

Inventory First Aid kit and note what needs to be refilled: All first aid kits (science dome, hab, EVA) have complete kits according to their inventory lists. We will notify if any supplies are used for replacement.

Note any safety issues: None

Note any health/environmental issues: None

Note any missing or recommended health and safety supplies: We would recommend including a saline syringe in the EVA kit, in case wounds need flushed out in the field. Additionally, inclusion of field sutures can benefit more extreme trauma events both in the field and in the facilities, given the distance to advanced medical care.

Safety Equipment Inventory 2022-2023

HAB Upper deck HAB Lower deck RAM GreenHab ScienceDome Rovers
CO monitor X X X X X
Escape ladder X
Eyewash X
Fire blanket X X X
Fire extinguisher X X X X X
First Aid X X
Intercom X X X X
Nightlight X X
Propane alarm X X
Radios (Channels 10 and 22) X X X X X
Smoke alarm X X X X X
Tow rope X
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