Sol: 12
Summary Title: The return to Earth
Author’s name: Andrew Wheeler
Mission Status: Nominal
Sol Activity Summary: Overcast with rain showers clearing. No outside activities and so the time was spent finalising reports, archiving data and culling samples to be returned to their points of origin. One final series of analyses was carried out with the carbonate (CO3) concretions to determine whether the particles or the matrix are the CO3 material. Having crushed and sieved the material down to -63 microns, the relative levels of effervescence suggests that the matrix is the source of the CO3 that released CO2 in the presence of vinegar. Mind you n=2. When these analyses were completed, there was no more to be done. After lunch, our simulation was completed at 2:00pm local and we were on our way home to Earth.
Look Ahead Plan: Cleaning, tidying and packing for departure from MDRS and arrival home.
Anomalies in work: Nothing to report.
Weather: Overnight rain of 3.0 mm with temperatures ranging from 5C to 13C. Winds were light to variable.
Crew Physical Status: Nominal.
EVA: No EVAs for this morning.
Reports to be filed: Sol Summary, Journalist’s Report, Greenhab Report, Operations Report, Crew 291 Mission Summary.
Support Requested: Nothing to request.