Day: April 23, 2024

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GreenHab Report – April 17th

Crew 297 GreenHab Report 17-04-2024

GreenHab Officer: Sean Marquez

Environmental control:
– Heater on (set to 55F)
– Fan on

Average temperatures: 91F

Hours of supplemental light: N/A

Daily water usage for crops: 5.25 gal

Daily water usage for research and/or other purposes: 0.25 gal

Water in Blue Tank: 191 gal

Time(s) of watering for crops: 11:34, 12:33, 15:18

Changes to crops: Carrots, radishes, and red cabbages were looking wilted. Two of the (Riya & Garbanzo) kale plants were looking less wilted compared to the prior two days.

Narrative: Crops that were wilting today were likely due to EPS fluctuations, causing inconsistent air flow from the fan system in the GreenHab throughout the day. While watering the plants around 15:18, the GreenHab temperature had reached 110F. In an attempt to supplement the lack of air flow and reduce heat build up in the GreenHab, the door was opened around 16:00 to allow for the tunnel system to act as a temporary air conduit, at least ’til around sunset when the door was closed.

Harvest:
– 288g squash
– 2g cherry tomato

Support/supplies needed:
– (more of a nice to have, but) a means to query and download the GreenHab atmosphere temperature data from HomeAssistant as to be able to perform time-series analysis, automation of calculating average temperatures, and/or for comparison with the FPrime data collection system.

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Operations Report – April 17th

Crew 297 Operations Report 17-04-2024

SOL: 3

Name of person filing report: Matt Lynch (Engineer)

Non-nominal systems: Suit 2 (stuck valve), Suit 9 (broken visor), Suit 4 (missing metal tie on rear of helmet collar)

Notes on non-nominal systems: The issues with Suit 2 and 9 were already noted before our mission. The issue with Suit 4 was found today, spare parts are being looked for and if they are not found a zip tie can be used as a temporary fix.

ROVERS

Spirit rover used:

Hours: 251.1

Beginning charge: 100%

Ending charge: 38%

Currently charging: No

Curiosity rover used:

Hours: 180

Beginning charge: 100%

Ending charge: 56%

Currently charging: No

General notes on rovers: NA

Summary of Hab operations:

WATER USE: 20.4 gallons

Water (static tank): 380 gallons

Static tank pipe heater (on or off): off

Static tank heater (On or off): off

Toilet tank emptied: no

Summary of internet: Looking up recipes, downloading entertainment, downloading navigation applications, report formatting methods, catching up on Earthly news

Summary of suits and radios:

Radios 1,2,5, and 6 were used.

EVA Suits 4,7, and 11 were used.

Summary of GreenHab operations:

WATER USE: 5.25 gallons

Heater: Yes

Supplemental light: N/A

Harvest: 288 g of suspected squash and 2 g cherry tomato

Summary of ScienceDome operations: NA

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

Summary of any observatory issues: NA

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Sol Summary – April 17th

Crew 297 Sol Summary Report 17-04-2024

Sol: 03

Summary Title: Red Planet Rocks!

Author’s name: Pawel Sawicki

Mission Status: Nominal

Sol Activity Summary: The crew started the day at 0800, welcomed by the smell of the delectable crepes prepared by Sean and Matt S. With the mood already in good spirits after breakfast, the EVA team could not flounder, as they hastily were able to locate the NPS and spent the rest of the time analyzing the rocks of the Red Planet. After a fortunate EVA, the crew was treated to a mouthwatering take on fromage et legumes soup prepared by Matt L. While the soup was prepared, the crew learned how to play the cooperative card game Hanabi. In the afternoon, Sean and Pawel troubleshooted thermal problems within the GreenHab along with harvesting a ripe cherry tomato. Dinner concluded a day of scrumptious meals, with a soy peanut couscous containing vegetables and chicken, prepared by chefs Matt L. and Sean.

Look Ahead Plan:

Tomorrow we will perform a single EVA in the morning. This EVA will be the first for Case, our robotic crewmate, who will traverse and record imagery as we monitor closely. The EVA will also test out digging possibilities for the [inert] NPS.

Anomalies in work:

Suit 5 (ventilation electrical connection): Investigated and likely fixed. To be further examined/tested in the coming days.
GreenHab automated fan: The GreenHab fan powered on today when the GH temp reached 94F, but then turned off. It then powered cycled continuously but never reached its expected rpm.
Suit 4 (collar cable ring missing): In work
Weather:
Morning (data from 0900): calm winds (2 mph), chilly (53F), and clear skies (0% cloud coverage)
Noon: moderate winds (15 mph), warm (70F), and clear skies (0% cloud coverage)
Afternoon (1800): moderate winds (17 mph), warm (76F), and clear skies (0% cloud coverage)
Crew Physical Status: Crew health is nominal.

EVA: EVA was nominal today. The crew found the hidden NPS fairly quickly (~15 minutes) and spent the rest of the time performing gamma-ray spectrometer readings of regions along Cow Dung Road south of MDRS including Robert’s Rock Garden.

Reports to be filed:

Sol Summary
Journalist Report
GreenHab Report
Operations Report
EVA report (1 EVA)
EVA request (1 EVA)
Support Requested: We request that the [inert] NPS be placed by Mission Support at a location of their choosing (though reachable by rover and within a maximum of 15 minutes of walking) in either Candor Chasma, Eos Chasma, Valles Marineris, or Aurorae Chaos for a search and recovery EVA on 19-04-2024. The NPS will be placed in the rear airlock tomorrow night, 18-04-2024 by 1600. Once the inert NPS is hidden, precise GPS coordinates and a photo are requested to be taken to not lose track of the location. These GPS coordinates are then asked to be sent to Pawel.

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Journalist Report – April 17th

Crew 297 – Janus 1 Journalist – David Laude

Our fourth EVA on Sol 3, taken on this beautiful Martian day by three of the crew, found the hidden nuclear reactor mockup (a 20-gallon capacity cylindrical metal container). Crew members of yesterday’s third EVA provided a simulated landing site for the nuclear power system. Sarah, the EVA Crew Leader, Pawel and Dave were given an approximate landing site via GPS coordinates, which was within 1000 feet from the actual location. The terrain here was like a maze of short hills, any of which could hide the reactor. Fortunately, we were headed in the correct direction from the start and Dave found the reactor within 15 minutes. Afterwards, the EVA crew was tasked to find a location where it could dig to bury it. In this Martian terrain it is common to immediately be stymied by loose chunks of sandstone. The team drove further south on Cow Dung Road and then parked the rovers. Digging near the road quickly revealed sand stone slabs. Dave, having been in this area before, suggested an area 60 meters further west from the road where Pawel found loose regolith with his shovel. He quickly dug down a half meter in one location and then another. This area is likely where it will be buried and later retrieved. Burial is required to help reduce radiation exposure to humans with an active installation.

Sarah had this to say about today’s highly successful EVA, "Today was the first EVA with the Gamma Ray Spectrometer. We measured the natural amounts of radioactive potassium, uranium, and thorium in the regolith 1000 m south of the Hab, as well as conglomerates at Robert’s Rock Garden, and sandstone and regolith at a location that from orbit looks redder that some of the surrounding rocks. Ratios of these different elements can tell us about predicted mineralogy, changes in lithology, and even if Redox conditions has been pervasive in this area."

EVA Crew Leader Sarah is currently a Geology Ph.D. candidate at the University of Kansas, focusing her research on analog materials for Mars and Ocean Worlds using Raman spectroscopy. She worked on developing a chemical calibration for chlorite minerals using Raman Spectroscopy, which also has implications for Mars research. Sarah also interned at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in the Origins and Habitability Lab in the summers of 2021 and 2022. Sarah was an active member on the ChemCam Instrument Team on the Mars Curiosity Rover and spent three summers at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Sarah is currently a Geology Ph.D. candidate at the University of Kansas, focusing her research on analog materials for Mars and Ocean Worlds using Raman spectroscopy. During her graduate studies, Sarah also interned at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in the Origins and Habitability Lab. In 2018, Sarah graduated from Kansas State University, with three bachelor’s degrees in Chemistry, Geology, and Geography. Throughout her undergraduate years, Sarah spent three summers at Los Alamos National Laboratory.

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EVA Report – April 17th

Crew 297 EVA 4 Report 17-4-2024

EVA #4

Author: Sarah Lamm

Purpose of EVA: To locate the NPS from yesterday and to observe a geological formation that from orbit is redder than the surrounding location

Start Time: 9:36 AM

End Time: 1:00 PM

Narrative: We arrived at the first stop to locate the NPS device for Matt L’s research project. It was found quickly. From there we moved to the south and stopped at the location yesterday to test how easy it would be to dig in the regolith and to get initial Gamma-Ray Spectrometer readings of the regolith. We continued south to the region that looked redder from orbit, to take more observations of the regolith and the rocks. Lastly, we headed north toward the Hab and stopped at Robert’s Rock Garden to observe those rocks in comparison to those we had already seen.

Destination: Find the NPS, location to dig and gamma ray on regolith, redder area regolith & rocks, Robert’s Rock Garden (Stop #4)

Coordinates: 12S 518166N, 425092E (Stop #1); 12S 518065 4250003 (Stop #2); 12S 518819 4248714 (Stop #3); 12S 518278 4249467 (Stop #4)

Participants: Pawel Sawicki (Commander), Dave Laude (Journalist), Sarah Lamm (Geologist)

Road(s) and routes per MDRS Map: Cow Dung Road

Mode of travel: Spirit, Opportunity; Walking

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EVA Report – April 20th

Crew 297 EVA 8 Report 20-4-2024
      
EVA # 8

Author: Matthew Storch

Purpose of EVA: We first did another seek for the NPS Project, by traveling to the coordinates specified by Mission Support, and searching a 300 m radius for the NPS. We then evaluated the robot, excavated a site for placement of the NPS, and explored the surrounding region for geological purposes.

Start Time: 9:08 AM

End Time: 12:55 PM

Narrative: Crew obtained the NPS search coordinates and proceeded to the search area, which was near the Candor Chasma. We stopped just off Cow Dung road and proceeded on foot along the Gateway to Candor, to conduct the search. The crew split into 2 teams that straddled a ravine. Matt Lynch quickly spotted the NPS and we retrieved it and returned to the rovers. We then proceeded north along Cow Dung Road to Galileo Road and headed east on Galileo until we reached the turnaround limit on battery power. The turnaround point was not deemed suitable for the other mission objectives, so we started to return along Galileo road, stopping twice to evaluate possible sites to cover the remaining mission objectives. Once a suitable location was found, Pawel and Matt S set up the robot, while Matt L scouted for suitable nearby excavation sites and Sarah conducted geological studies of the area. The robot had problems connecting to its network and there was not much we could do in the field to address the problem, so we had to abandon that objective for today. All four EVA crew members then joined the excavation effort, using a variety of tools and working in shifts. In the end we were able to excavate deep enough to properly bury the NPS, but finished just in time to return from the EVA with a suitable time margin. Excavation was much more difficult than in the first location, with the regolith removal rate being about one half of what it was in the first excavation, despite having 4 crew members to work this excavation vs. 2 for the previous one.

Destination: Candor Chasma area

Coordinates: 519608E 4251496N

Participants: Pawel Sawicki (Commander), Matthew Storch (XO), Sarah Lamm (Geologist), Matthew Lynch (Engineer)

Road(s) and routes per MDRS Map: Cow Dung Road, Galileo Road

Mode of travel: Curiosity, Opportunity, and walking

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GreenHab Report – April 19th

Crew 297 GreenHab Report 19-04-2024

GreenHab Officer: Sean Marquez

Environmental control:
– Heater on (set to 55F)
– Fan on (set to 92F; not accounting for power outages)

Average temperatures: 79F

Hours of supplemental light: N/A

Daily water usage for crops: 1 gal

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

Water in Blue Tank: 187 gal

Time(s) of watering for crops: 12:30

Changes to crops: N/A

Narrative: Fan power went out again shortly after entering the GreenHab around 12:20. Same procedure was implemented as previously whereby the GreenHab door was purposefully left open at 12:20 to allow air flow from the tunnel system to mitigate heat build-up, then closed at 17:25 when the GreenHab atmosphere temperature had dropped to ~85F and the outdoor temperature had dropped to ~79F. More brown leaves and/or yellow stems from cherry tomatoes were composted.

Harvest:
– 11g cherry tomato
– 1g rosemary

Support/supplies needed: Access to MDRSCampus network and HomeAssistant credentials would be convenient for being able to download temperature data from personal laptop, as opposed to having to use the lower deck computer.

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Sol Summary – April 19th

Crew 297 Sol Summary Report 19-04-2024

Sol: 05

Summary Title: So much universe, and so little time

Author’s name: Pawel Sawicki

Mission Status: Nominal

Sol Activity Summary:

Today we all woke up early to the sounds of Strauss and the smells of freshly made pancakes by Chef Laude. Shortly thereafter the first of two EVAs commenced, where, within an hour of leaving the airlock, Matt S. located the [inert] Nuclear Power System (NPS). After the crew hid the NPS they met all their EVA objectives and returned to the Hab. The second EVA group was not quite as swift as the first in finding the NPS, but nonetheless Pawel was able to locate the NPS within an hour of EVA start. Collecting gamma-ray spectral data was unfortunately cut short during the second EVA due to a more urgent matter: a nonconforming fan on Suit 11, resulting in an expedited return back to the Hab. The day concluded with a spaghetti dinner prepared by Chefs Laude and Storch, report writing, and late-night games.

Look Ahead Plan:

Tomorrow we have an eventful EVA planned with three of the crew’s research topics consolidating into one EVA objective. The crew of four (Sawicki, Storch, Lynch, and Lamm) will first locate the [inert] NPS. Once found, the crew will use Case (which has recently been equipped with a Geiger counter) to approach the [inert] NPS and verify that the unit is safe to approach. During the recovery efforts, continued use of the gamma-ray spectrometer will further characterize the Martian rocks.

Anomalies in work:

Suit 11 (fan power significantly decreased mid-EVA): EVA was abruptly cut short due to low fan rpm, causing pressing concerns for heat exhaustion. Prior to the 1.5 hour EVA, the suit battery read 13.5 V and afterwards read 11.9 V.
GreenHab automated fan: The GreenHab fan powers on when the GH temp reaches 94F, but then shortly thereafter turns off. It power cycles continuously but never reaches its expected rpm.
ScienceDome: We have noticed a foul chemical smell the last few days which has made the ScienceDome unsuitable for any work. This intense odor has assuaged during the current sol. We still continue to monitor closely.
EVA headset #2 not receiving comms when connected with two way radio (radio works fine).
Weather:
Morning (data from 0900): calm winds (1 mph), chilly (59F), and few cloud coverage
Noon: calm winds (2 mph), warm (69F), and scattered cloud coverage
Afternoon (1800): moderate winds (17 mph), warm (71F), and broken cloud coverage
Crew Physical Status: Sarah is feeling a bit fatigued, but recovering well. The rest of the crew is presently nominal in terms of health.

EVA: The first EVA today was a complete success. The crew was able to locate the NPS and re-hide it for the next crew in great time. While the second EVA crew was able to locate the NPS quite quickly (~25 minutes), there was a fan malfunction within suit #11 that resulted in an aborted EVA and expedited return to the Hab. Sarah had begun exhibiting symptoms of heat exhaustion from the lack of airflow within her helmet.

To loosely paraphrase Artemis by Weir: "[Mars] is mean. [He] doesn’t care why your suit fails. [He] just [cancels your EVA] when it does."`

Reports to be filed:

Sol Summary
Journalist Report
GreenHab Report
Operations Report
EVA report (2 EVAs)
EVA request (1 EVA)
Support Requested: We have requested that the [inert] NPS be placed by Mission Support at a location of their choosing (though reachable by rover on Galileo Road 1104 and within a maximum of 25 minutes of walking) for a search and recovery EVA #8 on 20-04-2024. The NPS will be placed in the rear airlock tonight, 19-04-2024 by 2000. Once the inert NPS is hidden, precise GPS coordinates and a photo are requested to be taken to not lose track of the location. These GPS coordinates are then asked to be sent to Sean. Many thanks for the support provided thus far for the NPS placements!

We have also requested one additional EVA headset, as one is not functioning properly.

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Operations Report – April 19th

Crew 297 Operations Report 19-04-2024

SOL: 5

Name of person filing report: Matt Lynch (Engineer)

Non-nominal systems: Suit 2 (stuck valve), Suit 9 (broken visor), Radio 2 (possibly damaged antenna), Suit 11 (poor battery life),

Notes on non-nominal systems: The issues with Suit 2 and 9 were already noted before our mission. Suit 2 repairs are ongoing. The problem with Radio 2 has been determined to likely be its headset, we are asking for a replacement. Suit 11’s battery was checked before EVA #7 today and was at 13.5 V (fully charged), yet the fans had a noticeable drop in speed by the second half of the EVA. Ultimately resulting in aborting the EVA early for health concerns. Testing the suit immediately after the EVA the voltage was 11.9 V, below the critical value of 12V. This suggested that the batteries have degraded to the point of not being capable of holding a considerable amount of charge to safely perform an EVA longer than 45 minutes.

ROVERS

Spirit rover used:

Hours: 251.8

Beginning charge: 100%

Ending charge: 39%

Currently charging: No

Curiosity rover used:

Hours: 278.2

Beginning charge: 100%

Ending charge: 44%

Currently charging: No

General notes on rovers: Opportunity’s key switch was noticed to be loose, this has been fixed by tightening the key switch during EVA #7.

Summary of Hab operations:

WATER USE: 23.5 gallons

Water (static tank): 309.6 gallons

Static tank pipe heater (on or off): off

Static tank heater (On or off): off

Toilet tank emptied: no

Summary of internet: Looking up recipes, downloading entertainment, report formatting methods, catching up on Earthly news

Summary of suits and radios: The zip-tie on the rear panel for Suit 4 was missing and has been replaced today.

Radios 1,3,4,5, and 6 were used.

EVA Suits 4,6,7,8,10 and 11 were used.

Summary of GreenHab operations:

WATER USE: 1 gallons

Heater: Yes

Supplemental light: N/A

Harvest: 11g of cherry tomatoes, 1g of rosemary

Summary of ScienceDome operations: A noxious sulfur-like smell has been noted in the ScienceDome, likely coming from the BioReactor experiment being autonomously performed there from a previous crew. This smell was not noticed the first two sols of this mission.

Summary of RAM operations: (Tools used, work done): Wrenches and channel locks were used to tighten the key switch on Opportunity.

Summary of any observatory issues: NA

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