Crew 305 Sol Summary Report 09-12-2024
Sol: 1
Summary Title: The Big Settling In
Author’s name: Rashi Jain
Mission Status: All Crew is Alive.
Sol Activity Summary:
Crew Activity Summary for Sol 1: The crew woke up between 6:00 AM and 7:30 AM. From 9:15 AM to 11:15 AM, Hunter Vannier, Ian Parmeleau, and Peter Zoss prepared for and conducted EVA 1 for the Marble Ritual. Later, between 11:45 AM and 12:45 PM, Hunter Vannier, Monish Lokhande, and Rashi Jain prepared for and conducted EVA 2 for the Marble Ritual. Lunch was prepared and served from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM, with Ian and Peter making couscous and chickpeas while Hunter handled the dishes. From 2:00 PM to 5:45 PM, the crew took a break, during which some napped, handled personal tasks, or assisted Peter with his research. Cognitive tests related to Peter’s experiment were conducted from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM. The crew gathered in the common area between 5:45 PM and 7:00 PM, preparing dinner (mac and cheese by Spruha, assisted by Monish) and engaging in individual projects. Finally, from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM, the crew worked on reports and research tasks.
EVA Task Summary from within the Habitat: For EVA 1 and EVA 2, Crew Engineer Spruha checked the batteries on the EVA suits. The staying crew assisted the outgoing crew with tasks like airlock depressurization, which took 5-8 minutes. For EVA 2, the outgoing crew brought the EVA safety kit in the rover. Communications tests and rover preparation tasks, such as clearing power cords, turning on the rover, and logging battery percentage, were completed, with 100% battery recorded during EVA 2. The outgoing crew reported their departure and return for each EVA, parked the rover, secured the keys, and entered the airlock for re-pressurization before returning to the habitat. It was noted that two-piece EVA suits required more assistance compared to the one-piece suits, particularly for ventilation activation.
*The two-piece EVA suits require more assistance in being put on than the one-piece EVA suits where the main help required was turning on the ventilation.
Look Ahead Plan:
There is an EVA planned for tomorrow. People are planning to get started with their proposed research sometime tomorrow.
Anomalies in work:
No anomalies in work encountered yet. Our lights in the Hab hangout room flicker, which is a little annoying.
Weather:
Mars is cold. Our sleeping pods keep us warm – and are the only hope for all of humanity.
Crew Physical Status:
Some people had neck and shoulder discomfort after their EVAs, but everyone seems to be in good health.
EVA:
We had two EVAs today to the Marbles Ritual. There is just one EVA planned for tomorrow.
Reports to be filed:
This is the Sol Summary Report.
Other reports being turned in are: GreenHab Report, Operations Report, EVA Report, 6 – 8 photos
Support Requested:
We need the format for the Journalist Report. We don’t have it yet. We need the format for the Health and Safety Officer Report. We received a checklist for the Health and Safety Officer for the first day, but there is no report format for follow up reports.
Crew 305 Crew biographies, photos and mission patch 08Dec2024
[title Crew biographies, photos and mission patch – December 8th]
Crew Mission Patch
Crew Members
Spruha Vashi, Crew Engineer
Bio: Spruha Vashi is an undergraduate student studying aeronautical and astronautical
engineering at Purdue and an aspiring astronaut. She has worked with previous Purdue
MDRS crews in the past through research preparation and as a part of Purdue mission
control support, but this is the first time that she is attending MDRS as a crew member.
Her academic interests include aerospace systems design with a focus on human
space applications and she is hoping to continue her studies through a master's degree.
She has industry experience applying systems, integration, and test engineering to
multiple space applications and is excited to utilize her skills in the Crew Engineer role
for Crew 305.
Rashi Jain, Crew Journalist
Bio: Rashi, journalist for crew #305, is a Ph.D. candidate in the School of Aeronautics
and Astronautics at Purdue University. At Purdue, her research is on designing habitats
for resilience. Specifically, she is working on developing methods and tools that
designers can use to select safety controls for both foreseen and unforeseen
disruptions. Prior to this, she received a bachelor’s degree in mechanical and
aerospace engineering from The University of Texas at Arlington. She is also a student
pilot. She enjoys spending her free time watching TV shows and movies, reading,
hiking, camping, and snuggling up with her two kittens, Coco and Doonie (aka Mr. Jr)
Ian Pamerleau, Executive Officer & Crew Geologist
Ian is the Executive Office and Crew Geologist of the MDRS Crew #305 – Valles from
Purdue University. He is a fourth year PhD candidate in the Earth, Atmospheric, and
Planetary Science Department at Purdue University. He works with Dr. Mike Sori on icy
geophysics in the outer solar system, currently looking at Ceres and Callisto. He uses a
combination of the finite element method (FEM) and geologic mapping to simulate solid
state flow over billions of years, be it viscous relaxation of surface features or
convection deeper down. His work aims to uncover the internal structure and the state
of differentiation of these icy worlds. Ian received his B.S. in Geology and Mathematics
with a minor in physics from the University of Pittsburgh in 2021, where he helped to
develop an automated floodplain mapping algorithm. In his free time, Ian does sport
fencing, plays the saxophone and guitar, and plays D&D.
Peter Zoss, Health and Safety Officer
Peter is the Health and Safety Officer (HSO) of the MDRS Crew #305. He is a PhD
candidate in Biomedical Engineering at Purdue University. Peter is a member of the
BioCom Lab at Purdue, advised and run by Dr. Matthew Ward to study how we can
communicate to and from the nervous system. He uses invasive devices to study vagus
and genicular nerve signaling in animal models and digital health technologies for
analyzing noninvasive recordings of autonomic nervous system indicators in human
research. Before this, Peter completed his B.S. in biomedical engineering at Purdue
University as well. He enjoys spending his free time with his wife, playing board games
or with their dog.
Monish Lokhande, Crew Scientist
Bio: Monish is the Crew Scientist for Crew #305. He is a PhD student in Aeronautics
and Astronautics at Purdue University. His current research focuses on developing
autonomous multiagent systems frameworks aiming towards enabling heterogenous
robots to coordinate and do tasks more efficiently. He earned his bachelor’s from Indian
Institute of Technology, Goa majoring in Mechanical Engineering. At Mars Desert
Research Station (MDRS) Monish is working towards developing a monitoring system
to analyze data at various locations at the hab. In his spare time, he enjoys outdoor
activities such as hiking, camping, playing sports and trying new adventure sports.
Hunter Vannier, Commander and GreenHab Officer
Bio: Hunter Vannier is a 5 th year PhD candidate at Purdue University studying Planetary
Science, and studies planetary volcanism on the Moon and Mars through orbital, lab,
and field spectral analyses. He is fascinated by planetary analogs (such as MDRS),
places on Earth similar to other planets, since they give us the best opportunity to
contextualize observations on other rocky planets. Prior to Purdue, Hunter received a
BA in Astronomy and minor in Planetary Science from Wesleyan University in 2020. He
greatly enjoys cooking, gardening, hiking and spending time outdoors, and playing ice
hockey.
Crew 305 HSO Beginning Of Mission Checklist 08Dec2024
[title HSO Beginning Of Mission Checklist- December 8th]
HSO BEGINNING OF MISSION CHECKLIST 2024-2025
Submitted by: _Peter Zoss______
Crew: __305_____
Date: __12-08-2024_____
Part 1
Locate and confirm the emergency escape routes in the Hab are functional and clear:
Stairs (between lower end upper deck) – Confirmed
Emergency window (upper deck, east side) – Confirmed
Commander’s window (located in the commander’s crew quarter) – Confirmed
Part 2
Inventory First Aid kit and note what needs to be refilled:
Inside First Aid mirror:
Fingertip Pulse Oximeter
Infrared Thermometer
Electronic Blood Pressure Monitor – batteries were not stored and removed from the device, so I removed them. They were left in the box with the device. The cuff itself only comes in one size, which seems to cover some smaller adults up to the start of larger adults but misses very small and very large adults.
Family Pack Assorted protection Band-Aids—The “Water Block Flex” package is missing. The Flexible Fabric Extra Large package is down to three, while the other three packages still have a decent amount left.
Isopropyl Alcohol from Amazon Basics – bottle about three-quarters full
Isopropyl Alcohol from Equate – bottle about half full
Hydrogen Peroxide – expires December 11th (this coming Wednesday), but is mostly full
Cotton Swabs – the box is over half full
Ibuprofen tables – plenty of packages remaining
Plackers dental floss picks – package almost full still
Disposable face masks – plenty remaining
Unopened Dramamine bottle
Dramamine single packet – expired
6 bandages of multiple sizes – most missing expiration dates
2 rolls of cotton tape
1 Splint
4 first aid guides/references
Inside the American Red Cross First Aid box:
4 gauze dressing pads
1 pair of scissors
1 tweezer
1 BZK Antiseptic Towelette – expired
1 triangular bandage
1 face shield for CPR
1 first aid tape
1 gauze bandage roll – small
1 pair of nitrile exam gloves – not clear what size they are
First Aid Burn Cream – plenty of packs, but expiration not listed
Hand Sanitizer packs – 5
Triple Antibiotic Ointment – 2
Plastic bandages – 3 band-aids
Burn dressing pack – 1
Eye wash plus 2 pads – eye wash bottle is unopened but expired this past August
Instant Cold Compress – box appeared full, but it is wedged in its compartment of the first aid box and would be difficult to remove
1 Bleeding Control Kit
EVA Safety Kit
1 rope
1 splint
1 pair of scissors
1 pen
1 tourniquet
1 emergency compression bandage
1 elastic bandage
1 roll adhesive tape
1 hand sanitizer package
1 pack of large exam gloves
1 triangular bandage
3 emergency thermal blankets
1 dressing package
Alcohol Prep Pads – plenty
Assorted band-aids
BZK Antiseptic Towelette – 2
1 Coalgan pack
1 compressed gauze z-folded
Science Dome First Aid
3 gauze bandages
1 sterile pad
Box of safety pins
1 pair of scissors
1 bag full of exam gloves
1 triangular bandage
1 rescue blanket
Plenty of alcohol prep pads
Part 3
Note any safety issues:
Note any health/environmental issues:
Note any missing or recommended health and safety supplies: An AED would also be a great addition to the supplies, especially given our remote location.
Part 4. Using the attached Safety Equipment Inventory, locate, test and confirm operation of all safety equipment. List any equipment not found and/or missing. See notes on the next page.
The “First Alert Tundra Extinguishes Fires” spray can in the HAB expired on January 24th, 2023.
The fire extinguisher’s service tag in the HAB will also become invalid on January 5th, 2025.
The lower HAB fire extinguisher is set to expire on February 13th, 2025.
The RAM fire extinguisher service tag expires on the 5th of January in 2025.
The Green HAB fire extinguisher service tag expires on the 13th of February in 2025.
None of the intercoms could be heard in the HAB upper deck.
The Science Dome had two spray bottles of the “First Alert Tundra” extinguisher stuff that both expired on February 1st, 2023.
The eye wash bottle in the Science Dome expires this month (12/2024).
The tags on the fire extinguisher in the Science Dome become invalid on February 13th, 2025.
Operations Report – December 11th
Crew 305 Operations Report 11-12-2024
SOL:03
Name of person filing report: Spruha Vashi
Non-nominal systems: Power Systems
Notes on non-nominal systems: Lost power from generator at 4:50pm, and power continues to still be out.
ROVERS
Spirit rover used: No
Opportunity rover used: No
Curiosity rover used: Yes
Hours: 290.8
Beginning charge: 100
Ending charge: 70
Currently charging: Yes
Perseverance rover used: Yes
Hours: 294.8
Beginning charge: 100
Ending charge: 63
Currently charging: Yes
General notes on rovers: Curiosity leak on the driver side rear tire was visibly inspected and seen to have no issues. Rovers were driven on EVA04 to Candor Chasma with no issues.
Summary of Hab operations: Power issues were outlined in the non-nominal systems. All other operations were standard.
Water Use (please use both methods to estimate water usage)
Time of measurements:5pm
1) Per formula: 5.865
2) Smart Home Dashboard: 16.58
Water (static tank, remaining gallons): 458.51
Static tank pipe heater (on or off): On
Static tank heater (on or off): On
Toilet tank emptied (no or yes): Yes, emptied on Sol 02 night post comms window.
Summary of internet: No internet issues
Summary of suits and radios: No major issues with suits and radios, the crew forgot to put Suit 2 in charging and multiple radios were left on after EVA03. Any radios that were not fully charged were swapped with charged ones, and Suit 2 was confirmed to be usable by the Crew Engineer as voltage and battery still looked adequate. Crew made a plan for future EVAs, members that stay on Comms are responsible for ensuring all equipment is off and charging.
Summary of GreenHab operations: No major greenhab operations, Hunter spent some time harvesting and checking on the crops.
WATER USE: 3.5 gallons
Heater (On or Off): On
Supplemental light (hours of operation): 5-10pm
Harvest (name, weight in grams):
Summary of ScienceDome operations: No operations.
Dual split (Heat or AC, On or Off): Automatic functions running.
Summary of RAM operations: Spruha continued work on the rover and used allen keys primarily for her mechanical assembly. She switched to electrical work and used some of the soldering tools, such as the flux and copper wick as she had her own iron to use. Monish and Spruha’s work is still out on the tables in the Hab as there will be continued work for the following days.
Summary of any observatory issues: No issues.
Summary of health and safety issues: No issues.
Questions, concerns and requests to Mission Support: Main concern is power at this time, we are aware that Mission Support is actively trying to solve the issues.
Sol Summary – December 11th
Crew 305 Sol Summary Report 11-12-2024
Sol: 3
Summary Title: Revelry in the Dark
Author’s name: Peter Zoss
Mission Status: Paused
Sol Activity Summary:
Ian led Hunter and Rashi on an EVA today. They drove Curiosity and Perseverance down Cow Dung Road farther than yesterday towards Compass Rock this time. From there, they followed a GPS and walked down to Candor Chasma again so Ian could record more widths of dry streams for his research.
Monish, Spruha, and Peter stayed at the HAB to monitor comms, where some radio loss was again expected due to the terrain in Candor Chasma potentially blocking the signal. Spruha started assembling her rover, and Monish worked on the environmental sensors he brought with him. The EVA team was able to return safely after accomplishing their main objectives. Peter made tortilla pizza for lunch, which provided a nice warm welcome to the EVA team.
Due to electrical problems described in the Anomalies section below, the crew had some time out of sim in the evening beginning at 6:13 PM. This kept us busy as we assisted with the issues, but in our spare time we squeezed in a quick board game called Coup with most of the crew and David as we waited on a gas run by Ben. Ian and Spruha were able to start a stove with a lighter in the HAB to make some tortillas with various toppings for dinner.
Look Ahead Plan:
The next EVA will be scheduled for Sol 5, so Sol 4 will see the crew take a longer break after the difficulties of the previous night. Crew members plan to continue working on their research throughout the day back at the HAB a little still. With extra time, a movie might be watched in the late afternoon. More board games are a possibility too for added fun.
Anomalies in work:
A longer power outage occurred again today around 4:50 PM, shortly after switching to the generator from solar power. The generator issues were not a simple fix and forced us to break sim at 6:13 PM. The new goal was to use the backup generator to provide power to the furnace in the HAB for heat tonight. We tried our best to assist Ben and David with this task. The space heater placed in the GreenHab was the next priority after this. Both were accomplished by the end of the night. The loss in internet access delayed report filing at the end of the day.
Weather:
The early clouds made for a cold start, but the large amount of walking kept the team warm. Wind gusts were up to 9 MPH, but the canyon was protected.
Crew Physical Status:
Everyone appears in good health, and we got some great Jules time during the break!
EVA:
EVA 04 was the only EVA conducted today, visiting Marble Ritual and Candor Chasma. EVA 05 will be on Sol 5 now, with more details to come in the next Sol Summary report.
Reports to be filed: Sol Summary, Journalist Report, Greenhab Report, Operations Report, Crew Photos, EVA Report, and EVA Request
Support Requested:
None
Journalist Report – December 11th
Last night the crew watched Galaxy Quest, prepped for the next day, before calling it a day. In the morning, the commander played two songs: Ian’s and Monish’s. Sol 3 was EVA 4 for Crew 305. Ian got some geology measurements from the streams, Hunter collected some soil samples for his crop growth research, and Rashi evaluated the performance of the OTV rover on the drive through to Candor Chasma. Back at the Hab, Spruha worked mainly on assembling the rover, Peter set up his experiment for cognitive testing, and Monish was able to get the “carbon dioxide” and “air quality” sensors to read and broadcast data. By the time EVA 4 returned to the Hab, Peter prepped up lunch. Today’s special was “Peter’s Personalized Pizzas”. Upon returning to EVA 4, everyone had dinner together. Post lunch, each of us participated in Peter’s cognitive test while the rest of us worked. At around 4:50 PM, near to when the switch happened to the generator, we had a brownout following total power loss. The mission support worked for about an hour on the generator to get it up and running, but that didn’t work. After about an hour and half of work on the generators, mission support decided that it was best to break the sim. Technically, this meant that crew 305 is all dead. The mission support came in at around 6:30 PM to help the crew bring the power back. We took the power generator out from the RAM, and several extension cords which extended to provide power to the Greenhouse space heater, mission support trailers, and the furnace. Mission support made runs to the town to get fuel for the generator, as the generator had no fuel and there was no backup fuel on the site. After some trial and attempt, we got the greenhouse space heater working to keep the plants in good condition, mission support trailers, and Habitat furnace. At the end of the mission support window (9:00 PM), the Hab still doesn’t have power. More to come in the next report.
Crew Photos – December 10th
Operations Report – December 10th
Crew 305 Operations Report 10-12-2024
SOL:02
Name of person filing report: Spruha Vashi
Non-nominal systems: Power Systems
Notes on non-nominal systems: There was a delay on the switch from solar power to generator, but Mission Support was able to resolve the issue quickly. We did have another loss in power later in the evening but it was resolved quickly by Mission Support as well. Thank you for the assistance! We did find that after the power losses, the main lights on the upper deck of the Hab now do not have any dimming response, the switch only allows for full brightness or off. Upon recent investigation, the lights now go to full brightness only(no dimming) and also are flashing on and off, which is worse than the flickering. We have kept them off for now.
ROVERS
Spirit rover used: Yes
Hours: (before EVA) 257
Beginning charge: (Before EVA) 100
Ending charge: (On return from EVA, before recharging) 76
Currently charging: Yes
Opportunity rover used: Yes
Hours: 196.7
Beginning charge:100
Ending charge: 90
Currently charging: Yes
Curiosity rover used: No
Hours:
Beginning charge:
Ending charge:
Currently charging:
Perseverance rover used:No
Hours:
Beginning charge:
Ending charge:
Currently charging:
General notes on rovers:
Rovers were driven on EVA03 to Candor Chasma with no issues.
Summary of Hab operations: Power issues in Hab were outlined in the non-nominal systems. All other operations were standard.
Water Use (please use both methods to estimate water usage)
Time of measurements:7pm
1) Per formula: 26.81 gal
2) Smart Home Dashboard:18.24 gal
Water (static tank, remaining gallons): 464.375
Static tank pipe heater (on or off): On
Static tank heater (on or off): On
Toilet tank emptied (no or yes): No
Summary of internet: No internet issues today, windows were as scheduled.
Summary of suits and radios: No issues with suits and radios during EVA03.
Summary of GreenHab operations: No major greenhab operations, Hunter spent some time harvesting and checking on the crops.
WATER USE: 5 gallons
Heater (On or Off): On
Supplemental light (hours of operation): 5-10pm
Harvest (name, weight in grams): Cilantro, 5g; Carrot Greens, 160g; Radish Greens; 20g
Summary of ScienceDome operations: No operations.
Dual split (Heat or AC, On or Off): Automatic functions running.
Summary of RAM operations: Spruha set up the tables to work on assembling the rover, all materials are still out. Spruha used socket wrenches and allen keys. Rashi began her research of recording tools and materials available in the RAM, she took inventory of tools but replaced all items after use. Monish began work on his sensor overlay, and used the soldering iron and subsequent tools. Monish and Spruha’s work is still out on the tables in the Hab as there will be continued work for the following days.
Summary of any observatory issues: No issues.
Summary of health and safety issues: No issues.
Questions, concerns and requests to Mission Support: Main concern is the lights in the upper deck hab.
Journalist Report – December 10th
Sol 2 Journalist report below:
After dinner last night, the crew headed to star-gaze and captured some cool Martian night view. All crew returned to the hab to wind down, until the lights were turned off for the night and everybody went to bed. We started our day around 7:30 AM. Ian made scrambled eggs for everyone, and Rashi made coffee. Today was Spruha’s day for the morning song with a 4/4 guess from the crew members (yay us!). After breakfast and cleanup, it was time for Ian, Hunter, and Spruha for EVA 3. EVA 3 included the three crew members going to Marble Ritual for Spruha’s initiation to Mars. EVA 3 than left for the Candor’s Chasma for some geological research. The crew took several useful measurements, so much so that Sol 2 was announced “Cool, Let’s Spool!”. The EVA crew then hiked down the valley and collected some cool rocks for research before heading back to the Hab in their rovers. Peter, Monish, and Rashi from within the habitat were on communications and kept checking on the EVA crew. Monish prepped some very stressed lentils for lunch with rice, which were supplemented by last night’s Mac and Cheese. After lunch, we participated in a group exercise by Peter, who gave us two puzzles to evaluate how we work together as a team as a part of his research. Turns out, Crew 305 cannot yet work together (despite no time-limit, the team could not complete the puzzles). Afterwards, the team wound down. Hunter headed to the Green-Hab to check on the crops and set up his research, which is when we experienced our first brownout before we completely lost power. Mission support was on a 2-hour communication break but were able to receive our request and act on it. Power was restored by switching power to the generator. Power came back – but we struggled with the living room light, which continues to flicker despite our best efforts. It’s gotten worse. Rashi and Spruha headed out to the RAM to work on their research: Rashi started documenting the different tools and resources in the Han and took some notes on them, while Spruha set up her rover parts to begin rover assembly. The power went out again. The RAM crew headed back to the Hab, and waited until the power was restored. Once the power came back, Rashi and Spruha headed back to the RAM to clean up the work for the day. Monish joined in later to start the work on sensors for his research until 7 PM when all crew came back to the Hab to report to the Mission Support. From the Crew Journalist, today was a good day; we’re all still alive. Hopefully we continue to stay cool, and spool.
Sol Summary – December 10th
Crew 305 Sol Summary Report 10-12-2024
Sol: 2
Summary Title: Cool Let’s Spool
Author’s name: Peter Zoss
Mission Status: Active
Sol Activity Summary:
Ian led Hunter and Spruha on an EVA to complete Spruha’s initiation at Marble Ritual. They then drove Spirit and Opportunity down Cow Dung Road towards its fork with Gateway to Candor. From there, they followed a GPS and walked down to Candor Chasma so Ian could record the widths of dry streams for his research.
Monish, Rashi, and Peter stayed at the HAB to monitor comms, where some radio loss was expected due to the nature of the terrain in Candor Chasma. No communication issues were encountered though, and the EVA team was able to return safely almost an hour earlier than planned after accomplishing both main goals. Monish made an excellent lentil and rice dish for lunch with enough to spare for dinner. This hot meal was ready just in time for lunch as the EVA crew returned.
Look Ahead Plan:
An EVA is being scheduled for tomorrow on sol 3, led by Ian again bringing Hunter and Rashi with him. Other members plan to continue working on their research throughout the day, and an especially exciting point here is Spruha’s work as she begins to assemble her rover in the RAM.
Anomalies in work:
Two power outages occurred during sol 2. The first at 4:26 PM for 12 minutes, and the second at 5:59 for 15 minutes. Due to the quick work of mission support, power was restored quickly both times! The overhead lights in the upper HAB did not like the power outage though, as the dimmer no longer works at all anymore. Additionally, when at max setting, the lights have started to flicker very quickly now, perhaps even more of a bother than the previous issues unfortunately. We have proceeded to use alternative lighting from the night light and lamps in the upper HAB this evening.
Weather:
Beautiful day for an EVA – no clouds and lots of sun. Wind gusts of 8 MPH.
Crew Physical Status:
Everyone appears in good health, with the only complaint so far being the cold temperatures and dry atmosphere that we are still adjusting to.
EVA:
EVA 03 was the only EVA conducted today, visiting Marbles Ritual and Candor Chasma. EVA 04 tomorrow (sol 3) will also visit Candor Chasma and is expected to take close to the full 4 hours.
Reports to be filed: Sol Summary, Journalist Report, Greenhab Report, Operations Report, Crew Photos, EVA Report, and EVA Request
Support Requested: None
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