We are onto something, guys… Just this one more, and then we are golden!
Sol 9 began with the crew easing into the day between 7 and 9 AM. Rashi, the Crew Journalist, started her morning with some life planning, jotting down things she’d like to accomplish before the year wraps up. Peter, the Health and Safety Officer, was up by 7:30 AM and spent some quiet time reading a book. Spruha, our Crew Engineer, got straight to work at 7:45 AM, debugging the rover. She carefully checked each wiring connection on the circuit board to figure out why the power wasn’t flowing through properly. It turned out to be a loose connection, and Monish joined in to help troubleshoot. Together, they debated whether soldering was the best fix—it would secure the connection but make it harder to repair in the future. They decided to solder, and it worked.
Meanwhile, Hunter cleaned the kitchen before heading to the GreenHab to check on his experiment. Ian, Peter, and Rashi worked on their respective devices and research. As EVA time approached, Ian prepared a quick tuna spinach salad for everyone. Spruha, Ian, and Rashi got suited up while the rest of the crew helped them prep. Since the rover wasn’t ready for the EVA, Spruha removed a wheel to test it manually in the field. This was a walking EVA, so no rovers were used. The team exited from the RAM as planned and focused on testing the wheel, collecting stream measurements, and, as always, keeping an eye out for any interesting observations. Back at the Hab, Hunter and Peter handled comms, maintaining support for the EVA crew.
Once the EVA team returned, everyone settled in for snacks and Peter’s cognitive testing. Each crew member took turns completing the tests while Spruha and Monish continued their work on the rover. Rashi kept up with her documentation, and Ian and Hunter worked on their individual projects. As 6 PM approached, the team moved into the familiar routine of writing reports together before the comms window opened. Dinner was a collaborative effort: Hunter made Okonomiyaki with homemade barbecue sauce, and Monish prepared a hearty chicken soup.
The day was productive and filled with small wins, capped off with a shared meal and some downtime. With each passing sol, the crew continues to problem-solve, adapt, and move forward.