Crew 306 GreenHab Report 25Dec2024
GreenHab Officer: Adriana Sanchez
Environmental control (fan & heater): Heater and fan on automatic at 94 and off at 82
Average temperatures (last 24h): 82.1
Maximum temperature (last 24h): 94.8
Minimum temperature (last 24h): 69.4
Hours of supplemental light: 1700 – 2200
Daily water usage for crops: 8.5 gallon
Daily water usage for research and/or other purposes: None
Water in Blue Tank (200-gallon capacity): 167.47
Time(s) of watering for crops: 8:40 am, 5:15 pm
Changes to crops: Removed 14g of cucumber leaves
Narrative: I inspected the cucumbers very closely today, we have four that should be ready to harvest in the next 1 to 2 days. I thinned out a few of the carrots and chopped them up for our chickpea curry dinner. I went out pretty late to give the plants their evening watering and one pot, an arugula pot, was not happy at all. It was very wilty so I gave each of them a ¼ gallon of water. I had everyone try the arugula because it is mature and a little spicy for my taste, I want to find a good use for it before I decide to change it out for a different plant. A sunflower is getting close to blooming.
Harvest: 14g of Carrots, ~1 gram of Arugula
Support/supplies needed: None
EVA Report – December 25th
Crew 306 EVA Report 25-12-2024
EVA # 04
Author: Elizabeth Howard
Purpose of EVA: The primary purpose of this EVA was to take Li-DAR scan data using the drone. Because the Li-DAR/Drone system was troubleshot following EVA #03, the crew used this EVA to check that the issues were repaired.
Start time: 14:11 PM
End time: 15:20 PM
Narrative: After heading to a less rocky area around the Habitat, the EVA crew set up the helipad and Drone, then began testing for connection. Using the external keyboard, they were able to trigger the data collection process, solving the issue observed during EVA 03. Crew Journalist Rodrigo Schmitt piloted the Drone. Initially, a southward wind was blowing on the Drone during flight but not to the point that it interfered with the system’s flight capabilities. However, the Drone made an automated landing due to the on-board sensors detecting electromagnetic interference (EMI). Upon this happening, the EVA crew also discovered that the custom 3D printed Li-DAR scanner brace had a fracture in it. In order to continue flight testing, the crew used duct tape and electrical tape to secure the brace and then recalibrated the Drone. During the next flight, the southward winds were too strong, and the Drone was landed again. Because the conditions were not conducive to good controller signal, the crew finished the EVA for the day by inspecting areas of the Habitat that had been fixed up by Crew Engineer Keegan Chavez yesterday.
Destination: MDRS Habitat
Coordinates (use UTM WGS 84): 518250E, 4250900N
Participants: Rodrigo Schmitt, Ryan Villarreal, Keegan Chavez
Road(s) and routes per MDRS Map: After exiting the Habitat, the EVA crew walked to a distance within 500 ft in the eastward direction to a location with smoother terrain for testing.
Mode of travel: Walking
Operations Report – December 2024
Crew 306 Operations Report 25-12-2024
SOL: 03
Name of person filing report: Keegan Chavez
Non-nominal systems: None
Notes on non-nominal systems: None
ROVERS
Spirit rover used: No
Hours: (before EVA):
Beginning charge: (Before EVA):
Ending charge: (On return from EVA, before recharging):
Currently Charging: Yes
Opportunity rover used: No
Hours: (before EVA):
Beginning charge: (Before EVA):
Ending charge: (On return from EVA, before recharging):
Currently Charging: Yes
Curiosity rover used: No
Hours: (before EVA):
Beginning charge: (Before EVA):
Ending charge: (On return from EVA, before recharging):
Currently Charging: Yes
Perseverance rover used: No
Hours: (before EVA):
Beginning charge: (Before EVA):
Ending charge: (On return from EVA, before recharging):
Currently Charging: Yes
General notes on rovers: None
Summary of Hab operations: the past 3 nights we have seen a couple gallons of water usage throughout the night while the crew is asleep, please confirm if this is normal
Water Use (please use both methods to estimate water usage)
Time of measurements: 12/24/2024 1700 – 12/25/2024 1700
1) Per formula: 26.14 gal
2) Smart Home Dashboard: 32.15 gal
Water (static tank, remaining gallons): 406.23 (per formula)
Static tank pipe heater (on or off): On
Static tank heater (on or off): On
Toilet tank emptied (no or yes): yes
Summary of internet: nominal internet usage
Summary of suits and radios: suits 1,2,6 were used for EVA, radios were all operational and are fully charged; replacement headset 4 is fully functional
Summary of GreenHab operations: GreenHab Officer: examined cucumbers, harvested carrot greens to space them out, harvested arugula
WATER USE: 8.5 gal
Heater (On or Off): On, automatic
Supplemental light (hours of operation): 1700 – 2200
Harvest (name, weight in grams): Carrot: 14g, Arugula: ~1g
Summary of Science Dome operations: Journalist: used scale to measure wood blocks; GreenHab Officer: prepared feeding syringes for mushrooms in fume hood, extracted liquid run off from mushrooms in fume hood, emptied contented of black container found on southeast shelves and used container as backdrop for imaging mushrooms
Dual split (Heat or AC, On or Off): On, automatic
Summary of RAM operations: Engineer/Journalist: prepped DRONE for EVA 2, used handsaw and clamp to cut out a block of wood to mount between raspberry pi and DRONE, used aluminum tape and electrical tape to patch data cable from DRONE to raspberry pi; GreenHab Officer/Geologist: began manufacturing CO2 exchange tanks out of plastic containers, used power drill and clamp to drill holes in lid and side of container
Summary of any observatory issues: No issues.
Summary of health and safety issues: No issues.
Questions, concerns and requests to Mission Support: requesting trash pick-up from RAM airlock; please comment on overnight water usage from Hab summary; hope you had a Merry Christmas!
Journalist Report – December 24th
The Art of War Against a God
“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.” ― Sun Tzu, The Art of War
In a war, every chance counts. One slip and, if your enemy is experienced enough, they will do everything in their power to crush you permanently if you let them. As a warrior, anticipating these moments can represent the difference between life and death.
You can probably imagine, then, how terrifying it would be to go up against the Roman God of War. But we have something that he doesn’t: just like ants, humans thrive from collaboration. I’ll do what you can’t, and you’ll do what I can’t. And together, carrying the collective purpose inherited through generations, it is our responsibility to do what only astronauts can: prepare for a war against Mars on behalf of all mankind.
What do we need, however, to clash against such a veteran, who can counteract our every move with strategic acumen? First, just like any adversary, we need to understand them. One of the most powerful weapons that Mars has in its disposal is radiation, for which we can prepare by studying its magnetic properties. Today, Genie collected mineral samples to understand how much protection humans can get from the Martian magnetic field. By analyzing their electromagnetic frequencies in real time, she could also get readings that will eventually be useful to protect the power grid necessary for human protection against solar radiation.
Moreover, in order to enhance our preparedness with respect to power, today Messiah collected samples in the same EVA in the search for iron content. If enough iron is found, he’ll be able to use in-situ resources to build solar panels, protecting us against Mars ‘second deadly weapon: the cold.
Running a solar grid, however, is not enough. Putting together all life support sensors that can monitor our hab’s health should be a priority to track how much we’re withstanding Mars’ blows. And when things aren’t running smoothly, like today, Mr. Fix can detect damages in our tunnels and take us back to a spot where the Red Planet can’t do anything to hurt us. Mr. Fix also acted as a diligent CAPCOM, taking care of a defective radio that could really put us in a pickle if unattended.
Perhaps the biggest protection that we need, though, is against ourselves. If humans are not at 100%, all else will most certainly fail. Spy ensured that the crew is sharp at all times by implementing Virtual Reality cognitive tasks, which shall measure how astronauts are performing in a pinch. He also assisted the EVA together with Murph by implementing a bounding box in real time to make sure the crew was exploring within limits.
Despite that being an important idea, I really think it would be a shame to go to another planet and not be able to fully explore it. That’s why I, Hermit, started collecting terrain data using the DRONE: Digital Reconstruction and Optical Navigation of the Environment. Today was a solid start, running four test flights that progressively improved its complex hardware integration with the LIDAR and Raspberry Pi. The data collection also improved with the help of Spy, so hopefully we’ll be ready to get some mappings during the next EVAs to aid the next humans on landing and fully exploring this planet.
Of course, the next crews can’t really bring everything with them beforehand. To properly protect against starvation – one of Mars’ sneakiest tricks -, we’ll need effective food growth and recycling systems, which Murph is developing. Lucky for us, today she implemented a water-enrichment method on the floor that has improved the growth of plants. What’s more, she collected some more valuable data on mushrooms that will one day be used to recycle our waste into food, pharmaceuticals, and leather.
Together, Montes is preparing humanity to survive its hardest enemy so far. I’m biased, but if you ask me, after seeing this crew in action, we might have a chance against the God of War himself. And perhaps, even set foot beyond Mars in the near future.
Hermit out.
Crew Photos – December 24th
Sol Summary – December 17th
Crew 305 Sol Summary Report 17-12-2024
Sol: 9
Summary Title: Splish Splash, I Was Taking a Bath
Author’s name: Peter Zoss
Mission Status: Active
Sol Activity Summary:
Ian, Spruha, and Rashi left on a walking EVA in the afternoon today from the RAM. Peter, Monish, and Hunter monitored comms from the HAB. Alien activity was high during the afternoon today. Monish and Spruha spent a lot of time with circuits again today working on their projects. Ian made a quick lunch before the EVA again. Hunter put together a nice dinner in the evening. Our water usage was on track, so we were able to fit in our second quick shower today.
Look Ahead Plan:
The next EVA will be tomorrow, Sol 10. Ian will lead Spruha and Hunter on a mission up around Kissing Camel Ridge. They will be joined by a special guest entering sim for the day with us. Monish, Rashi, and Peter will monitor comms from the HAB.
Anomalies in work:
None.
Weather:
Today was partly cloudy and warmer than usual again.
Crew Physical Status:
Everyone appears in good health.
EVA:
EVA 09 saw a trek around the HAB on foot again for dry stream channel measurements, eventually back up to HAB Ridge before returning to the RAM. Ian led the EVA and had Spruha and Rashi accompanying him.
Reports to be filed: Sol Summary, Journalist Report, Greenhab Report, Operations Report, Crew Photos, EVA Report, and EVA Request
Support Requested:
None
Operations Report – December 17th
Crew 305 Operations Report 17-12-2024
SOL:09
Name of person filing report: Spruha Vashi
Non-nominal systems: None!
Notes on non-nominal systems: None!
ROVERS
Spirit rover used: No
Opportunity rover used: No
Curiosity rover used: No
Perseverance rover used: Yes
General notes on rovers: None!
Summary of Hab operations: Operations were standard.
Water Use (please use both methods to estimate water usage)
Time of measurements: 7pm
1) Per formula:22.95 gallons
2) Smart Home Dashboard: 24.33 gallons
Water (static tank, remaining gallons): 344.175
Static tank pipe heater (on or off): On
Static tank heater (on or off): On
Toilet tank emptied (no or yes): Yes
Summary of internet: No internet issues
Summary of suits and radios: None
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): Scallions, 8 grams.
Summary of Science Dome operations: No science dome operations.
Dual split (Heat or AC, On or Off): Automatic functions running.
Summary of RAM operations: Tidied up RAM, no operations in there.
Summary of any observatory issues: No issues.
Summary of health and safety issues: No issues.
Questions, concerns and requests to Mission Support: None!
EVA Report – December 17th
Crew 305 EVA Report 17-12-2024
EVA # 09
Author: Ian Pamerleau
Purpose of EVA: Test rover parts and get a few stream measurements.
Start time: 13:35 hr
End time: 15:00 hr
Narrative: Unfortunately, Hermes is still under construction. However, Spruha cleverly found a way to conduct some tests about how the rover will likely operate when it is functional. Ian led the EVA accompanied by Spruha and Rashi. We walked up Route 1103 to the region north of the Hab. Spruha and Rashi took measurements of Herme’s wheel tracks as it crossed over different terrain like sand and desert pavement. As they did this, Ian was taking some stream measurements of flows that came down from Hab Ridge and eventually led to Kissing Camel Ridge. After some measurements and observations were taken, we headed north at a quick pace because with our limited time, we wanted to find a disposable camera that was left behind accidentally on EVA 08. As we searched for the camera, “aliens” ironically took pictures of us with their own cameras. We ran out of time before finding the camera as the region had many valleys it could have been hiding in, if it is even at that location as we think. We hustled back to the Hab and entered the RAM for depressurization.
Destination: North of Hab, a little SE of North Ridge
Coordinates (use UTM WGS 84): 518250E, 4251500N (Hermes wheel testing); 518690E, 4251605N (looking for lost camera)
Participants: Ian Pamerleau, Rashi Jain, Spruha Vashi
Road(s) and routes per MDRS Map: Route 1103
Mode of travel: Walking
GreenHab Report – December 17th
Crew 305 GreenHab Report 17Dec2024
GreenHab Officer: Hunter Vannier
Environmental control (fan & heater): Heater and fan on automatically.
Average temperatures (last 24h): 85 F
Maximum temperature (last 24h): 94.8 F
Minimum temperature (last 24h): 75.6 F
Hours of supplemental light: 1700 – 2200
Daily water usage for crops: 5 gallons
Daily water usage for research and/or other purposes: 0
Water in Blue Tank (200-gallon capacity): 130.75 gallons
Time(s) of watering for crops: 10:12 am, 5:22 pm
Changes to crops: none
Narrative: Dill, cilantro, and parsley are growing a lot. A lot of radish microgreens are sprouted and can be harvested soon. A few more sunflowers sprouted, and some peas were peeking. All other crops are nominal. Scallions were harvested to be used in savory oatmeal tomorrow morning.
Harvest: 8 g
Support/supplies needed: There are only a few gallons of soil left after the tomato repotting and microgreen seeding. I don’t need any, but the next crew might.
Operations Report – December 16th
Crew 305 Operations Report 16-12-2024
SOL:08
Name of person filing report: Spruha Vashi
Non-nominal systems: None!
Notes on non-nominal systems: None!
ROVERS
Spirit rover used: Yes
Hours: (before EVA): 295.8
Beginning charge: (Before EVA) 100
Ending charge: (On return from EVA, before recharging):88
Currently charging: Yes
Opportunity rover used: No
Curiosity rover used: No
Perseverance rover used: Yes
Hours: 257.19
Beginning charge: 100
Ending charge: 88
Currently charging: Yes
General notes on rovers: None!
Summary of Hab operations: Operations were standard.
Water Use (please use both methods to estimate water usage)
Time of measurements: 7pm
1) Per formula: 11 gallons
2) Smart Home Dashboard: 16.38 gallons
Water (static tank, remaining gallons): 367.02
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
Summary of suits and radios: None
Summary of GreenHab operations: No major greenhab operations, Hunter spent some time harvesting and checking on the crops.
WATER USE: 6.25 gallons
Heater (On or Off): On
Supplemental light (hours of operation): 5-10pm
Harvest (name, weight in grams): None
Summary of Science Dome operations: No science dome operations.
Dual split (Heat or AC, On or Off): Automatic functions running.
Summary of RAM operations: Monish did some soldering work for his sensors. 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: We are having trouble using the weather widgets on the Hab computer, all other reports from the smart system are working great but the weather page shows no data. No major concerns, as Mission Support has been providing us with weather information and we have been utilizing online resources, but wanted to make sure you are aware.
Mission Support Response: Please continue to monitor the weather widgets. We will investigate after completion of the mission.
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