Month: December 2024

Culinary Feats, and Cosmic Camaraderie"
Today started on a high note with Peter’s double feature on morning music. Ian prepared a satisfying breakfast of eggs and potatoes, giving the crew the energy boost needed for a busy schedule. After breakfast, Ian, Spruha, and Rashi began gearing up for our EVA. Ian was focused on gathering more stream measurements, Spruha was timing Ian’s measurements and taking additional tire readings for her research, and Rashi was there to assist them both with their tasks.

Back at the Hab, Peter managed communications and prepped for cognitive testing, Hunter tackled GreenHab tasks and cooked lunch, and Monish worked on organizing his sensor data and evaluating what could still be accomplished during the final stretch of our mission.
Once the EVA team returned, we all sat down to enjoy a lunch of Beef/Veggie Stir Fry with rice and mushrooms. It was a well-earned meal and a nice break in the middle of a productive day. After lunch, we took turns participating in Peter’s cognitive testing, while the rest of the crew worked on their respective projects. The afternoon was filled with writing research reports, sharing stories about life and family, and preparing for upcoming submissions.

As the day wound down, dinner prep began. Monish started making chicken curry, while Spruha prepared a delicious potato curry. With one of our final days in the simulation coming to a close, we decided to spend the evening together. The plan? Finish Pulp Fiction, play a few rounds of Beat Saber, and wrap up with One Night Werewolf.

It was a day full of teamwork, research, and moments of connection. With just a short time left in the mission, we’re making the most of each day together—on Mars and beyond.

Lights, Camera, Mars: A Day in the Life of Crew 305 at MDRS
Evenings at the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) follow a familiar rhythm. We ate dinner, turned in our reports, AND scrubbed the Hab clean for the media day tomorrow. After showers and some final tidying, the crew gathered to discuss the next day’s agenda: Media Day. Once plans were set, Crew 305 switched gears, diving into a couple of games of One-Night Werewolf. It’s a game of strategy, bluffing, and reading people, which made it both entertaining and oddly fitting for a crew navigating simulated Martian life. By the end of the night, some crew members headed to bed, while others continued to work. Meanwhile, I turned back to Life of Pi, which is now getting interesting. Piscine is at the sea, on a raft, alone with a Bengali tiger!

We had an early start to the morning. Hunter cooked some savory oatmeal, with chili oil and some scallions harvested from the Green-Hab. At 8:30 a.m., Dhruv Khullar from The New York Times arrived with his crew: producer Xan Parker, cameraman Alan Jacobsen, and sound engineer Mike Fugal. Dhruv asked each of the crew member questions about what they study at Purdue, what they’re working on, what their research on MDRS is on, experiences of living in the Hab (good, bad, and surprising), and what is their expectation of when we will land on Moon. Most of us pegged the first Martian landing somewhere between 2038 and 2050. The idea of a permanent presence, though, carried broader estimates—ranging from the late 21st century to early mid 22nd century.

After the interviews, Hunter and Rashi led a tour for the filming crew through the Science Dome, the Observatory, and the Green-Hab. Rashi returned to the Hab, and Spruha and Monish joined Hunter and the filming crew to tour the Repair and Maintenance (RAM) module. We all got together to prepare lunch—a collaborative effort by Rashi, Spruha, and Monish—of Black Bean Burger Burritos and Bowls, topped off with iced tea, brewed by Hunter the night before.

In the afternoon, EVAs took center stage. Ian, Hunter, and Spruha headed out with their media counterparts—Dhruv, Alan, and Mike—to explore the terrain. Stream measurements, paleosol samples, and terrain analysis kept everyone busy, while the cameras documented every move. By 3:00 p.m., the EVA team returned, dusty but satisfied. The rest of the crew helped them unstrap and settle back into Hab life.

The remainder of the day unfolded at a quieter pace. Peter answered questions about his cognitive research, while others worked on their projects, tackled coursework, or simply relaxed. As the sun dipped lower, the Hab settled into its usual hum of activity. Some moments were productive, others reflective, but all part of the larger mission—learning what it takes to live, work, and thrive on Mars. Hunter prepped dinner, and we all got to submitting our reports for the day.