Category: Announcements

[category Sol Summary – report}

Crew 260 Sol Summary Report 02-11-2021

Sol: 1

Summary Title: I got a rock!

Author’s name: Jen Carver-Hunter

Mission Status: Nominal

Sol Activity Summary: Our morning started with a lesson about Mars’ geologic periods and analogous processes that occurred at MDRS, forming the specimens we decided to collect on EVAs. Both EVA teams successfully completed their missions. After successful EVAs, crew members identified and labeled their samples, which they added to their “Mars rocks” kits.

Look Ahead Plan: Finish sample collection (EVA 3), sample categorization and analysis, rocket construction

Anomalies in work: No anomalies

Weather: Sunny, warm, and pleasant

Crew Physical Status: One crew member fell down a few stairs during the night and injured their knee. Injury was not serious enough to need professional medical attention, but has limited crewmember’s ability to participate in EVAs. The rest of the crew has made modifications to support all crew members while maintaining sim.

EVA: Geologic sample collection on the road to Barranca Butte and Kissing Camel Ridge.

Reports to be filed: Operations report, Journalist report, EVA request

Support Requested: None at this time.

HSO Pre-Mission Checklist
Jin Sing Sia, HSO

Submitted by: Jin Sia
Crew: 228
Date: 2021/09/26

Smoke alarms:
– Upper deck: Functional
– Lower deck: Functional
– RAM: None found, please advise on location
– GreenHab: Functional
– ScienceDome: Functional

CO alarms:
– Upper deck: Functional
– Lower deck: Beeping very soft, recommend battery replacement
– GreenHab: Functional

Fire extinguishers:
– Upper deck: Charged
– Kitchen: Charged
– Lower deck: 1 charged, 1 empty
– GreenHab: None found, recommend transferring one from ScienceDome
– ScienceDome: 2 charged
– RAM: Charged

Fire blankets:
– Kitchen: Ready
– RAM: Ready
– ScienceDome: Ready

First aid kits:
– Lower deck: Inventoried, items missing
– EVA room: Inventoried, minor issues found
– ScienceDome: Inventoried
– GreenHab: None found
– RAM: Inventoried

Jumper cables:
– EVA room: No longer there
– HabCar: Did not get chance to check
– CrewCar: Did not get chance to check

Emergency exits:
– Round window: All levers can be actuated
– Stairs: No non-nominal issues
– Commander’s room window: Unobstructed but no breaking tool
available; please advise if tool is required
– Emergency ladder: Transferred to correct compartment under sofa

HabCOMM radios on and working: Checked by work party crew

Noted safety issues:
– Toiletries cubbies: Contaminated with rat poison, toxicity hazard.
Strongly recommend thorough cleaning removal of poison block before
use.
– Engineering airlock: External door does not seem to close properly,
please advise
– Hab ladder: Falling hazard. Recommend minimum three-point contact at
all times, descend backwards only. Crew members should give way to
those descending. Only one crew member on ladder at all times.
– Fire extinguishers: Placement in ScienceDome and RAM are
non-obvious. Recommend moving to more conspicuous locations and
conducting safety tour to familiarize crew with locations once in-sim.

Noted health/environmental issues:
– General crew fatigue noted. Concur with command decision to start
sim later in day on Sep 27.

Missing health and safety supplies:
– EVA first aid kit in hab lower deck: Loose gloves unsealed and
dirty, throat lozenges unsealed and dirty, large syringe unsealed and
dirty. Recommend discard.
– Diabetic kit in hab lower deck: Blood glucose tester has low
battery. Recommend battery replacement, but for later crews.
– First aid kit in Hab lower deck: Missing tape, ointment for burns
(only antiseptic available), ice pack, aspirin. Recommend replacement.

[category operations-report]

MDRS Complete Operations Report 16-SEPT-2021

Name of person filing report: Shannon Rupert

Reason for Report: Routine daily

Non-nominal systems: Nothing to report

Action taken for non-nominal systems: Nothing to report

Generator: Nothing to report

ScienceDome Dual Split: Off

Solar— Nominal, providing all power

Solar— SOC % Last 24 hours:

Average 92.8

Minimum 80

Maximum 100

Note on solar: Nothing to report

Diesel Reading – Empty, tank to be removed soon

Propane Reading, station tank – 80%

Propane Reading, director tank— 74%

Propane Reading, intern tank— 72%

Propane Reading, generator: 80%

Ethanol Free Gasoline – 5 gallons (although I can’t find the gas can)

Water (loft tank): 50 gallons

Water Meter: n/a units

Water (static tank) – 225 gallons

Static to Loft Pump used – no

Water in GreenHab – 20 gallons

Water in ScienceDome: 0 gallons

Water (Outpost tank) – 210 gallons

Hab toilet tank emptied: no

Perseverance rover used: no

Hours: 219.4

Beginning charge: 100

Ending charge: 100

Currently charging: yes

Sojourner rover used: yes

Hours:

Beginning charge: 100

Ending charge: 100

Currently charging: yes

Spirit rover used: no

Hours: 136.9

Beginning charge: 100

Ending charge: 100

Currently charging: yes

Opportunity rover used: no

Hours: 72.3

Beginning charge: 100

Ending charge: 95

Currently charging: no

Curiosity rover used: no

Hours: 144.4

Beginning charge: 100

Ending charge: 100

Currently charging: yes

Notes on rovers: I was looking at the problem with the rovers regarding the damage they do to the spacesuits. What really needs to happen is to attach the seat back in the manner that we did to the former Deimos, now Percy.

ATV’s Used: (Honda, 300, 350.1, 350.2, 350.3): no

Reason for use: nothing to report

Oil Added? No

ATV Fuel Used: 5 Gals

# Hours the ATVs were Used today: 0

Notes on ATVs: Nothing to report

HabCar used and why, where? Yes, to gather garbage to take to town tomorrow. I forgot to note earlier that the shifter has broken but it is still usable.

CrewCar used and why, where? Yes, to town to do laundry. I forgot to note yesterday that I drove it on the dry, paved roads in 4×4. It had been put in 4×4 by someone on the work party, and I didn’t notice it before I drove it. I tested it in all 4 modes and there appears to be no damage. I do need to get this vehicle in for repairs as soon as I can get someone to drive with me to drop it off for service. It needs work on the undercarriage.

Luna used and why, where? Yes, to go to storage units and pick up all materials related to spacesuits

General notes and comments: The storage units are not yet cleaned out but they have been emptied of much unused materials. What will be left when completed will be stored in a single unit and will include the HabCar rear seat, rear seat backs for the rovers, Ikea materials for the ScienceDome and the observatory materials. The power tools will be relocated to the station, and what little remains will either be stored here in the shed, given away, or stored with the URC materials in the one remaining unit.

Summary of internet: All nominal.

Summary of suits and radios: The NorCal Chapter representatives will be here tomorrow with the suits. In addition, while they were here they will go through the suit materials that have been stored in the storage unit. I brought these materials out to the station today so they will be able to go through them here.

Campus wide inspection, if action taken, what and why? Lift boom (or is it boom lift?) and power washer are still here. Not sure when they will be picked up.

Summary of general operations: Nothing to report

Summary of Hab operations: Nothing to report

Summary of Outpost operations: Replaced the clothesline (such excitement!)

Summary of GreenHab operations: Nothing to report

Summary of ScienceDome operations: Nothing to report

Summary of RAM operations: Nothing to report

Summary of any observatory issues: Nothing to report

Summary of health and safety issues: Nothing to report

Questions, concerns, supplies needed and requests: Nothing to report

[category operations-report]

Crew 245 Operations Report 17-04-2021

SOL: 7

Name of person filing report: Shravan Hariharan

Non-nominal systems: Nothing to report

Notes on non-nominal systems: Nothing to report

Generator: Working nominally

Hours run: 7

From what time last night: 10:00 pm, SOC 57%

To what time this morning: 5:00 am, SOC 100%

List any additional daytime hours when the generator was run: N/A

Solar— SOC 45% at 7:40 pm (Before generator is run at night),

Diesel Reading – 50%

Station Propane Reading – 73%

Water (loft tank): 15 gallons

Water Meter: 150460.4 units

Water (static tank): 340 gallons

Static to Loft Pump used – yes

Water in GreenHab: 0 gallons

Water in ScienceDome: 0 gallons

Toilet tank emptied: No

Sojourner rover used: ASSIGNED TO DIRECTOR

Hours: N/A

Beginning charge: N/A

Ending charge: N/A

Currently charging: Yes

Spirit rover used: no

Hours: N/A

Beginning charge: N/A

Ending charge: N/A

Currently charging: yes, in town

Opportunity rover used: no

Hours: N/A

Beginning charge: N/A

Ending charge: N/A

Currently charging: no, in town

Curiosity rover used: no

Hours: N/A

Beginning charge: N/A

Ending charge: N/A

Currently charging: yes, in town

Perseverance rover used: Yes

Hours: 203.3

Beginning charge: 100%

Ending charge: 86%

Currently charging: Yes

Notes on rovers: Nothing to report

ATV’s Used: 350.2

Reason for use: EVA

Oil Added? No

ATV Fuel Used: 1 gallon (estimated)

# Hours the ATVs were used today: 6 (but 1.5 hours of active transit)

Notes on ATVs: Mission Director will monitor and refuel ATVs for duration of mission

HabCar used and why, where?: No

CrewCar used and why, where?: No

General notes and comments: Nothing to report

Summary of internet: Internet is working nominally. Crew did not consume allotted bandwidth last night so there was an additional bandwidth bonus available today.

Summary of suits and radios: All radios nominal, all suits currently charging. Suits 3, 4, 6, 7, 9 and 11 all used for EVA today. Suit 7 battery would not charge after EVA, and Suit 9 battery was not producing sufficient power output even when fully charged, so both were replaced.

Summary of Hab operations: Nothing to report besides nominal crew activities.

Summary of GreenHab operations: Being used to host Crew Botanist botany experiment. Crew Botanist briefly checked plant growth and health in GreenHab today.

Summary of ScienceDome operations: Nothing to report

Summary of RAM operations: Nothing to report

Summary of any observatory issues: Nothing to report

Summary of health and safety issues: Nothing to report

Questions, concerns and requests to Mission Support: Nothing to report.

This one can be released to the public:

Final Schedule for the 2019-2020  field season:

Oct 17-20, 2019—Mars Society Conference, Los Angeles

Oct 22-25— IKEA Work Party

Crew 214—Oct 26- Nov10— MSA ExBoomerang

Crew 215—Nov 9-24, 2019— MSA ExBoomerang

Crew 216—Nov 23—Dec 8, 2019— A.R.E.S. (Mars Society crew)

Crew 217—Dec 7-14— Spaceward Bound Utah (Utah NASA Space Consortium Grant)

Dec 14-22— Holiday Break

Crew 218—Dec 21, 2019- Jan 5, 2020— Purdue

Crew 219—Jan 4-19 — ARES  (Florida Tech)

Crew 220—Jan 18-Feb 2— Mars Academy

Crew 221—Feb 1-16— Earth 2 Mars

Crew 222—Feb 15-Mar 1 —Supaero I

Crew 223—Feb 29-Mar 15— Supaero II

Crew 224—Mar 14-21—Wilderness Medical Society class

Crew 225—Mar 22-29—University of Colorado 2 Mars class

Crew 226—Mar 28-Apr 12–  Colombia

Crew 227—Apr 11-26—UCL

Crew 228—Apr 25-May 10—Mars Society II

Crew 229—May 9-24—Work Party

May 28-30– University Rover Challenge

Crew 230– June 1-8, 2020— Medical Makers

Crew 231—June 8-15—Martian Biology II

June 22-28—Astronomy Team Summer Residency

The 2020-2021 Application materials for the field season beginning next year have now been posted.

Access the Apply to Field Season page to download next year’s field season application.

Please note this year’s field season that begins in the fall is already fully scheduled.

Crew 200, commanded by Ilaria Cinelli, a Mars Society Steering Committee member, has now entered sim at the MDRS!  The beginning of sim for the 200th numbered crew is a major milestone for the Mars Society & the Mars Desert Research Station program!

Stay tuned here for the latest updates.

Meet the Crew

Crew 197 (VR CrowdExplorers) is currently enroute to the station and will go into sim on Monday, October 22nd.