Category: Announcements

[category science-report]

Mid-Mission Research Report – Crew 297

Progress of Crew Research Projects:

Title: Simulated Deployment of a Nuclear Power System: Logistics and Operational Challenges
Principal Investigator: Matthew Lynch
Current Progress: After some initial challenges with coordinating our "hide and seek" strategy of the NPS due to technical errors in converting between GPS datums, the remaining work for this project has had repeated success. Both Teams A & B have each had a successful "seek" EVA twice, using numerous search strategies. So far the most successful strategy has been the "High-point" method, in which seekers ascend local high elevation points and observe their immediate vicinity, repeating until the NPS is found. The second most successful strategy has been the "sweep method" in which EVA members stand a good distance apart (100-200 feet) and sweep through the search area together. Hiding the NPS has also been successful as it has given ample opportunity to study the Martian environment for interesting geological sites, as well as possible excavation sites for the NPS. There also has been two success instances of burying the NPS. Both attempts used the same tools and general method, but had significantly different terrain. Our initial results have shown that the actual excavation rate varies from 30 cubic feet an hour in challenging terrain, to 53 cubic feet an hour in near-ideal terrain. Digging crew’s have utilized a 1-on/X-off work strategy, where 1 crew member works at a time at a rigorous pace, while the remaining crew members rest, frequently switching positions. This has been done with 2 and 4 person crews, a normalization study may be done later to help account for digging rates between crews of different sizes.

Title: Advancing Planetary Mineralogical Analysis: Evaluating the Usability of Portable Gamma Ray Spectroscopy during Martian Operations
Principal Investigator: Sarah Lamm
Current Progress: This research is testing the practicality and feasibility of a portable Gamma-Ray Spectrometer in the field. For this study we are using a RS-125 Gamma-Ray Spectrometer, which is 25.9x 8.1x 9.1cm at 2 kg, with a rubberized grip, and dust protected, one button operation, and sound loud enough to be heard in a helmet over a fan. The assay was set at the standard 120 seconds, reading wt% of radioactive potassium (K), and ppm of uranium (U) and thorium (Th).
Stop 1: At 12S 518065 4250003 we ran initial Gamma-Ray Spectrometer readings of the tan and red regolith. The mounds of this region are unconsolidated fine grain clay minerals with desiccation cracks. The potassium amount in the red regolith was about double of the potassium in the tan region. Based on the Th/U ratio, it shows that the red regolith was oxidized, which makes sense based on the other observations and the red coloring is likely from iron oxides-stained clay minerals. The Th/K ratio indicates that the clay minerals inside both regolith are likely smectite.
Stop 2: At Robert’s Rock Garden (12S 518278 4249467), further south than Stop 1, we observed conglomerates that were from a higher layer, that had fallen due to lower layers being eroded away. The conglomerates are poorly sorted from gravel to sand size, clast supported, and likely a silica matrix (Figure 1). The K, U, and Th amounts were significantly below the average amount in the previous region.
Stop 3: Further south from Robert’s Rock Garden at 12S 518819 4248714, we found an area that’s regolith looked redder from orbit than the surrounding region. Here we found red and white regolith. The red regolith (Figure 2- left side) had larger desiccation cracks than the white regolith (Figure 2- right side). The K in the red regolith was more than double the white, indicating that the K was likely leached out. The red regolith in this region did have a slightly higher Th/U ratio than the red regolith at Stop #1 indicating that this area likely had higher Redox change.
Gamma-Ray spectrometers seem to be practical as they can be small and durable enough to be used in the field with gloves and a space suit. Furthermore, they can give rapid assays of radioactive material in the field which can be used for determining lithology and past aqueous events but also things like risk of Radon gas for astronauts.

Title: A Toolset for Shared and Long-term Document Management and IT Operations
Principal Investigators: Sean Marquez & Matthew Storch
Current Progress: The WIDGIT project got off to a fast start, as Matt S & Sean were able to accomplish all of the following during our first day at MDRS:
Set up a local WiFi network 100% independent of the Internet
Get the WIDGIT server configured on that independent network, and accessible via NoMachine (as the monitor and keyboard we have available are only useful for rudimentary work)
Finish the configuration of 3 workspace sessions for crewmembers that did not have adequate hardware to run the workspace locally on their own laptops
Clone the notes repo for each of the server-based workspaces
At that point WIDGIT was in a usable state. However, as the mission got into full swing, the crew focused on EVAs and various other required tasks, and were also dealing with several power outages per day. Therefore we could not find enough time to conduct the crew’s WIDGIT training until Sol 4. Even then, only two crew members fully participated in the training while a third participated partially.
As of Sol 5, the two PIs and two other crew members are using the system. In particular, the GreenHab Officer has been pushing GreenHab reports into Dendron. The MDRS Handbook has also been incorporated into Dendron except for the Appendix. An additional use case is to use WIDGIT to write this Mid-mission Summary Report, thereby demonstrating that collaborative workflows can be accomplished on a purely local network.
Use cases for the remainder of the mission include crew members using WIDGIT for research notes and writing the final report. The PIs had originally envisioned additional use cases, such as running the FPrime data collection system for monitoring environmental conditions in the GreenHab on the same fully local network.
However, the reality is that WIDGIT has more overhead in terms of both learning and operations than conventional internet-based tools, and the crew already has an ambitious schedule for EVAs and other research projects. In addition, many other activities (cooking, cleaning, etc. while dealing with power outages) are taking more time than anticipated.

Title: MDRS IOT-Assisted Data Collection Using OSHW & OSS
Principal Investigator: Sean Marquez
Current Progress: Setting up the initial localized IT infrastructure (codename, WIDGIT) was successful as of Sol 1. However, due to the EVA schedule, cooking duties, GreenHab duties, and recurring power outages, there’s been little to no time to set up and configure the environmental sensors needed to collect environmental data from the GreenHab using FPrime. The plan is to continue to attempt to configure the sensors as the mission continues, if time permits.

Title: Use of Sonar for Measuring Water Tank Depth
Principal Investigator: David Laude
Current Progress: This research project would replace acquiring the distance of the static tank opening to the water surface with a ruler, for determining the remaining volume of water, to acquiring via an electronic sonar range finder device, specifically an LV-MaxSonar. The volume can subsequently be determined by the sensor’s output signal measured with a digital voltmeter (DVM) and then entered into a spreadsheet formula that calculates daily water usage and water remaining.
Initial testing on a nearly full tank did expose a problem. Inside the tank, near the top opening, there is a wide hose that spans across much of the top area. This hose interferes with measurement as one would expect. However, the hose lays mostly in the tank half closest to the Hab and placement of the device near the opposite side is all that’s needed for an accurate reading. As the tank lowers, more measurements will be needed to determine if accurate to near empty. Initially I had thought to further develop it, for a subsequent crew assignment, to indicate gallons remaining in a three digit display. However, now seeing the water usage spreadsheet with its input in units of inches, and output in gallons and average use, I believe it best for the final device to output in inches. This would also make it possibly usable with other different sized tanks, assuming different formula parameters.

Title: Robot Competency Self-Assessment at MDRS
Principal Investigator: Nicholas Conlon (at CU Boulder, on Earth – Pawel Sawicki supervising project at MDRS)
Current Progress: Despite suffering a couple of setbacks, the Robot Competency Self-Assessment study, involving Case, is still on track for a successful completion. The primary goal of this study is to understand how future astronauts involved with robotic applications rely on telemetry, map data, and intuition in order to infer how competent a robot will be within a given environment. Thus, fundamentally the goal here is to understand how the crew will utilize the rover, whether or not it is as fully functional as initially intended. One such nonconformance occurred prior to mission start, when the first-person view camera (not used to meet any of this research’s objectives) was not working due to a ssh public key authentication error on the connected Raspberry Pi. This issue persisted through the first set of EVAs. There have been two EVAs involved with Case so far: EVA #5 and EVA #8. EVA #5, occurring on Sol 4, involved fairly nominal operation of the rover. Although the rover would occasionally not reach Points of Interest (POI), this was easily overcome with manual override driving. Using synchronized manual and automated driving sequence, an adequate portion of the EVA area was captured on Case’s GoPro which will be post-processed post-mission to develop "Street view"-like imagery. EVA #8 on the other-hand did not have the same amount of luck, as Case was not able to connect to the local network. Troubleshooting efforts were futile.
Both anomalies of Case are being investigated and have a path forward to resolution. Since Case requires transporting a noteworthy amount of ground support equipment (GSE), local tests around the Hab will be first utilized until trust can be established in the reliability of Case. These local EVAs will allow for more efficient troubleshooting and off-set the missed time of EVA #8. Further, the crew has incorporated the available space on Case’s chassis, attaching a Geiger-Muller Counter which will be used to simulate an approach of the [inert] NPS, and ascertain the radioactivity around the Hab.

Mission support is signing off.
Please see below received reports status:

Sol Summary	Received
Journalist Report	Received
GreenHab Report	Received
Operations Report	Received
EVA Report	Received
Photos (6-8 pics)	Received
EVA Request	Approved (2)

________________________
Ben Stanley – Site ManagerMars Desert Research Station

435.229.3475

[category science-report]

Living on Mars

Experiments
Regarding the advancement of everybody’s experiment, here is a quick summary:

Biomedical team (Alba, Arnaud, Imane, Loriane):

Up to today, the biomedical team has collected all the blood serum and saliva samples planned for the mission. The TAP micro device and the HemoCue worked very well. Concerning the salivary tests to study aMMP-8 using the ORALyzer, all of the tests planned are done and if compared to the values prior to the mission, there are reduced levels for the majority of the crew members. However, it’s too early to draw any conclusions; results will be fully analyzed once back in the lab in Belgium when the rest of the measurements in the samples will be performed. Additionally, we’ve gathered physiological data using the Oura ring, which tracks sleep quality and quantity, heart rate, heart rate variability, oxygen saturation, and body temperature. To ensure impartiality, we’ll analyze this data after the experiment concludes. We’ve also collected fecal samples and conducted 12-hour urine collections from all crew members, before and during the simulation and will collect a last one once back in Belgium. Furthermore, subjective sleep quality and stress levels were assessed through questionnaires (Perceived Stress Scale-4 and -10 items, Epworth Sleepiness Scale, and PROMIS sleep disturbance) to further examine the relationship between physiological and behavioral measures. A self-assessment questionnaire assessing mood states and their fluctuations (POMS-f) was also administered at the beginning and the end of the simulation to assess these emotions over the experience. The questionnaire will be analyzed by our psychologist to know whether the effects of confinement (confined space and cut-off social networks) had an impact on mood states of the crew members. Finally, prior to the mission, the crew members completed the Golden Personality Profiler, and to date, the characteristics of their personality profiles have been discussed with the group psychologist and received personalized consultation. These results will help determine whether it is possible to predict the mood states experienced (using the POMS-F) during the group confinement.

Maxime:
Maxime’s experiment to understand the movement of dust in the Martian atmosphere is a success, despite having suffered some setbacks. The station, nicknamed “Dusty,” was composed of a tripod and three sensitive trap cameras, and a Vantage Vue Weather station was installed on Sol 2 but did not transmit because of low battery and the wind indicator was broken. On the morning of Sol 3, a maintenance EVA was done to fix the station and change the battery, and it has been successfully transmitting precious data ever since. The current windy weather is perfect for the experiment as we can see from the hab that some dust is being picked up by the wind in the area of the Dusty Station. We are monitoring its status from the Hab; the sturdy metal tripod looks like it is enduring the harsh weather conditions; a recent EVA revealed the wind indicator was damaged again, it was quickly fixed. A quick check of the cameras showed that the station indeed recorded some dust activity, that means the experiment was very successful.The station transmitted data for 10 Sols, and was recovered after the end of the simulation on Sol 12.

Hippolyte:
Hippolyte’s experiment examines crew interactions with an artificial intelligence (AI) system to support decision-making and task execution. By capturing verbal communications with the AI in individual sessions, the goal is to assess the effectiveness of human-AI dialogue and aim to improve this communication. Hippolyte intends to broaden this investigation by incorporating AI interaction tests during Extravehicular Activities (EVAs), aiming to enrich the dataset with varied results that reflect different operational contexts. All the collection of data went smoothly. There was no problem with the AI and it was promptly accepted by the crew as the data collection went on. The results will be examined once back to Earth and in Belgium.

Louis:
Louis’s experiment aims to explore how UAV technology can enhance future crew efficiency in Martian exploration by mapping the planet’s landscape using drones and automatic flights. In the initial phase, Louis focused on trial and error, dedicating three EVAs to his experiment. His efforts began with familiarizing himself with flying a drone in a spacesuit, followed by executing his first automatic flight to capture images of a specific area, validating the feasibility of automated flights. With the successful completion of the initial automatic flight, Louis shifted his focus to more complex landscapes and experimented with various flight parameters. Despite a first non conclusive flight, all the others were a success. He then shifted his attention to processing the data acquired during these flights to identify potential enhancements for the next phase of the experiment, a second and precise data collection.
With refined data by optimizing the fight parameters and putting Ground Control Points (GCP) into the mapping process, Louis enhanced the different 3D models produced by the software. This last step corresponds to a major success for Louis’ experiment.
Romain:
Romain’s data collection for his experiment went smoothly. Those collections, which happened on Sol 1, 4, 8 and 12 for the drone and the TapStrap, a device constituted of 5 rings that you wear on the basis of your fingers to communicate and send messages by moving your hand, occurred with no trouble whatsoever despite the quick winds on Sol 4. All the data from these experiments will be analyzed once we go back to Earth with the help of fellow scientists and university professors. I also have been working on a scientific letter trying to verify the veracity and precision of data we have from the black hole in the middle of our Milky Way, SrgA*. I am going to determine if the approximation of a Schwartzsheild Black hole is precise enough or if we shouldn’t do that approximation and consider it as a Kerr Black hole.

[category 

astronomy-report]

Name: Maxime Foucart
Crew: 296
Date: 08-04-2024
MDRS ROBOTIC OBSERVATORY
Robotic Telescope Requested (choose one) MDRS-WF
Objects to be Imaged this Evening: M100
Images submitted with this report: None
Problems Encountered: The website still shows Camera error
MUSK OBSERVATORY
Solar Features Observed: Eclipse, Prominences, Filament, Granules, Sunspots.
Images submitted with this report: Sun 240408 Eclipse and Sunspot,
Problems Encountered: A lot of clouds during the eclipse, so it was tricky to select the correct exposure as it was always changing. More pictures to come once I will have the time to process them all.

[category science-report]

Mid mission report – Crew 296
Living on Mars

Crew 296 landed on March 31, 2024, at midnight Earth time on the surface of Mars. We quickly acquainted ourselves with our home and, after a good sleep, immediately started working on our experiments and going on EVAs. The first two days were jam-packed with reports, EVAs, the beginning of experiments, tasks to do in the MDRS, and getting used to the new lifestyle required for Mars. Then, the following three days were also really busy, but we managed our tasks better to take the time to enjoy the fact that we are on Mars, the magnificent landscape, and the presence of each other with team building, card games, and cooking all together.

Experiments:
Regarding the advancement of everybody’s experiment, here is a quick summary:

Biomedical team (Alba, Arnaud, Imane, Loriane):
Up to today, the biomedical team has collected half of the blood serum and saliva samples planned for the mission, reaching 2/4 sampling time points at the station. The TAP micro device works very well, which is not the case for the HemoCue, giving many errors and making its use time-consuming. Concerning the salivary tests to study aMMP-8 using the ORALyzer, 1/3 of the tests planned are done and if compared to the values prior to the mission, there are reduced levels for the majority of the crew members. However, it’s too early to draw any conclusions; results will be fully analyzed once back in the lab in Belgium when the rest of the measurements in the samples will be performed. Moreover, some physiological data has been collected through the usage of the Oura ring, which can record sleep quality and quantity, heart rate, heart rate variability, oxygen saturation, and body temperature. To avoid any bias, these data will be analyzed at the end of the experiment. Fecal samples have been collected from all crew members, as well as 12-hour period urine collection, thus completing 2/3 of our plan, since the baseline collection was already done in Belgium prior to the mission. On top of that, subjective sleep quality and stress levels have been analyzed via questionnaires (Perceived Stress Scale-4 and -10 items, Epworth Sleepiness Scale, and PROMIS sleep disturbance) to further verify the correlation between physiological and behavioral scores. Together, the biomedical team solved the logistical problems concerning the shipment of the samples back to Belgium, which meant a considerable relief, given the level of stress it implied. A self-assessment questionnaire assessing mood states and their fluctuations (POMS-f) was also administered at the beginning of the simulation to assess these emotions over the week before the simulation. The questionnaire will be completed again at the end of the simulation in order to compare whether the effects of confinement (confined space and cut-off social networks) have an impact on mood states. Finally, prior to the mission, the crew members completed the Golden Personality Profiler, and to date, the characteristics of their personality profiles have been discussed with the group psychologist and received personalized consultation. These results will help determine whether it is possible to predict the mood states experienced (using the POMS-F) during the group confinement.

Maxime:
Maxime’s experiment to understand the movement of dust in the Martian atmosphere is on track, despite having suffered some setbacks. The station, nicknamed “Dusty,” is composed of a tripod and three sensitive trap cameras, and a Vantage Vue Weather station has been installed on Sol 2 but did not transmit because of low battery and the wind indicator was broken. On the morning of Sol 3, a maintenance EVA was done to fix the station and change the battery, and it has been successfully transmitting precious data ever since. The current windy weather is perfect for the experiment as we can see from the hab that some dust is being picked up by the wind in the area of the Dusty Station. We are monitoring its status from the Hab; the sturdy metal tripod looks like it is enduring the harsh weather conditions; a recent EVA revealed the wind indicator was damaged again, it was quickly fixed. A quick check of the cameras showed that the station indeed recorded some dust activity, that means the experiment is very successful.
Hippolyte:
Hippolyte’s experiment examines crew interactions with an artificial intelligence (AI) system to support decision-making and task execution. By capturing verbal communications with the AI in individual sessions, the goal is to assess the effectiveness of human-AI dialogue. Hippolyte intends to broaden this investigation by incorporating AI interaction tests during Extravehicular Activities (EVAs), aiming to enrich the dataset with varied results that reflect different operational contexts.

Louis:
Louis’s experiment aims to explore how UAV technology can enhance future crew efficiency in Martian exploration by mapping the planet’s landscape using drones and automatic flights. In the initial phase, Louis focused on trial and error, dedicating three EVAs to his experiment. His efforts began with familiarizing himself with flying a drone in a spacesuit, followed by executing his first automatic flight to capture images of a specific area, validating the feasibility of automated flights. With the successful completion of the initial automatic flight, Louis shifted his focus to more complex landscapes and experimented with various flight parameters. Now, the attention turns to processing the data acquired during these flights to identify potential enhancements for the next phase of the experiment. In the upcoming second phase, Louis aims to refine his data collection methods by optimizing flight parameters. One proposed improvement involves incorporating Ground Control Points (GCP) into the mapping process. By placing markers on the ground and recording their GPS positions, Louis seeks to enhance the precision of data processing. Success in implementing this technique would signify the achievement of all mission objectives.

Romain:
The collection of data has been going smoothly. Those collections, which happened on Sol 1 and 4, for the drone and the TapStrap, a device constituted of 5 rings that you wear on the basis of your fingers to communicate and send messages by moving your hand, occurred with no trouble whatsoever despite the quick winds on Sol 4. All the data from these experiments will be analyzed once we go back to Earth with the help of fellow scientists and university professors. I also have been working on a scientific letter trying to verify the veracity and precision of data we have from the black owl in the middle of our Milky Way. It is to be finished before the end of the simulation.

[category science-report]

Name of person filing report: Yves Bejach

Crew293 has completed their one-month-long rotation in the MDRS, conducting experiments while simulating life on Mars. We have done everything we could to make this simulation as accurate and relevant as possible. The current report aims to give the reader an understanding of what has been achieved.
This report is organized as follows:
– Overview of all the experiments conducted during our mission, as found in the Mission Plan sent on Sol1, reminded here for clarity, and updated with the experiments’ final status.

Physics
Two experiments from the French National Center of Scientific Research (CNRS) have been performed at the MDRS for several years already. We are planning to gather additional data for this season as well. These activities will require EVAs.
· LOAC (Light Optical Aerosol Counter): LOAC is an optical aerosol counter, measuring the concentrations of different particles in the air and classifying them by size.
Related EVAs: Two EVAs planned for the first week to install the device. Then, every two days, the batteries will have to be changed and the data will have to be collected. The latter procedures can be part of other EVAs. One final EVA conducted SOL26 to retrieve all the instruments.
External points of contact: Jean-Pierre Lebreton and Jean-Baptiste Renard, CNRS.
Point of contact within the crew: Lea Bourgély, Leo Tokaryev.
· Mega-Ares: Mega-Ares is a sensor precisely measuring the electric field and the conductivity of the air. It is the little brother of Micro-Ares, the only payload of the Schiaparelli lander (ExoMars 2016). This year we also installed a wind-mill that will give us aditionnal data.
Related EVAs: Same as LOAC.
External points of contact: Jean-Pierre Lebreton and Jean-Baptiste Renard, CNRS.
Point of contact within the crew: Lea Bourgely, Leo Tokaryev.
Status: The instruments have been installed north of the Station, between the Hab and Marble Ritual. They have been collecting data since then. These data are retrieved every two days or so, when we change the batteries that power them. Data samples were regularly sent to the PI for reviewing. The instruments worked properly for most of the mission, gathering atmospheric information that will be sent to the PI when we return to Earth.

Technology
Technology demonstrations are planned, one of them being the continuation of the two last missions of ISAE-Supaero (Crew 263 and 275). They are based on technologies developed by the French Space Agency (CNES) and its health subsidiary (MEDES).
· AI4U: AI4U is an AI tool designed to help and assist astronauts in their daily tasks (environmental measurements, voice recognition). The aim is to test this AI assistant in real or close-to-real scenarios.
Related EVAs: None.
External points of contact: Gregory Navarro and Laure Boyer, CNES.
Point of contact within the crew: Mathurin Franck.
Status: The first week was dedicated to the setup and troubleshoot of the software. Crew293 tested it out during Week2 and Week3. All raw data has been sent to the PI at the end of Week3 and a more detailed report will be sent after the mission.
· Echofinder: Onboard the ISS, ultrasound scanners are teleoperated by trained specialists. As we travel further away from Earth, communication delays will increase and teleoperated devices will no longer be usable. The goal of Echofinder is to enable autonomous ultrasound acquisition sessions without any knowledge in medicine and any communication link with an experienced sonographer. The Echofinder tool uses augmented reality and an AI to help the operator capture usable imagery of the subject’s organs.
Related EVAs: None.
External point of contact: Aristée Thévenon, MEDES.
Point of contact within the crew: Yves Bejach.
Status: Acquisition sessions have started on Sol 2 and have been conducted approximately every two Sols. The crew member conducting the session is taking notes on everything that goes well or not with the software, and the setup and is taking ultrasound images that are to be analyzed to see if Echofinder is efficient. Although there were more and more technical difficulties, sessions continued to take place until Sol25. Data will be sent to the PI after our return with a detailed report and we’ll meet with them to discuss the results.
· Photogrammetry: Re-conducting an experiment started by last year’s crew (Crew 275) which aims to determine how a 3D map created thanks to drone photogrammetry could improve an EVA crew’s performance during an outing.
Related EVAs: Three EVAs per week, starting the second week. The first one’s goal is to create the 3D map and decide where to position checkpoints on a designated area (one area per week). For the 2nd and 3rd ones, the EVA team will go to each checkpoint, having prepared the EVA using the standard 2D and 3D map respectively.
External point of contact: Alice Chapiron, ISAE Supaero student (Crew275)
Point of contact within the crew: Yves Bejach
Status: Started on Sol8 with an EVA aiming to create a 3D map of the East flank of North Ridge. Once the map was successfully created, two teams went out on different EVAs to go through designated checkpoints as efficiently as possible, having prepared with the 3D map and a classic 2D map respectively. The same procedure has been done Week2 in Candor Chasma and Week4 in Kissing Camel Ridge. Data has started to be processed; they will be discussed with the PI when we return to Earth. A detailed report is also in preparation to be sent to SpaceshipFR and Parrot, that lend us the drone we used.
· Neuroergonomy: Experiment aiming to evaluate the importance of vision compared to other senses in our perception of space.
Related EVAs: None
External point of contact: Maelis Lefebvre, ISAE-Supaero
Point of contact within the crew: Leo Tokaryev
Status: Tests have been conducted every Thursday and Friday since the beginning of the mission. Data will be sent to the PI after our return to Earth.

Human factors
Human factors experiments are arguably the ones that benefit the more from taking place during an analog mission.
· Orbital Architecture: Measure of the stress of analog astronauts and of the influence of environmental parameters on the stress using Polar bands bracelets, sleep monitoring using Dreem headbands, questionnaires, evaluation of the position of the analog astronauts in the station, and environmental measurement (temperature, humidity, etc.).
Related EVAs: None.
External point of contact: Michail Magkos, KTH.
Point of contact within the crew: Lise Lefauconnier.
Status: The Crew has been conducting cognitive assessments regularly since the beginning of the mission. In parallel, we were carrying Polar bands that monitored our heart rate, and location tracking chips. All data will be sent to the PI after our return, with our daily activities performed and a sample of our Core Data (weight, oximetry, blood pressure…).
· MELiSSA:The MELiSSA project (Micro-Ecological Life Support System Alternative) is a European projected led by the European Space Agency (ESA) aiming at developing a highly circular and regenerative life support system for space missions. The ALiSSE methodology (Advanced Life Support System Alternative) was developed as part of the project to provide an impartial evaluation tool of each technology system, including mass, energy and power, efficiency, crew time, crew risk, reliability, and durability. The proposed activity within the MELiSSA project focuses on the operational aspects of preparing recipes from higher plants and aims for a preliminary evaluation of the "crew time" criterion.
Related EVAs: None
External point of contact: Blandine Gorce, ESA
Point of contact within the crew: Mathurin Franck
Status: The Crew could try every planned recipe, with only the last one not possible because the resupply couldn’t provide everything that was needed. A detailed report has been written about every downfall and great things of each recipe as well as a global report. They will be sent to the PI after the mission.
· Trace Lab: The purpose of this research is to better understand the role that emotion and coping strategies have on team dynamics within ICE (Isolated, Confined, Extreme) teams. The findings from this study will aid in the understanding of the role of affect within teams operating in ICE conditions – something that has been highlighted as being important by researchers, Antarctic expeditioners, and astronauts. Experiment conducted in collaboration with Trace Lab, University of Florida.
Related EVAs: None
External point of contact: Andres Kaosaar
Point of contact within the crew: Marie Delaroche
Status: The Crew has been filling out daily and weekly questionnaires since the beginning of the mission and until the end. All questionnaires will be sent to the PI after the mission.
· AMI – Anomalies Monitoring Interface: Software allowing random anomalies to occur within the station to simulate problems that could happen in a real environment and see how we could react. The main goal is to improve the simulation.
Related EVAs: Potential emergency EVAs in case of depressurization. It is worth noting that such emergencies cannot be mistaken for real ones, as it is not problem that can occur within our earthly MDRS.
External point of contact: Quentin Royer, ISAE Supaero student (Crew275)
Point of contact within the crew: Marie Delaroche
Status: The beta version of AMI has been running since Week2, enabling the Crew to monitor the power distribution of the station and handle alarms and malfunctions. An emergency EVA occurred on Sol24 to repair the tunnel to the Science Dome that had been damaged by the wind, enabling us to test the interface all the while performing a meaningful action outside the station. The PI was in contact with the Crew by email throughout the mission, exchanging back and forth on upgrades. A detail report will be written and discussed to improve the software for future missions.
· Timepercept: Subjective time perception in confined environments, such as isolation or imprisonment, often leads to a distortion of time experience. The phenomenon is significant in understanding the psychological effects of confinement and has implications for mental health management in isolated or controlled settings like space missions or solitary confinement. Experiment conducted with the University of Krakow.
Related EVAs: None
External point of contact: Mateusz Daniol
Point of contact within the crew: Erin Pougheon
Status: The Crew has been conducting tests twice a day – in the morning and in the afternoon – since the first morning to the last evening of the rotation. Data will be sent to the PI, as well as the baseline data collected during the two weeks prior to the mission and the two weeks following the end of our rotation.
· Miss U: Technology demonstration aiming to see the impact on moral. Subjects will see videos of their close ones while facilitators stimulate their other senses to immerge the subject as most as possible in the situation.
Related EVAs: None
External point of contact: Cathline Smooth
Point of contact within the crew: Lea Bourgely
Status: Weekly questionnaires were filled since Week1. Beginning Week3, the subjects watched the videos recorded by their closed ones, filling questionnaires after each sessions as well. Data will be sent to the PI after the mission.

Outreach
· Media: Several articles and interviews in French newspaper and on radio
· Scientific mediation: We, like all Supaero Crews that came before us, try to share our passion for space and science in general by engaging in intervention in middle and high school. This year, we developed with high-schoolers a 3-step project around growing food on Mars.
Related EVAs: One as early as possible to retrieve some martian soil in which to plant radish seeds.
External point of contact: None
Point of contact within the crew: Mathurin Franck
Status: The plantation of cress has been made early on; it grew for a while but then it died out. We tried again in the Science Dome this time, where it’s not as hot but it didn’t grow as well. Results were regularly shared with the students.

Mission support is signing off.Please see below received reports status:

Journalist Report	Received
Operations Report	Received
EVA Report	Received
Photos (6-8 pics)	Received
EVA Request	Approved

________________________
Sergii Iakymov – Director Mars Desert Research Station

[category science-report]

Crew 293 Mid Rotation Science Report 02Mar2024

Name of person filing report: Yves Bejach

Crew293 has been in the MDRS for two weeks now, conducting experiments while simulating life on Mars. We have done everything we could to make this simulation as accurate and relevant as possible. The current report aims to give the reader an understanding of what has been achieved and what is yet to come.

This report is organized as follows:

– Overview of all the experiments conducted during our mission, as found in the Mission Plan sent on Sol1, reminded here for clarity, and updated with the experiments’ current status.

Physics

Two experiments from the French National Center of Scientific Research (CNRS) have been performed at the MDRS for several years already. We are planning to gather additional data for this season as well. These activities will require EVAs.

· LOAC (Light Optical Aerosol Counter): LOAC is an optical aerosol counter, measuring the concentrations of different particles in the air and classifying them by size.
Related EVAs: Two EVAs planned for the first week to install the device. Every two days, the batteries will have to be changed and the data will have to be collected. The latter procedures can be part of other EVAs.
External points of contact: Jean-Pierre Lebreton and Jean-Baptiste Renard, CNRS.
Point of contact within the crew: Lea Bourgély.

· Mega-Ares: Mega-Ares is a sensor precisely measuring the electric field and the conductivity of the air. It is the little brother of Micro-Ares, the only payload of the Schiaparelli lander (ExoMars 2016). This year we also installed a wind-mill that will give us additional data.
Related EVAs: Performed simultaneously with the EVAs planned for LOAC. Two EVAs were planned for the first week to install the device. Every two days, the batteries will have to be changed and the data will have to be collected. The latter procedures can be part of other EVAs.
External points of contact: Jean-Pierre Lebreton and Jean-Baptiste Renard, CNRS.
Point of contact within the crew: Lea Bourgely.

Status: The instruments have been installed north of the Station, between the Hab and Marble Ritual. They have been collecting data since then. These data are retrieved every two days or so, when we change the batteries that power them. This will go on until Sol 26, when the instruments should be brought back to the station.

Technology

Technology demonstrations are planned, one of them being the continuation of the two last missions of ISAE-Supaero (Crew 263 and 275). They are based on technologies developed by the French Space Agency (CNES) and its health subsidiary (MEDES).

· AI4U: AI4U is an AI tool designed to help and assist astronauts in their daily tasks (environmental measurements, voice recognition). The aim is to test this AI assistant in real or close-to-real scenarios.
Related EVAs: None.
External points of contact: Gregory Navarro and Laure Boyer, CNES.
Point of contact within the crew: Mathurin Franck.

Status: The first week was dedicated to the setup and troubleshoot of the software. Crew293 has been able to test it daily since Sol8. We’ll continue running these daily tests next week, and the fourth week will be dedicated to data handling.

· Echofinder: Onboard the ISS, ultrasound scanners are teleoperated by trained specialists. As we travel further away from Earth, communication delays will increase and teleoperated devices will no longer be usable. The goal of Echofinder is to enable autonomous ultrasound acquisition sessions without any knowledge in medicine and any communication link with an experienced sonographer. The Echofinder tool uses augmented reality and an AI to help the operator capture usable imagery of the subject’s organs.
Related EVAs: None.
External point of contact: Aristée Thévenon, MEDES.
Point of contact within the crew: Yves Bejach.

Status: Acquisition sessions have started on Sol 2 and have been conducted approximately every two Sols. The crew member conducting the session is taking notes on everything that goes well or not with the software, and the setup and is taking ultrasound images that are to be analyzed to see if Echofinder is efficient.

· Photogrammetry: Re-conducting an experiment started by last year’s crew (Crew 275) which aims to determine how a 3D map created thanks to drone photogrammetry could improve an EVA crew’s performance during an outing.

Related EVAs: Three EVAs per week, starting the second week. The first one’s goal is to create the 3D map and decide where to position checkpoints on a designated area (one area per week). For the 2nd and 3rd ones, the EVA team will go to each checkpoint, having prepared the EVA using the standard 2D and 3D map respectively.

External point of contact: Alice Chapiron, ISAE Supaero student (Crew275)

Point of contact within the crew: Yves Bejach

Status: Started on Sol8 with an EVA aiming to create a 3D map of the East flank of North Ridge. Once the map was successfully created, two teams went out on different EVAs to go through designated checkpoints as efficiently as possible, having prepared with the 3D map and a classic 2D map respectively. Data collected has started to be processed. The same process will be iterated again on Week3 and Week4 of our mission.

Human factors

Human factors experiments are arguably the ones that benefit the most from taking place during an analog mission.

· Orbital Architecture: Measure of the stress of analog astronauts and of the influence of environmental parameters on the stress using Polar bands bracelets, sleep monitoring using Dreem headbands, questionnaires, evaluation of the position of the analog astronauts in the station, and environmental measurement (temperature, humidity, etc.).
Related EVAs: None.
External point of contact: Michail Magkos, KTH.
Point of contact within the crew: Lise Lefauconnier.

Status: The Crew has conducted cognitive assessments regularly since the beginning of the mission. In parallel, we are carrying Polar bands that monitor our heart rate, and location tracking chips that have been successfully installed early on during the first week. This will continue until the end of our rotation.

· MELiSSA: The MELiSSA project (Micro-Ecological Life Support System Alternative) is a European project led by the European Space Agency (ESA) aiming at developing a highly circular and regenerative life support system for space missions. The ALiSSE methodology (Advanced Life Support System Alternative) was developed as part of the project to provide an impartial evaluation tool of each technology system, including mass, energy and power, efficiency, crew time, crew risk, reliability, and durability. The proposed activity within the MELiSSA project focuses on the operational aspects of preparing recipes from higher plants and aims for a preliminary evaluation of the "crew time" criterion.

Related EVAs: None

External point of contact: Blandine Gorce, ESA

Point of contact within the crew: Mathurin Franck

Status: Every recipe that was planned for the first two weeks has been prepared. Resupply should allow us to continue as planned.

· Trace Lab: The purpose of this research is to better understand the role that emotion and coping strategies have on team dynamics within ICE (Isolated, Confined, Extreme) teams. The findings from this study will aid in the understanding of the role of affect within teams operating in ICE conditions – something that has been highlighted as being important by researchers, Antarctic expeditioners, and astronauts. Experiment conducted in collaboration with Trace Lab, University of Florida.

Related EVAs: None

External point of contact: Andres Kaosaar

Point of contact within the crew: Marie Delaroche

Status: The Crew has been filling out daily and weekly questionnaires since the beginning of the mission and will continue to do so until the end of the rotation.

· AMI – Anomalies Monitoring Interface: Software allowing random anomalies to occur within the station to simulate problems that could happen in a real environment and see how we could react. The main goal is to improve the simulation.

Related EVAs: Potentially emergency EVAs in case of depressurization of ammoniac leak. It is worth noting that such emergencies cannot be mistaken for real ones as it is not a problem that can occur within our earthly MDRS.

External point of contact: Quentin Royer, ISAE Supaero student (Crew275)

Point of contact within the crew: Marie Delaroche

Status: After some troubleshooting and last-minute adjustments during the first week, the beta version of AMI is now running. The Crew can now monitor the power distribution of the station and training anomalies have already occurred, enabling a deeper immersion. The interface is a work in progress; it will continue to run as we test new functions. We are expecting a new iteration of the software to be sent to the Crew as of tonight.

Outreach

· Media: Several articles and interviews in French newspaper and on radio

· Scientific mediation: We, like all Supaero Crews that came before us, try to share our passion for space and science in general by engaging in intervention in middle and high school. This year, we developed with high-schoolers a 3-step project around growing food on Mars.

Related EVAs: One as early as possible to retrieve some martian soil in which to plant radish seeds.

External point of contact: None

Point of contact within the crew: Mathurin Franck

Status: The plantation has been made early on; it is steadily growing under the advised care of our GreenHab Officer. Updates are regularly sent to the students that helped us create this experiment.

NB: In an effort to feel as immersed as possible, we asked Mission Support to play along with the simulation when communicating with us, which they did. For that Crew293 says thank you.

[title Mid–mission Research Report – January 13th]
[category science-report]

Mars Desert Research Station

Mid-Mission Report

Crew 290 – Project MADMEN

Jan 7th – Jan 20th, 2024

Crew Members:

Commander and Health and Safety Officer: Madelyn Hoying

Executive Officer and Health and Safety Officer: Rebecca McCallin

Crew Scientist: Anja Sheppard

Green Hab Officer: Benjamin Kazimer

Crew Engineer: Anna Tretiakova

Crew Journalist: Wing Lam (Nicole) Chan

Crew Projects:

Title: Project MADMEN

Author(s): Madelyn Hoying and Rebecca McCallin, with full-crew participation

Objectives: Our mission objective is to identify and characterize microbial life via metabolic assays based on the sulfur cycle.

Current Status: Soil samples have been collected from 5 field sites with diverse geologic profiles that indicate potential for microbial activity. Measurements in the field include salinity, temperature, and ATP readings at surface level, 3-inch depth, and 6-inch depth at each site. Starting on EVA 07, pH measurements are also conducted in the field at surface and 6-inch depth. In the Science Dome, these samples are diluted and incubated in our novel microfluidic device to promote microbial growth for detection, then flushed after 24 hours to investigate through microscopy, with our first set of samples showing growth. pH measurements are taken of the soil samples in a dilution with various salts found on Mars that could also promote metabolic activity of extremophiles. The crew is targeting evaluation of at least 6 sample sites. Collected samples are compared for further analysis in the Science Dome based on depth profiles of the geology (uncovered while digging) and quality of field measurements obtained, driving collection from more than the 6 sites required for full analysis.

EVAs: 3 (EVA 04, 06, 07). One field site (EVA 04) was collected from a member of the Curtis foundation, where gypsum and sandstone were prominent under a smectite bed indicating a depositional environment with water followed by a period of dry climate. EVA 06 resulted in 2 field sites: one from a valley between two Brushy Basin members with evidence of anhydrite, to contrast with another collection site in a dried riverbed with conglomerate oyster reefs. EVA 07 saw sample collection in alternating siltstone and mudstone bands with gypsum deposits, with field pH measurements introduced into the procedure. An additional 3-4 EVAs are currently anticipated to select the best sites for further investigation.

Title: Evaluating Psychosocial Impacts of Mars Mission Architectures

Author: Madelyn Hoying

Objectives: This project seeks to compare psychosocial interactions among crew and emergency response capabilities between Mars mission architectures. Results from this single-site architecture test will be compared to previous dual-site architecture experiments developed and tested by MIT.

Current Status: The on-site investigator does not read questionnaire results while participating in the analog mission; as such, a “current status” check can only show the number of completed surveys. All participants have been submitting daily surveys, with one participant having missed one survey.

EVAs: None (although EVA inputs from other projects are valuable to the study).

Title: Ground Penetrating Radar for Martian Rovers

Author: Anja Sheppard

Objectives: This project is focused on collecting Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) and stereoscopic camera imagery data in a Martian analog environment. Post-analog data processing will focus on using this data for machine learning applications.

Current Status: After some reconstruction and problem solving from shipping, REMI the robot is at a nominal status for data collection. REMI has collected data at 16 field sites around the MDRS Hab and at Tharsis Montes, making for over 200 GB of camera, radar, and GPS data. Anja (Crew Scientist) has been perfecting the field protocols for running REMI during EVAs, including characterizing the battery performance during cold temperatures. REMI is primarily focused on data collection, as data processing will occur post-analog.

EVAs: 4

[title End-Mission Research Report – January 5th]
[category science-report]

Mars Desert Research Station
Mission Plan

Crew 289 – Deimos
Dec 25th, 2023 – Jan 6th, 2023

Crew Members:
Commander: Adriana Brown
Executive Officer and Crew Journalist: Sara Paule
Crew Geologist: Eshaana Aurora
Crew Engineer: Nathan Bitner
Health and Safety Officer and Crew Astronomer: Gabriel Skowronek
Green Hab Officer and Crew Biologist: Riya Raj
Crew Scientist: Aditya Arjun Anibha

Crew Projects:

Project 1
Title: Remote Station Monitoring
Author: Nathan Bitner
Description, activities, and results: The goal of this project is to provide MDRS crew and mission control with air quality data and airlock statuses from the MDRS station. Through work conducted by Purdue crews 288 and 289, two air quality modules have been created that successfully send information to an adafruit dashboard. This dashboard can then be accessed remotely by those with the account information. The software for these boards, and all the others to be deployed, is on the GitHub page https://github.com/bitNathan/MDRS_monitoring_overlay/tree/main made for this project. More technical details and documentation can also be found there.
Each module uses a Raspberry Pi Pico W board to send data to the dashboard and control the connected sensors. Each board currently measures temperature, CO2, VOC, ozone, and PM2.5 particles using separate sensors that were purchased before the mission. The Raspberry Pi then automatically uploads a snapshot of this data to the dashboard hourly.
Shipping delays and technical difficulties prevented full deployment of some air quality sensors during this rotation, and other difficulties with the board themselves prevented full deployment over our intended timeline. Our idea to use battery packs made from AA batteries connected together works, but it is labor intensive to make these packs and they provide, at best, power for only two weeks of operational use. In the future, switching to power via wall fixture or rechargeable batteries that can be routinely rotated would provide a permanent solution. In addition, an unknown connection error appeared roughly halfway through crew 289’s rotation which prevented long term testing.
In the future, Purdue plans on continuing this project to complete what was started by these two crews including full air quality and airlock status deployment in addition to adding monitoring for EVA suit charges, water level detection, and online crew logs and schedules. All of these are possible using equipment already at the station, aside from wire, LEDs, resistors, casing, and long-term battery solutions.

Figure 1. Adafruit dashboard consisting of air quality data collected from MDRS habitat. Top) The main dashboard screen shown here is highly configurable, but for testing it contains just one plot of all the air quality data from one sensor module. This can be expanded to include other rooms as well as other information. Bottom) The adafruit website refers to a stream of data as a feed. In this image we can see the feeds from our first prototype air quality module grouped together by the location that they are intended to monitor.

Project 2
Title: Recording Dust Levels in the HAB
Author(s): Gabriel Skowronek
Description, activities, and results: The objective of this project involved qualitatively tracking the amount of dust that settles down on surfaces throughout the Habitat. Several sites were chosen throughout the Hab, including both the upper and lower deck. In the lower deck, the top shelf of the comms station and the black cabinet underneath the first aid station were of interest. In the upper deck, the comms station surface and the top of the kitchen cabinets were chosen. Samples of dust were collected by swabbing the surfaces with a moistened cotton swab and subsequently observed using a handheld magnifier. Initially, the surfaces were thoroughly cleaned with wet wipes to obtain a clean baseline to track further dust accumulation over time. Swabbing was then conducted every 2-3 days, with observations like number of particulates, relative size and color being recorded in journal entries. Furthermore, amounts of dust were compared between other locations swabbed the same day. Based on these relative amounts, it was fairly clear that there is a noticeably larger amount of dust particulate buildup in the lower deck of the hab, with the top of the comms station having the most dust particles than any other area. Furthermore, the overwhelming majority of the observed dust was composed of fine, dark fibers of unknown origin. There were also few light colored particles present in swabbing samples (presumably dirt from outside). There was also a white sheet of paper that was left untouched on the lowest shelf near the stairwell of the Hab, which served as a good background to easily spot the total amount of dust that accumulated over a two week period. Because it was not swabbed or otherwise disturbed until Jan. 05, it served as a good comparison with the other areas of the lower deck. The type and amount of dust present on the white paper was similar to the other swabbed areas of the lower deck at the end of the rotation.

Project 3
Title: Astronomy on Mars
Author(s): Gabriel Skowronek
Description, activities, and results: This project involved two distinct objectives: 1) Determining the period of variation of the Cepheid variable star, SW Tauri and 2) capturing impressive images of deep sky objects for outreach purposes. For the first mentioned project, the RCOS-16 remote telescope was used to take one or two 20-second exposures of SW Tauri each night (with weather permitting). Furthermore, since it was of no interest to process these images in color, only the visual filter was used. To determine the magnitudes, the program AfterGlow was used because of its simplified process. The alternative but more rigorous process in AstroImageJ was not used because of the steeper learning curve which was difficult to tackle with the time constraints and limited internet access for troubleshooting. To obtain more accurate measurements of intensities, the process in AstroImageJ will be implemented post-MDRS. The final step will include plotting the intensity measurements against time to determine the period of variation. Preliminarily, the period seems to be approximately 48 hours, which matches expectations. The second objective aimed to capture color images of M1 (Crab Nebula) and M42 (Orion Nebula). An image of M1 was taken on the MDRS-WF, with RGBLH filters being used with exposures of 75 sec, 150 sec, 300 sec, 150 sec and 300 sec, respectively. This proved to produce an overexposed image so an updated imaging request was sent with smaller exposure times. Due to technical difficulties with the MDRS-WF, this image was not able to be retaken. Similarly, M42 was also not able to be imaged. It is expected that once the difficulties with the MDRS-WF are addressed, the images will be taken and processed remotely.

Figure 2. (A): An image taken using the RCOS-16, with emphasis shown on the variable star, SW Tauri, and the comparison star with well documented and stable intensity. (B): A processed image of M1 (Crab Nebula) taken using the MDRS-WF.

Project 4
Title: Comparison of Self-selection Traits versus Skill Utilization by Mars Colonists
Author(s): Sara Paule
Description, Activities, and Results: The intention of this project was to examine the skills (e.g., flexibility, leadership, communication, problem-solving, domestic skills, etc.) most used by “colonists” in their day-to-day activities at the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) versus their ratings of importance pre- and post-mission. The pre-mission survey was collected via Qualtrics, as will be the post-mission survey, which will be distributed to everyone the week after the mission ends.
During the mission, the crew completed daily surveys from Sol 1 (December 25, 2023) and will complete their final survey today, Sol 12 (January 5, 2024). These were completed at the end of the mission day as planned and converted to digital format the following day.
Data will be analyzed post-mission after completion of the post-mission survey. As of this moment, I can note that there is wide variability among “colonists” in their daily skill usage responses. However, a few kills are more uniformly used. Excepting Sol 12 data, this includes Q2 knowledge – to learn and contribute valuable knowledge (M = 7.2, SD = 1.5), Q13 prioritization – determining task order based upon multiple completion criteria (M = 7.8, SD = 1.5), and Q17 problem-solving – to identify an issue and alternatives for addressing said issue (M = 7.6, SD = 1.5). Most skills were used semi-regularly with the exception of Q6 risk – to take risks and chances (M = 4.0, SD = 1.5).
This is a very small sample size so the research would benefit from additional participants. Future research might include a question about whether or not the individual participated in an EVA that day to ascertain if there is a difference in skill usage for days when on EVA versus remaining at the Habitat.

Project 5
Title: Establishing Best Practices in Mission Reporting from Prior Crew Reports
Author(s): Sara Paule
Description, Activities, and Results: Objectives were to examine past reports to begin to establish best practices by gaining an understanding of common content within prior reports, Specific aims included: 1) establish the average word length of the various report styles, 2) examine whether crew members are most often referenced by surname/family name, given name, or both, and 3) determine common subject matters within reports, such as references to meals, sleep, showering, etc.
Pre-mission all the reports for the past calendar year were downloaded from the MDRS Reports webpage. A sample from each mission of the last year uploaded to the reports repository for both the Journalist Report and Sol Summaries were randomly selected for analysis from the reporting repository. Additionally, random samples of the Journalist Report and Sol Summaries were pulled from the emails of the prior crew (288) that were received pre-mission. In total, 15 crews were identified during that time period and 14 Journalist and 12 Sol reports were acquired using the aforementioned methods.
Word length and character length have been calculated for each.
Length in words: Journalist Report (M = 322, SD = 112) and Sol Summary (M = 377, SD = 259).
Length in characters: Journalist Report (M = 2180, SD = 661) and Sol Summary (M = 2184, SD = 1474).
There was comparable word length and character length though greater variability in the Sol Summary than the Journalist Report.
When it comes to referring to personnel, there is no consistency in reference style. Roles are included only about half the time. Referring to astronauts by first name only is the most common (6 occurrences in each report style), which is higher than surname/family name only (2 occurrences in the Journalist Reports and only 1 in the Sol Summaries) or full names (2 per Journalist and 3 per Sol).
On topicality, references to crew scientific endeavors are by far the most common in both (12 of 14 in the Journalist Reports and 9 of 12 in Sol Summaries). Meals are the second most mentioned topic in each (10 of 14 in the Journalist Reports and 6 of 12 in Sol Summaries) but the Sol Summaries mention relaxation activities as often as meals (6 times out of 12). Those serving as journalists are more likely to discuss ethereal matters, for instance discussing the beauty of the landscape (5 mentions versus 1) or feelings about the experience (8 versus 3 mentions) than those writing the more practically focused Sol Summaries.
A more thorough examination could be conducted by reviewing additional samples from within the same year and/or extending inclusion beyond the past calendar year. Additional report types remain to be analyzed.

Project 6
Title: Martian analog paleotemperature reconstruction
Author(s): Adriana Brown
Description, Activities, and Results: With the onset of cutting-edge geochemistry, the temperature and dynamics of ancient water systems can be determined better than ever before. Performing analysis on carbonates will be essential to understanding climate history on Mars due to their power to record water temperature and isotopic composition – abiotic factors that determine essential biological controls, such as oxygenation and environmental habitability. This project collected sediment and Gryphaea samples from the Tununk Shale to study the coastline of the Cretaceous Western Interior Seaway during the Turonian stage. The samples collected will provide information about the temperature of the seaway during the time the Gryphaea lived using carbonate clumped isotopes, where the carbonate is sourced from the bivalves and, if needed for higher resolution, foraminifera in the sediment samples. Carbonate clumped isotopes measure the frequency of “heavy” isotopes of oxygen and carbon to be bonded together within the carbonate ion – a temperature-dependent process. These paleotemperature results will be integrated into my wider thesis research which aims to reconstruct latitudinal temperature gradients of the Western Interior Seaway – an important control on climate sensitivity.
The objectives of this project were to (1) sample a measured section of sediments up the side of Hab Ridge, (2) identify the percent of carbonate present in sediments, (3) collect Pycnodonte fossils from the Tununk shale near Hab Ridge for carbonate clumped isotope analysis, (4) identify bentonite presence and frequency within the Tununk Shale, and (5) catalog and prepare gryphaea samples for drilling. 90 Gryphaea fossils have been collected from two sites on Hab Ridge and one site from the upper strata of White Rock Canyon. The first Hab Ridge fossil collection site was characterized by a medium to coarse grained quartz-rich sand, containing chert, sandstone, siltstone, and mudstone pebbles. Site one also contained many calcite crystalline structures within the loosely-consolidated sands. The oysters found at this location exhibited recrystallization of calcite and large amounts of sand cemented onto the fossils. Site two was described as a very fine grained, approximately 12 cm thick silt deposit which was black, gray, and dark purple in color. The fossils were smaller than site one and better preserved with no evidence of sand cement. Some streaks of white to light yellow sediment were found throughout site two, interpreted as bentonite material. The collection site at White Rock Canyon occurred along both sides of Cow Dung Road, and were found embedded in the surficial layer of sediment. The Gryphaea at this site were the largest of all collected and the best preserved, with original color and well-defined growth plates intact. The nature of this deposit, i.e. whether these samples were collected in-place or after being transported, will need to be further examined based on the stratigraphy of that area. Additionally, several bentonite “swarm” locations have been noted, with beds documented at Barrainca Butte and sampled at Hab Ridge. These locations will be compared to other published bentonite data so that the age of the samples collected can be constrained.
In the Science Dome, all samples were cleaned, labeled with a sample ID, and cataloged, thereby ready to return to Earth for geochemical analysis at the University of Michigan’s Stable Isotope Facility. 93 1.0 mL sediment samples from two measured sections of Hab Ridge were documented, representing over 150 ft of strata. The sediment samples were labeled and cataloged according to stratigraphic height and site of section. The carbonate percent weight experiment utilized select samples from these sections and the sediment matrix which the Gryphaea were collected from. The sediments were weighed, then dissolved in 0.1 M HCl., and then weighed again. Based on the results from this experiment, it was found that the clay-rich, darkly colored silt that was present at the base of a Hab Ridge section and from the second site of fossil collection had the greatest percent carbonate at 48.37%. The first Hab Ridge fossil yielded a carbonate weight percent of 16.08%. A sediment sample interpreted as a bentonite yielded a 29.24% carbonate weight percent.

Figure 3. (A): Gryphaea fossil specimen collected from White Rock Canyon. (B): Riya, Adriana, and Gabe collecting sediment samples at Hab Ridge.

Project 7
Title: Mars Exploration by Origami Robot and Drone Scouting or Transportation
Author(s): Aditya Arjun Anibha
Description, activities, and results: Objectives of this study were to apply the concept of transformable origami robots that can exhibit multiple types of locomotion and test their ability to supplement Martian exploration. Investigating the feasibility of transporting the robot using drone and scouting locations of interest prior to exploration was also conducted.
During EVA 3 to Pooh’s Corner, the drone was tested for its carrying capacity within stability limits using a cardboard box container carrying rocks with a suspended transparent fishing line harness to avoid sensor interference and to keep the payload at safer proximity than taping it onto the drone. It was able to carry up to 350 grams before wobbling due to swinging or when directly underneath the drone’s height sensor. The drone would therefore be better used to support the robot rather than carry it due to weight limits.
During EVA 7 to Cowboy Corner, the robot was tested for its ability to traverse mild rocky, uneven and sloped terrain with varied distributions of rocks between 1 cm to 3 cm in diameter. It successfully traveled at a speed of 0.3 m/s for 8 meters in its closed wheel configuration and 57 meters in its open wheel configuration, while supported by a tugging string to lighten its weight to simulate Martian conditions. It climbed three mounds with slope angles varying up to a maximum of 20 degrees.
During EVA 8 to Candor Chasma, the robot traversed two hills of distances 13 meters and 32 meters respectively over mixed rocky and sandy terrain with highly uneven characteristics with the maximum slope angle up to 45 degrees.
Across EVAs and in the Hab, the robot was tested using peristaltic motion with its transformable and controlled origami body as well as jumping about 5 cm allowing it to overcome small obstacles and travel in complex terrain unsuitable for wheels. The robot’s total scale-measured mass on Earth is about 1.5 kg. Its effective scale-measured mass reduced to around 0.9 kg when vertically tugged or supported, which is higher than its expected scale-measured mass on Mars of 0.6 kg. Therefore, we can determine that it would operate freely without the need for a tug-assist on Mars and is an effective method of exploration for uneven terrain that wheeled vehicles cannot traverse safely.

Figure 4. A transformable origami robot with multiple modes of locomotion undergoing tests at a hill near Cowboy Corner, traversing a rocky mound in its open-wheel climbing configuration.

Project 8
Title: Miniaturized Martian Agrivoltaics
Author(s): Eshaana Aurora
Description, activities, and results: Objectives of this project were to 1) comprehensively test the impact of solar and artificial irradiation on crop yields within an enclosed, module-like environment and 2) to understand the feasibility of a miniaturized agrivoltaic farm within the MDRS Greenhab.
The mini farm was successfully assembled in a discreet corner of the Greenhab. Low humidity in the Greenhab was addressed with a makeshift solution—cling wrap placed on top of pots secured by rubber bands with a few open spots for ventilation. Once the saplings had sprouted, the cling wrap was removed, allowing the plants to breathe with higher frequency watering rounds. Notably, the results highlighted that the fully shaded Kale began sprouting around Sol 6, while Bermuda grass seedlings emerged during Sol 9. The findings also underscored that the most robust seed growth occurred in the fully and partially shaded regions, exhibiting more shoots compared to the non-shaded ones, which displayed lower performance as indicated in Figure X.
Following successful troubleshooting and error management, the Arduino and sensors, including temperature, IV Tracer, and solar irradiation sensors, were fully operational for the last few Sols. Each technical issue encountered was meticulously documented, and the datasets were uploaded to a Google Folder. The only dataset that proved elusive was the tracking of shadow depth across a specific Sol, owing to camera problems and cloudy weather at the culmination of our mission.
Importantly, the results indicate the potential advantages of an integrated Agriculture and Photovoltaic (AV) greenhouse module system over separate configurations. The presence of panels and shade not only influenced the microclimate of the plants but also demonstrated the capability to protect plants from the harsh solar radiation on Mars. This underscores the feasibility of an AV system, making it a crucial consideration for optimizing Martian colonization efforts. As we look towards the future of extraterrestrial habitation, the integration of agricultural and solar technologies emerges as a strategic imperative for sustaining life on Mars.

Figure 5. Mini Agrivoltaic Farm with the three different shaded sections- Full shade [FS] (bottom left), Partial shade [PS] (middle left) with 45° angled panels to limit sunlight, and No shade [NS] (top left). Kale was planted on the left row of the mini farm and C4 Bermuda grass was planted on the right. The fully shaded plants performed far better than the non shaded ones further fortifying the feasibility of mini AV farms on space greenhouse modules.

Project 9
Title: Image Scanning of MDRS Campus and Surrounding Terrain
Author(s): Riya Raj
Description, activities, and results: Goals for this project were to evaluate the LiDAR, Photo, Room, and 360 Scan modes on IOS Polycam. Obtaining proper visual structures of surrounding terrain is important for expansion and development. For the mission, my project utilized Polycam on IOS to help get terrain structures of the MDRS Campus and nearby areas. Since MDRS is a growing program, we should also look into things that will help with further research! For example, our recent crew EVAs were helpful in identifying large terrain and flat terrain that could potentially be used for solar farming or other habitats. My album includes 500+ scans of the MDRS campus, flat plains, and major structures of Hab Ridge, Kissing Camel, Candor Chasma, etc. This lets us know what exists and what things could be improved for development. Most scans showcase layering, formations, and structure of the terrain. LiDAR also helps with hazard assessments to scan what large rocks could pose a threat in areas of frequent visitors. Within the field of Civil Engineering, such scanning can also help the Earth and people. We can experiment on solutions that can help preserve our beautiful planet while creating the best living places for people/wildlife to thrive!

Figure 6. Left Figure: MDRS Campus, Middle Figure: Terrain Scan of Hab Ridge, Right Figure: White Rock Canyon Elevated Structure

Project 10

Title: Oxidative Stress Simulation with Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2) in Kale Seed Hydroponics
Author: Riya Raj
Description, activities, and results: This project aimed to simulate the effects of UV radiation on plants to research more into sustainability and bioregenerative methods.
Hydroponics is a good example of controlled agricultural practices that can help increase plant growth rates and health. During my time at MDRS, I have been using 12-hour intervals with a control vs. variable experiment. The variable experiment includes the addition of H2O2 with the hydroponics module to compare the plant roots and leaves. Supporting data and conclusions will come from:
1) Image scans of the roots/leaves
2) Monitoring the water pH/temp, surrounding temp/humidity
3) Plant cell structure comparisons with microscope views.
Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) can induce oxidative stress in cells through its role as a reactive oxygen species (ROS). Reactive oxygen species are highly reactive molecules that contain oxygen and include species such as superoxide radicals (O2•−), hydroxyl radicals (•OH), and hydrogen peroxide itself. These species can cause damage to various cellular components, including lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids.
Here’s how hydrogen peroxide can induce oxidative stress:
Formation of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS): When hydrogen peroxide is present in cells, it can undergo reactions to generate other more reactive ROS, such as hydroxyl radicals. This often occurs in the presence of metal ions like iron or copper, which can participate in Fenton and Haber-Weiss reactions. These reactions involve the conversion of hydrogen peroxide to hydroxyl radicals, which are particularly potent oxidizing agents.
H2O2 + Fe2+ → •OH + OH- + Fe3+
Oxidation of Biomolecules: Once generated, ROS can react with and oxidize various cellular components. For example:
Lipid Peroxidation: ROS can attack and damage lipid membranes, leading to lipid peroxidation. This process produces lipid radicals that can initiate a chain reaction, damaging the cell membrane.
Protein Oxidation: ROS can oxidize amino acid residues in proteins, altering their structure and function. This can lead to the loss of enzymatic activity or changes in protein structure.
DNA Damage: ROS can cause damage to the DNA structure, leading to mutations and potentially cell death.
Activation of Stress Signaling Pathways: The presence of hydrogen peroxide and other ROS can activate cellular signaling pathways involved in stress responses. Plants, for example, have evolved signaling pathways that respond to oxidative stress by activating various defense mechanisms.
Cellular Dysfunction: The cumulative effects of ROS-induced damage to lipids, proteins, and DNA can lead to cellular dysfunction and, in severe cases, cell death.
While hydrogen peroxide is a natural byproduct of various cellular processes and can serve as a signaling molecule at low concentrations, an excessive accumulation of hydrogen peroxide and other ROS can tip the balance towards oxidative stress. Researchers often use hydrogen peroxide to induce oxidative stress in laboratory experiments to study the cellular responses to such stress and gain insights into the mechanisms of oxidative damage and defense.
Radiation can cause oxidative stress in plants through the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). When plants are exposed to ionizing radiation, such as gamma rays or X-rays, it can lead to the formation of free radicals and other reactive molecules. These reactive species can then participate in redox reactions, inducing oxidative stress in plant cells.
Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) play important roles in plant biology, and their interactions are crucial for various physiological processes. While ROS can include a variety of free radicals and reactive molecules, hydrogen peroxide is a type of ROS that is particularly relevant in signaling pathways and stress responses in plants.
The results from the scans, photos comparisons, and microscopic views shows that the oxidative stress on the kale plants caused significant leaf and root damage. The hydrogen peroxide caused the kale roots to have short and static growths. They were not continuous and strong compared to the normal H2O roots. The leaves were also bigger in size in the normal experiment, while the hydrogen peroxide caused browning of some of the leaves. Within the microscopic views, the root structure of the normal water experiment showed more rigidity with the xylem and phloem stems.

Project 11
Title: Indoor Air Quality
Author: Riya Raj
Description, activities, and results: The objective for this project was to utilize EPA Indoor Air Quality Standards to build particle and gas sensors.
The importance of air quality is imperative for life support systems here on Earth, ISS, and future life support systems maybe on the Moon or Mars. Maintaining good indoor air quality is crucial for promoting a healthy, comfortable, and productive indoor environment, as well as preventing potential long-term health effects associated with exposure to indoor pollutants. An excess of compounds or particles in the air could cause dizziness, nausea, respiratory diseases, and many other dangerous health issues. There are many countries suffering from the impact of climate change. Learning to properly ventilate areas and keep the air clean will not only keep us healthy, but also improve health on the Earth.
Particulate Matter (PM) includes a mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets found in the air. Some of the particles are too small to be seen with the naked eye and using an electron microscope would be helpful. These “fine” particles could be smaller than 2.5 micrometers and the “inhalable coarse” particles can be smaller than 10 micrometers. Other particles can be large enough to see such as dirt, soot, dust, and smoke.
PM can come from many sources that seem normal to us in our daily lives such as, nitrogen oxide and sulfur dioxide chemical emissions from power plants, industries, and automobiles. The primary particles can be emitted from smokestacks, fires, unpaved roads, fields, and construction sites. The EPA is helpful in creating regulations for the number of particles based on indoor air pollution. Complications of PM include:
Health: It can cause many issues based on the particle size that infiltrates your lungs and it even enters your bloodstream. Most of this can contribute to common respiratory lung diseases and even lung cancer.
Environmental Damage: The particles can eventually settle in the water or on the ground after being carried in the wind over long distances. The water sources can become acidic, soil nutrients can slowly deplete, crops/forest can become sensitive, eventually harming the wildlife.
Visible Impairment: If the particle stays within the atmosphere, it can create haze especially in many parts of an industrial country.
Aesthetic Damage: Most buildings weather away over time due to water or wind, the particle pollution can also stain.
Hypercapnia (hypercarbia) occurs when too much carbon dioxide enters a person’s bloodstream. This can occur when more than 5,000 ppm of CO2 poses a health risk including high chronic levels related to inflammation, reduction in cognitive abilities, kidney calcification, oxidative stress, etc. The minimum amount should be as low as 1,000 ppm and it could be a factor to consider with room occupancy and building ventilation rates.
Regulating carbon dioxide levels in the International Space Station is imperative since microgravity can cause the air to circulate around a person’s face. Our gravity on Earth helps redirect our breath upward when exhaling. Within the microgravity environment, there is a lack of convective buoyancy that results in an environment that becomes diffusion-limited. More research should be explored within this area to help our astronauts work better in long duration space missions!
Sensors were built, but due to delivery issues, concrete data was not collected. The proper data will be collected upon returning to Purdue.