Category: Journalist Report

“Step by Step, Cable by Cable”
After a late night pushing through MDRS research, wrapping up abstracts, and chipping away at Ph.D. dissertations, Crew 305 rose this morning at around 7:45 AM. Spruha started the day by making eggs for everyone—a simple but welcome breakfast—before returning to the challenge of wiring up the rover for its first EVA test. When we hit a snag with the Raspberry Pi (no proper cables on hand), Monish stepped in to help. He quickly pivoted to installing ROS on Spruha’s desktop, ensuring the Pi’s software configuration could move forward without delay.
Meanwhile, Rashi balanced her COMMS duties with some kitchen creativity, putting together a veggie side dish to accompany leftover spaghetti for lunch. Out on EVA 07, Ian, Hunter, and Peter ventured to Kissing Camel to collect stream measurements and soil samples. They returned around 1:00 PM, and we all shared a midday meal before getting on with the rest of the day’s tasks.
Peter set up his experiment on the lower deck for a round of cognitive tests, and everyone took turns tackling the challenges. Upstairs, Spruha and Monish pressed on with the rover’s wiring until and got it done by 5:00 PM. With that done, Peter introduced two more team puzzles as part of his human factors research. This time, we felt good about our performance and the cooperative energy in the Hab.
As a break from the day’s more serious work, we turned to Peter’s VR headset—a tool for his research that has also become a source of group entertainment. Beat Saber sessions, set to a soundtrack of Britney Spears hits, have been a surprising hit and a way to unwind. Tonight, Hunter, Monish, and Rashi took their turns in VR, taking a moment to laugh and reconnect.
By early evening, Ian had assembled a Tuna Spinach Pasta that provided a comforting, hearty dinner. At 7:00 PM, we gathered together, and dove into writing our reports. The day may have started with a few technical hiccups, but problem-solving and teamwork carried us through—step by step, cable by cable.

Spruha worked late into the night installing the OS on her Raspberry Pi, so most of us didn’t stir until around 8:00 AM. By then, Monish had already made omelettes for everyone, customizing each just a bit—more veggies for some, extra cheese for others. We had three tracks playing quietly in the background, including that song Spruha, Monish, and Hunter all really like, which helped us start the day on a good note.
After breakfast, we reviewed our plans. Mission Support advised that the day would be cloudy, so we agreed to keep the Hab running in low power mode. Spruha’s code, which had reached 85% overnight, still had 15% to go. We were all hoping it would be done by 11:30 PM. Meanwhile, Rashi continued expanding her research document, now at four pages. Monish focused on sensor tests for his experiment. Peter tidied up the Hab and planned to send out exit surveys for the human factors study.
Before the EVA, Ian prepared a simple lunch of rice and chicken. On EVA, Ian and Hunter took stream measurements and collected paleosol samples, while Spruha scouted a site for rover tests and our upcoming media day. The good news came in while they were still outside: Spruha’s code finished uploading around 12:45 PM.
Back inside, Rashi kept working through her notes, and Peter did another round of dishes, occasionally glancing through the windows to check on the team. Monish set up the global dashboard. After the EVA crew returned at about 1:35 PM, they took out the rovers and headed over to Zubrin’s head. The comms team recorded the rover range and battery levels. Once everyone got back, we took a short break.
Later in the afternoon, Spruha returned to the rover, and Hunter slipped over to the GreenHab for his own research tasks. Ian and Rashi spent some time on their schoolwork. Spruha and Monish teamed up to inspect the rover’s wiring and may have pinpointed the source of a persistent issue. By 6:00 PM, it was time for reports and dinner. Rashi prepared black bean burger patties, and we settled in for a quiet evening, looking back on another busy day

We are onto something, guys… Just this one more, and then we are golden!

Sol 9 began with the crew easing into the day between 7 and 9 AM. Rashi, the Crew Journalist, started her morning with some life planning, jotting down things she’d like to accomplish before the year wraps up. Peter, the Health and Safety Officer, was up by 7:30 AM and spent some quiet time reading a book. Spruha, our Crew Engineer, got straight to work at 7:45 AM, debugging the rover. She carefully checked each wiring connection on the circuit board to figure out why the power wasn’t flowing through properly. It turned out to be a loose connection, and Monish joined in to help troubleshoot. Together, they debated whether soldering was the best fix—it would secure the connection but make it harder to repair in the future. They decided to solder, and it worked.

Meanwhile, Hunter cleaned the kitchen before heading to the GreenHab to check on his experiment. Ian, Peter, and Rashi worked on their respective devices and research. As EVA time approached, Ian prepared a quick tuna spinach salad for everyone. Spruha, Ian, and Rashi got suited up while the rest of the crew helped them prep. Since the rover wasn’t ready for the EVA, Spruha removed a wheel to test it manually in the field. This was a walking EVA, so no rovers were used. The team exited from the RAM as planned and focused on testing the wheel, collecting stream measurements, and, as always, keeping an eye out for any interesting observations. Back at the Hab, Hunter and Peter handled comms, maintaining support for the EVA crew.

Once the EVA team returned, everyone settled in for snacks and Peter’s cognitive testing. Each crew member took turns completing the tests while Spruha and Monish continued their work on the rover. Rashi kept up with her documentation, and Ian and Hunter worked on their individual projects. As 6 PM approached, the team moved into the familiar routine of writing reports together before the comms window opened. Dinner was a collaborative effort: Hunter made Okonomiyaki with homemade barbecue sauce, and Monish prepared a hearty chicken soup.

The day was productive and filled with small wins, capped off with a shared meal and some downtime. With each passing sol, the crew continues to problem-solve, adapt, and move forward.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Valles Wrap Up
Last night, the crew was busy wrapping up their research documentation and writing the final mission summary and research report. We finished Pulp Fiction and played a lively game of Coup. Some of us kept working or reading into the night, while others eventually made their way to bed.
Sol 12 – the last day of the simulation! We’re finally here. This morning started with six songs—one for each of us in the crew. Hunter, the only one who knew everyone’s favorite song, challenged us to guess each other’s picks. Peter and Monish scored 3/5, while Ian, Spruha, and I managed 1/5. Almost everyone guessed Hunter’s favorite song correctly. Ian made pancakes for breakfast, which we devoured with syrup, Nutella, and freeze-dried strawberries. After breakfast, we jumped back into writing reports—three of them were due today!
Later in the morning, Ian, Hunter, and Monish suited up for their EVA with help from Peter, Spruha, and me. The EVA team headed to Campus Rock to take stream measurements, collect soil samples, and encountered cryptobiotic soil—fragile, living layers of organisms in arid regions that take decades to recover if damaged. Back at the Hab, Peter, Spruha, and I rotated comms duties. Spruha worked on packing the rover into its Pelican suitcase, and I captured a few videos for social media. Before long, the EVA crew returned, and Spruha quickly whipped up some spaghetti for lunch while the EVA team debriefed.
By 1:00 PM, the whole crew was hard at work wrapping up 12 Sols of mission reports, summaries, and research documentation. We also began the task of cleaning the Hab, preparing it for Crew 306.
Reflecting on these 12 Sols, we’ve collected valuable data that we hope will contribute to our PhD research, future conference presentations, or even proposals for upcoming studies. At 5:00 PM MT today, we officially exit the simulation. Crew 305, Valles, hands it over to Crew 306, Montes.

Last report, 9:00 PM, we had no power, and we broke the Sim so that Mission Support could come and work with us. We had connected the Hab, space heater in the GreenHab, and Mission Support trailers to the spare generator in the RAM. Ben, from mission support, made a run to the town to get some more fuel. Eventually, we were able to get the generator to generate power to have the furnace in the Hab running and the space heater in the GreenHab. With no power to the trailers, the Mission Support at 10:00 PM, decided it was best for them to sleep the night at the Hab where the furnace was on to keep everyone warm. After coordinating with the Crew 305, we helped them move two mattresses in the Hab and made sleeping accommodations. We had Jules make a pleasant guest appearance in our Hab. With a non-functioning fridge, we kept all the food in the fridge in one of the airlocks. Everyone went to bed between 11:30 PM to midnight. Morning of Sol 4, the crew and Mission Support woke up between 7:00 – 8:00 AM. Between 8:00 AM – 11:00 AM, Mission Support with help of the crew cleared the Hab of any extensions. Power was transitioned to solar, and the Habitat returned to full functionality. With power back, the Mission Support had the crew enter back in the Sim between 10:45 AM and 11:00 AM. Sol 4 was no EVA Day! The crew decided it was best to have Sol 4 focus on organizing and documenting the research that’s been made so far and make progress on the research that can be done within the Hab. Spruha and Ian made breakfast. Rashi made lunch, and Hunter made dinner. Spruha made progress on the Rover. Monish was able to get the temperature sensor working and is looking for places to place his sensor in the Hab. Rashi documented research from previous days EVAs, and constructed functionality diagrams for EVA and the power systems in the Hab. Peter got his PC back up and running for the crew’s cognitive tests tomorrow. Hunter made progress in setting up his research in the Green Hab. Ian reported on the previous EVAs and made plans for the next EVA. Everyone got some of their schoolwork and research done as well. After dinner, we opened Day 12 of the Advent calendar, before turning in our reports to the Mission Support.

Last night, we played a game of Coup, worked on our school stuff, and went to bed. This morning, people woke up late, around 8:00 AM. We played Titanium and Three Little Birds for morning music. Hunter, our crew commander, made breakfast which we all ate. Ian, Rashi, and Monish went for EVA 05 on Sol 5. We did EVA 05 at Eos. Ian collected some stream measurements for his research, and Rashi and Monish helped with it. Some content for the social media was also taken during this EVA. Back at the Hab, Peter put computers together for his cognitive testing which would take place from 2 – 5. Spruha worked on the rover, and the Hunter checked off some Green-Hab tasks. Spruha made “Red Lobster” biscuits with garlic butter with some freshly cooked vegetable soup and Apple Cider. The crew came back and enjoyed their meal. We took turns on doing the cognitive testing for Peter. At around 3:45 PM, we lost power again, but it was quickly fixed by Mission Support. Spruha finished her last school assignment and will now be working on setting up Raspberry Pi for her rovers. Ian got done with his Teaching Assistant responsibilities and has planned EVAs for the rest of the stay here. Rashi documented the Science Dome and drew functional mappings of different elements in the Dome and what keeps the Dome going. Monish got done with assembling both his sensor packets, and setting up the website for the two, and will now see how his sensors can communicate with each other. Lastly, before dinner, Hunter and Spruha recorded the Green-Hab for some social media content. Arugula, Basil, Thyme, and Parsley were harvested.

Last night after dinner and report submissions, Monish surprised us with a fixed Grogu, which he has named Andres. Crew members had mixed feelings about it, but we’ve all learnt our ways to be around it, or behind it. The crew members worked for a little bit, before heading out for stargazing while everyone. It was the Geminid meteor shower. Some crew members saw more stars than others, but it was still fun. The crew headed back to the Hab around 11:00 PM, winded down for a little bit before calling it a day. Fun fact: Crew Journalist is mostly the first one up every morning, unless other people are up as well, and don’t make their way into the leaving room. Today, the Crew Journalist got up at 5:00 AM, and read Life of Pi before she started to document her research thus far on MDRS. It’s been a good book so far; I’d recommend reading it 5/10. Very humbly written. Ian made coffee and oats for breakfast. Spruha and Rashi worked during comms. In the morning we played Spruha and Peter’s songs. It was another EVA Day for Ian, Monish, and Peter. It was Peter’s first long EVA! Hunter, Spruha, and Rashi get to stay back in the Hab and focus on their individual research projects. Spruha worked on getting the rover ready for testing. She is working on the software side of it now. Rashi started documenting her research for the mid-simulation update. At 12:50 PM when the EVA crew got back, everyone had left over spaghetti for lunch. Hunter left for the GreenHab to work on the GreenHab to take care of the plants. The mission support team came to the RAM to provide maintenance to the RAM. Afterwards, Monish went to the RAM to work on his sensors and get some more soldering work done. At 5:00 PM, Monish came back, and Hunter started cooking semi-processed alien meat and fried rice. We are all either relaxing today or working on reports and planning or working towards research for the rest of the days.

Today was Day 1 for Crew 305. Crew woke up between 6 – 8 PM. We sent everyone’s top 5 favorite songs to the Mission Commander prior to the mission, so we played one of them this morning and everyone else guessed whose favorite song it was. That was the morning music. Breakfast had cereal with no milk, and coffee with no milk. After breakfast, we prepared for our first two EVAs for the Marble Ritual. EVA 1 had Hunter Vannier, Ian Parmerleau, and Peter Zoss. EVA 2 had Hunter Vannier, Rashi Jain, and Monish Lokhande. Spruha missed her Marble Ritual due to a control’s final—but she will do so tomorrow on EVA 3. EVA Sentiment: Mars was windy today. While EVA 2 was out, Ian and Peter made couscous and chickpeas for the entire crew. We all had lunch together after both EVAs. Afterwards, we helped Peter in his experiment by giving 30 minutes cognition test. Spruha’s exam went well. We all worked a little, preparing for some of the research that we proposed for this mission, and doing some of our own work. At around 6 PM, we started to assemble content for our reports for the first comm submission window. Spruha (main chef), and Monish (sous-chef) prepared dinner: Mac and Cheese. We just managed to get all our reports in, just in time.