Category: Journalist Report

by Marina Buqueras Rovira

ES

Sol 5

7 am Temprano en Marte, el Commander encabeza el despertar de la tripulación. Hoy nos espera una larga actividad extravehicular “EVA”. Chocolate con leche, zumo de naranja, galletas o cereales es nuestro desayuno.

9 am Andrea, David y Luis inician la misión EVA3, la importancia de su salida es conseguir capturar imágenes con el drone para así poder generar un ortomosaico en 3D para la EVA siguiente. Estuvieron casi 3 horas en pleno sol caminando por Candor Chasma, de vuelta Opportuniy y Perseverance, les regresan a la base cansados aunque entusiasmados!

Mientras la tripulación de la EVA3 examinaba la zona y cumplía con su misión, el resto preparaban el almuerzo con cariño.

12 pm Hoy tenemos arroz con lentejas y bacon, también espinacas con champiñones. Unos recuperan la fuerza y los demás cargan las pilas para la EVA4.

13:30 pm Tomás, Andrés y Marina, están listos para su misión. La eficacia de Luis hace posible que nuestra ruta estuviera perfectamente trazada en el mapa, también nos proporcionó información del cañón en 3D para prevenir cualquier peligro. Nuestra misión se enfocó en llegar a Candor Chasma con los rovers Curiosity y Spirit y seguir andando por el cañón. Después de 4 horas llegamos a la base con muestras y con la certeza de haber concluido satisfactoriamente la EVA4.

17 pm La tarde se presenta tranquila, entre bromas y chanzas. Nos preparamos para la CapCom y hoy tiene pinta de noche de juegos!

¡Nos vemos mañana!

EN

Sol 5

7 am Early in the morning on Mars, the Commander leads the crew’s awakening. Today, a long extravehicular activity "EVA" awaits us. Milk chocolate, orange juice, cookies, and cereals make up our breakfast.

9 am Andrea, David, and Luis are beginning the EVA3 mission. The importance of their outing is to capture images with the drone in order to generate a 3D orthomosaic for the next EVA. They spent nearly 3 hours walking under the blazing sun in Candor Chasma. On their return, Opportunity and Perseverance welcomed them back to the base, tired but excited!

While the Crew the EVA3 was examining the area and fulfilling its mission, the rest lovingly prepared lunch.

12 pm Today, we have rice with lentils and bacon, as well as spinach with mushrooms. Some regain their strength, while the others recharge for EVA4.

1:30 pm Tomas, Andres, and Marina are ready for their mission. Luis’s efficiency ensured that our route was perfectly plotted on the map. He also provided us with 3D canyon information to prevent any danger. Our mission focused on reaching Candor Chasma with the Curiosity and Spirit rovers and continuing to walk through the canyon. After 4 hours, we returned to the base with samples and the certainty of having successfully completed EVA4.

5 pm The afternoon presents itself calmly, with jokes and banter. We are preparing for CapCom, and tonight looks like game night!
See you tomorrow!

by Marina Buqueras Rovira

ES

¡El que persevera, alcanza!

Sol 3

La noche terminó con los sentimientos al máximo, el agotamiento nos arropaba aunque la satisfacción de lo conseguido nos hacía vibrar de felicidad, ¡las risas nos hacen hasta llorar!

¡Amaneció tranquilo…, el amanecer aquí es tan bonito!

9:30 am Desayunamos y empezamos a poner en marcha cada uno de los trabajos planificados para hoy.

La limpieza general en el Hab entre todos, Andrés acabando el inventario de los alimentos (nos tiene las galguerías, golosinas, dulces, chucherías… bien restringidas), Luis concentrado y obteniendo imágenes inimaginables del cielo diariamente, Andrea se prepara para iniciar las mezclas y obtener el almidón en el ScienceDome, Tomás con los receptores gps…

La mañana pasa muy rápido, tan concentrados…

14:30 pm Tom y Marina cocinaron a dúo el almuerzo para la tripulación, hoy tenemos brócoli con boniato y zanahoria acompañado de puré de patatas. Y el momento sobremesa nos recompone el alma.

17 pm La tarde siguió con calma pero sin pausa, Andrés se dirige al Greenhab a fertilizar y los demás enfocados en sus tareas y proyectos.

Mañana más y mejor!

EN

The one who perseveres, achieves!

Sol 3

The night ended with emotions running high, exhaustion enveloping us even as the satisfaction of our achievements made us thrilled with happiness – laughter making us even cry!

The morning dawned peacefully; the sunrise here is so beautiful!
9:30 am We had breakfast and began to set each of today’s tasks in motion.

General cleaning in the Hab, Andrés finishing the food inventory (he has our snacks, treats, sweets, and candies well rationed), Luis focused on capturing unbelievable images of the sky daily, Andrea is getting ready to start the mixtures and obtain starch in the ScienceDome, Tomás with the GPS receivers…

The morning goes by so fast, so focused…

2:30 pm Tom and Marina cooked lunch together for the crew. Today we had broccoli with sweet potato and carrot accompanied by mashed potatoes. And the post-meal moment reassembles our souls.

5 pm The afternoon continued calmly but without pause, Andrés headed to the Greenhab to fertilize, and the others focused on their tasks.

More and better tomorrow!

by Marina Buqueras

ES

La tripulación se adapta a los EVA en el día de Halloween.

Sol 2

8 am Empezamos el día de Halloween con buena música en el Hab y un desayuno para llenarnos de energía!

No hay tiempo que perder y todos empezamos a prepararnos para los EVA que planificamos para la prueba de adaptación. Luis concentrado revisando los drones y confirmando las rutas, Tomás en el RAM ajustando el sensor para colocarlo al generador, Andrea rallando los alimentos para su proyecto. Andrés re-colocando nuestra comida deshidratada para el inventario y administrar los dulces!

¡Preparados, listos y ya estamos dejando nuestra huella en Marte!

EVA1

11:00 am La primera EVA arranca con emoción capitaneado el XO and Anastronomer Luis, Greenhab Officer Andrés y Journalist Marina. Los rovers Curiosity y Spirit fueron los elegidos para llevarnos a “Marble Ritual" donde recogimos muestras y volamos el drone de forma programada para tomar las imágenes con las cuales Luis hará magia. Vivimos momentos de duda y tensión però las decisiones que tomamos acompañados siempre de nuestro Commander des de la base nos regresaron al Hab con seguridad.

12:30 pm En la base el olor de la comida nos revivió después del esfuerzo realizado con esmero. Andrea, David y Tomás nos hicieron increíbles hamburguesas con queso y cebolla y las acompañaron con el pan que Marina cocinó por la mañana.

EVA2

1:30 pm David liderando el EVA, Andrea y Tomás ya están en la esclusa de aire a punto de salir (5 min de descompresión)… Llevan a Perseverance y Opportunity hasta el generador, localizado en el ScienceDome, donde Tomás trabajó duro para colocar el sensor, seguidamente conducen los rovers hasta Marble Ritual, allí caminan con dedicación, hacen vídeos y imágenes con el drone y recogen más muestras de arena, más rojizas que las recogidas en el EVA1, para elaborar la mezcla con la que trabaja Andrea.
Siempre comunicados con la base y sin incidentes vuelven con muy buenas sensaciones.

15 pm Todos estamos en el Hab y los nervios y cansancio se convierten en sonrisas e ilusiones con los resultados que se están obteniendo tan exitosos.

La música nos motiva para seguir trabajando y nuestro argentino Tomás, ilustra a la tripulación con una masterclass de cultura sobre tomar mate, y así socializando y compartiendo jerga mexicana, colombiana, peruana, española y argentina, empezamos con los checks list, reports…

Y ya llega la noche de Halloween en Marte, empieza la diversión que nos merecemos con creces, pizza para cenar, disfraces, y más.

Buenas noches!

EN

The crew is adapting to EVAs on Halloween.

Sol 2

8 am We start Halloween day with good music in the Hab and a breakfast to fuel us up!

There’s no time to waste, and we all begin to prepare for the EVAs we planned for the adaptation test. Luis is focused on checking the drones and confirming the routes, Tomás is adjusting the sensor in the RAM to place it on the generator, Andrea is grating the food for her project. Andrés is rearranging our dehydrated food for inventory and managing the sweets!

Ready, set, and we are already leaving our mark on Mars!

EVA1

11:00 am The first EVA kicks off with excitement, led by XO and Anastronomer Luis, Greenhab Officer Andrés, and Journalist Marina. The Curiosity and Spirit rovers were chosen to take us to "Marble Ritual" where we collected samples and flew the drone as scheduled to take the images with which Luis will work his magic. We experienced moments of doubt and tension, but the decisions we made, always accompanied by our Commander from the base, brought us back to the Hab safely.

12:30 pm The smell of food revived us at the base after the effort made with care. Andrea, David, and Tomás made us incredible burgers with cheese and onions, accompanied by the bread that Marina baked in the morning.

EVA2

1:30 pm David is leading the EVA, Andrea and Tomás are already in the airlock ready to go out (5 minutes of decompression)… They take Perseverance and Opportunity to the generator located in the ScienceDome, where Tomás worked hard to place the sensor, then they drive the rovers to Marble Ritual. There, they walk with dedication, make videos and images with the drone, and collect more samples of sand, more reddish than those collected in EVA1, to make the mixture that Andrea works with. Always in communication with the base and returning without incidents with very good feelings.

3 pm We are all in the Hab, and the nerves and tiredness turn into smiles and excitement with the successful results we are achieving.

The music motivates us to keep working, and our Argentine Tomás enlightens the crew with a cultural masterclass on drinking mate. Thus, socializing and sharing Mexican, Colombian, Peruvian, Spanish, and Argentine slang, we start with the checklists, reports…

And now Halloween night is coming on Mars, the well-deserved fun begins with pizza for dinner, costumes, and more.

Good night!

ES

Bienvenidos, aquí está nuestra casa Marciana.

Sol 0

Bajo un sol marciano ardiente, por fin llegamos a la base de MDRS, después del viaje liderado por David, nuestro Commander. A continuación descargamos y entramos con ilusión a nuestra nueva casa marciana, como dice Andrea, la HSO de la crew.

¡Nos esperaba un comienzo apasionante!

Nuestras emociones seguían a flor de piel, y juntos, recorrimos la base con diligencia y finalmente realizamos los chequeos técnicos con destreza, principalmente, los dispositivos de seguridad y la salud de los tripulantes, necesarios para complir con la CapCom, y así iniciar nuestra simulación con éxito.

Concluimos la pre-misión con la imagen de la tripulación y nuestras banderas ondeantes, capturando así toda la alegría del día!

Sol 1

6:30 am, el día se levantó con el cielo espectacular en MDRS y seguíamos con la adrenalina al 100%, gracias a nuestro XO and Astronomer, Luis, con su excitante propuesta para observar a simple vista la Estación Espacial Tiangong, él capturó el momento eterno y vibrante en una foto.

8:30 am David elaboró el planning y nos recordó las tareas que habíamos acordado para el día de hoy.

10 am En el desayuno, Andrea nos sirvió huevos revueltos con esmero, mientras compartimos palabras sinónimas de nuestro distintos países de habla hispana, en un ambiente sincero. Sus consejos de hidratación también fueron indispensables.

11 am En Marte donde los sueños se entrelazan y nuestras mentes se agudizan, los proyectos se llenan de creatividad y la emoción se eleva, compartida.

En la mesa los portátiles sacan humo para escribir nuestros EVAs request, paralelamente, el GreenHab Officer, Andrés y el Engineer, Tomás, se preparan bien para llevar a cabo sus arduos proyectos.

14pm Entre conversaciones y risas de la crew, la diversión se expande en la cocina marciana, donde con ingenio y pasión desbordante, nuestro "Chef" Engineer Tomás, despliega su arte en los platos que nos sirve para degustar llenándonos de fuerza y alimentándonos el alma.

16h En la vastedad de Marte, la Tierra se recuerda con nostalgia, y en el corazón del Commander y el XO, recuerdos. Sus palabras e historias nos hacen más amenos y livianos estos momentos.

Su responsabilidad pesa como la gravedad, pero la emoción de dejar una marca perdura, y con cada logro, cada avance, se revela el esfuerzo conjunto.
La simpatía y unión se entrelazan en las felicitaciones y apoyos de nuestro Commander, tejiendo así vínculos y gestos de amistad entre la tripulación.

Escrito por Marina Buqueras, Journalist Crew 285, MDRS.

EN

Welcome, here is our Martian home.

Sol 0

Under a scorching Martian sun, we finally arrived at the MDRS base after the journey led by David, our Commander. We unloaded and eagerly entered our new Martian home, as stated by Andrea, the crew’s HSO.

An exciting beginning awaited us!

Our emotions remained on edge, together, we diligently toured the base and finally performed technical checks with skill, primarily on the safety devices and the health of the crew, necessary to comply with Capcom, and thus successfully initiate our simulation

We concluded the pre-mission with the image of the crew and our fluttering flags, capturing all the joy of the day!

Sol 1

6:30 am, the day rose with the spectacular Martian sky at MDRS, and we were still at 100% adrenaline, thanks to our XO and Astronomer, Luis, with his exciting proposal to observe the Tiangong Space Station with the naked eye. He captured the eternal and vibrant moment in a photo.

8:30 am David created the plan and reminded us of the tasks we had agreed upon for the day.

10 am At breakfast, Andrea served scrambled eggs with care, while we shared synonymous words from our various Spanish-speaking countries in a sincere atmosphere. Your hydration tips were also indispensable.

11 am On Mars, where dreams intertwine and our minds sharpen, projects brim with creativity and excitement, shared among us. Laptops on the table are working overtime to draft our EVA requests, while the Green Hab Officer, Andrés, and the Engineer, Tomás, prepare themselves for their challenging projects.

2 pm Amidst crew conversations and laughter, the fun expands in the Martian kitchen, where with ingenuity and overflowing passion, our "Chef" Engineer Tomás showcases his art in the dishes he serves for us to taste, filling us with strength and nourishing our souls.

4 pm In the vastness of Mars, Earth is remembered with nostalgia, and in the hearts of the Commander and the XO, memories. Their words and stories make these moments more pleasant and light.

Their responsibility weighs like gravity, but the excitement of leaving a mark lingers, and with each achievement, each progress, the collective effort is revealed. Sympathy and unity intertwine in the congratulations and support from our Commander, thus weaving bonds and gestures of friendship among the crew.

Written by Marina Buqueras, Journalist Crew 285, MDRS.

By Loren Scott

8am – Breakfast

9am – The crew finished up the gypsum experimentin the dome lab. The conclusions formed were that in the oven, the gypsum calcified to the point of becoming plaster of paris. The team hypothesized that the H2O trapped in the rock was released as steam causing a chemical reaction. As for the gypsum in the water, we found that it became more clear and glass-like. Both experiments also found that somewhere between 5-10% of the mass was lost. Again, we thought that the water was released into the water and that what was left was slowly dissolving in the water.

10:30 – After the experiment, the crew ended the SIM.

11am – The crew took a hike to look for rocks. The crew saw dinosaur bones embedded into the stone east of the hab as well as some good petrified wood and baryte roses. Then we went up the bluff behind the hab to the Gryphaea bed.

1pm – Lunch and hike debrief.

By Deb DeBerard

This morning we started with a wonderful breakfast of cereal. The favorites were Chocolate Frosted Flakes and Extra Raisin Raisin Bran. We followed this with a quick meeting to go over our day. The first EVA started at 10 am. Darin, Emily and Deb headed out to the rovers where we successfully started two rovers and managed to drive off to the south. We successfully passed through the rocks by the Kissing Camels (unlike the 40’ long camper we found on the other side), escaped the lightning sand and made it to our destination. At the first destination we quickly decided to collect all the good rocks so the other group wouldn’t have any. We searched the glorious wash finding lava rocks, conglomerates, other pretty stones and even a Devil’s Toenail before proceeding to the second site. At the second site it took us a moment to find the correct wash, then we collected all the agate petrified trees we could, leaving nothing for the next group. Return to the Hab was successful.

Upon return to the Hab we had a wonderful lunch of macaroni and cheese, veggie soup and fresh bread. Better than we eat at home! Then we sent Enrique, Jason and Loren out to meet their doom or return triumphant, loaded down with rocks of all shapes and sizes (except all the good ones that we had already taken.)

Back at the Hab, Emily and Deb experienced their first very short showers and got cleaned up for a virtual meeting with Shannon, the research scientist. We discussed the plans for Spaceward Bound, the classroom portion. The goal is to get the Spaceward Bound program into the classroom. As teachers we have many ideas, hopefully some of them will be good and help students who can’t make it to the Hab learn the ways of life on Mars. Then Deb and Emily planted some seeds in the greenhouse for future use.

The second team had a successful mission gathering rocks. Their rovers successfully made it to the planned locations unlike the day before. Their communication was stellar and they had amazing map reading. The wind was nice without being overwhelming. Jason, Enrique and Loren all successfully returned to the Hab with no near death experiences and they even got the rovers back. They were greeted by Wicket at their return and came through the airlocks excited to share their experiences.

The entire group reconvened to investigate rocks with Jen in the science lab. We all now have both Mars and analog rocks in our collections. We also have a lot of other rocks that are just plain cool and we like them. Once our rock collections were complete Darin and Deb figured out the rock id’s of a Utah rock puzzle that Shannon had left them. Enrique and Jason went on a quest for solar flares using the solar observatory. Others returned to the Hab to shower, relax or do some work.

The gang is now all gathered in the upper floor of the Hab while Enrique, Jason and Emily figure out how to make a delicious meal of rice, chickpeas and one little scoop of protein each(chicken). It is smelling good and quite appetizing. We only hope it will taste as good as it smells or we will all be fighting over the Chocolate Frosted Flakes. We look forward to hearing Jen’s story and a video meeting with Shannon tonight.

By Darin Orton

Spaceward Bound
Crew 284
Journal Entry
Tuesday, Oct 24th, 2023

Day began with breakfast all together (scrambled eggs, spam, cheese, and oatmeal).

Following breakfast we met all together in the science dome for a geology lesson and mission objectives for today’s EVAs. We started with a zoom meeting with Dr. Shannon Rupert that included some instruction on Mars’ interesting history and MDRS works well as an analog for the Martian environment. She presented some thought provoking questions about the geologic history of Mars that we were assigned to ponder as we explored the Martian landscape and prepared our own investigations. We plan to revisit the questions at a future meeting later this week.

At the conclusion of the zoom meeting, Hab Commander Jen led a briefing to prep us for the EVA missions. We discussed safety, mission parameters, and goals for the EVA. She supplied us with directions to the two collection sites and the rock types that we need to collect. We then prepared for the first team EVA.

The first team suited up and prepared for departure. They suited up, checked comms, and completed safety checks. After spending 2 mins in the airlock we left the hab and headed for the rovers.

The team experienced battery issues and were unable to reach the collection zones before battery levels dropped below the critical limit and they were required to return to the hab.

Based on the experience of the first crew. The hab commander and mission leadership determined that the rover needed work and for the second EVA we would take the hab car.

This allowed us to take all six crew members with Commander Jen staying behind to lend support from the hab. With the hab car we were able to reach the first collection area and had no trouble collecting the gypsum samples we would need for our analog collections and investigations. We then proceeded to the second collection site to look for sandstone and blueberries for our collection. This took a little longer but we found the samples we needed for our analog collection. We loaded back into the hab car and returned to the hab.

Once at the hab we unloaded our gear and made sure everything was returned and charging. We took our gypsum samples to the science lab and began our investigation led by Commander Jen. For this investigation we are exploring the changes that take place when gypsum is exposed to heat and water. We set our samples up and will monitor them for changes over the next day or two.

We then had some down time before dinner. We ate dinner all together (Taco Tuesday at the hab!

At 7pm we connected once again with Dr. Shannon for a mission debrief. We discussed today’s EVA challenges and successes and got the new mission objectives for tomorrow’s EVAs.

The rover issues seem to be resolved so the plan is to continue the EVAs as planned, in crews of three, one in the morning, another in the afternoon.

Crew is tired but in good spirits. Early bed for all and looking forward to another challenging yet rewarding day on the red planet.

By Darin Orton

Spaceward Bound
Crew 284
Journal Entry
Tuesday, Oct 24th, 2023

Day began with breakfast all together (scrambled eggs, spam, cheese, and oatmeal).

Following breakfast we met all together in the science dome for a geology lesson and mission objectives for today’s EVAs. We started with a zoom meeting with Dr. Shannon Rupert that included some instruction on Mars’ interesting history and MDRS works well as an analog for the Martian environment. She presented some thought provoking questions about the geologic history of Mars that we were assigned to ponder as we explored the Martian landscape and prepared our own investigations. We plan to revisit the questions at a future meeting later this week.

At the conclusion of the zoom meeting, Hab Commander Jen led a briefing to prep us for the EVA missions. We discussed safety, mission parameters, and goals for the EVA. She supplied us with directions to the two collection sites and the rock types that we need to collect. We then prepared for the first team EVA.

The first team suited up and prepared for departure. They suited up, checked comms, and completed safety checks. After spending 2 mins in the airlock we left the hab and headed for the rovers.

The team experienced battery issues and were unable to reach the collection zones before battery levels dropped below the critical limit and they were required to return to the hab.

Based on the experience of the first crew. The hab commander and mission leadership determined that the rover needed work and for the second EVA we would take the hab car.

This allowed us to take all six crew members with Commander Jen staying behind to lend support from the hab. With the hab car we were able to reach the first collection area and had no trouble collecting the gypsum samples we would need for our analog collections and investigations. We then proceeded to the second collection site to look for sandstone and blueberries for our collection. This took a little longer but we found the samples we needed for our analog collection. We loaded back into the hab car and returned to the hab.

Once at the hab we unloaded our gear and made sure everything was returned and charging. We took our gypsum samples to the science lab and began our investigation led by Commander Jen. For this investigation we are exploring the changes that take place when gypsum is exposed to heat and water. We set our samples up and will monitor them for changes over the next day or two.

We then had some down time before dinner. We ate dinner all together (Taco Tuesday at the hab!

At 7pm we connected once again with Dr. Shannon for a mission debrief. We discussed today’s EVA challenges and successes and got the new mission objectives for tomorrow’s EVAs.

The rover issues seem to be resolved so the plan is to continue the EVAs as planned, in crews of three, one in the morning, another in the afternoon.

Crew is tired but in good spirits. Early bed for all and looking forward to another challenging yet rewarding day on the red planet.

Crew 284 has arrived at the MDRS as the 5th cohort of Spaceward Bound Utah: a science, sim, and education mission. We are a group of educators here to experience the Mars sim and explore avenues for bringing the science and sim experience back to our various learning environments: formal classrooms, science centers, education organizations, and more.

Our first day at the MDRS was not in sim, and instead focused on establishing protocols, crew rapport, and familiarization with the local region. Crew 284 completed the following activities:

– Completed facility training, including instruction on maintaining the HAB systems, science area, green HAB, and rover operations.
– Carried out a field exploration hike to learn more about the geology of the region around the MDRS.
– Utilized the Musk Observatory to observe current sun conditions.
– Visited the Hanksville-Burpee Dinosaur quarry to continue learning about the geologic conditions of the region.

Tomorrow we will enter Sim.

Jen Carver

Journalist Report

MDRS Crew 282 (Martian Biology III)

Jordan Bimm, 06.09.23

On the final full day of Martian Biology III, we revisited two sites from earlier in our mission. At Salt Wash we released captured insect specimens—including grasshoppers, caterpillars, and beetles, we had been studying in the Science Dome—back into the habitats where we first collected them. We also checked in on the water trap we deployed with the hope of collecting mosquito larvae. Unfortunately, we did not discover any mosquito larvae this time. The same was true for the water traps we set along the bank of the Fremont River, which was the site we returned to next. After collecting the water traps, we returned to the Hab where we finalized our mission report detailing the extensive biodiversity survey we completed over the past five days. Science highlights from our report include collecting 126 vascular plant, moss, and lichen specimens from 12 localities around MDRS, as well as direct collection of mosquitoes at all life stages and the experimental testing and evaluation of the novel mosquito trap design. In summing up our activities and preliminary findings we also had a chance to reflect on our time at MDRS and appreciate the breathtaking natural beauty in which it is situated. We captured some of our feelings of curiosity, wonder, and gratitude in an astrophotography session documenting the cosmic splendor overhead.

Captions:

Image 1: Jacopo and Paul releasing collected insects back into their habitats at Salt Wash.

Image 2: The Core of the Milky Way rising over the desert hills at the Mars Desert Research Station.

Image 3: Cassiopeia over “North Ridge” at the Mars Desert Research Station.

Image 4: The arc of the Milky Way over the deserts east of MDRS.