Category: Journalist Report

Crew 272 Journalist Report 06-01-2023

Sol: 5

Author: Kenny Pritchard, Crew Journalist

Title: On the Road Again

In contrast to the previous, we started off this sol with our regular exercises (cricket-focused stretches led by Kshitij) and the promise of an approved EVA plan! This forms an air of excitement for those of us who are lucky enough to be on the EVA crew (or an air of dread if they’re still sore from the previous EVA). Arly made us egg casserole a la a recipe generously left in the Hab by Crew 89 — it was delicious, and we ate the exact amount that was cooked. It was just an oeuf.

Kshitij, Mason, Adriana, and I drove out for the EVA and monitored the battery of our electric transport rovers (Spirit and Opportunity) as we travelled. Rover battery is an important resource out away from the Hab – we monitor our speed to conserve charge and stop immediately if we reach 60%. It’s fairly easy to find a parking space out here, and once we had taken the rovers to the right location, we proceeded on foot. Our trek took us up and down the topography around MDRS to find the previously visited location of the Boiler Transmission Station and turn it on for Kshitij’s research. Sufficiently tired from the hike already, we then proceeded back down to the rovers and set off for our next destination: Candor Chasma, via the walking route Gateway to Candor. Candor Chasma is a river-forged canyon exemplary of the unique Martian stratigraphy near MDRS. There, Mason piloted his drone once again, capturing awesome orbital videos of the crew and scouting ahead beyond the end of our route. While Kshitij climbed up one side of the canyon to get a good signal to his antenna, Adriana searched for paleoflow indicators and quizzed me, a ‘non-geologist’ on geological fundamentals to observe my ‘behavior’ for her research. Everyone completed their objectives with flying colors (I’ll resist the urge to make a drone joke), except I got most of the geology questions wrong. The way back proved to be a bit of a fiasco because we had to stop at the Boiler Transmission Station to turn it off before returning to the Hab. Kshitij, experiencing slight communication issues, completely fogging up his visor, and moving as fast as his suit permitted, was a sight to behold as he rushed ahead to reach the Station. We all hurried back to our rovers together and arrived back at the Hab about 7 minutes over schedule – something we’ll have to fix for next time. More data for me!

Back in the Hab, Megan began printing a rock hammer to replace Adriana’s if it just so happens to be unavailable at some point during our mission. Madelyn tended lovingly to the vegetation in the GreenHab, battling abnormally high temperatures to keep the plants healthy. She loves them so much that a portion of her research microgreens are treated with the crew’s own toilet water! I guess everyone shows affection in different ways. Arly waited, poised upon the EVA crew’s return, to have us take our cognitive performance assessments and surveys as soon as possible. The results are more pronounced if we’re still coming down from the physical and mental exertion of the EVA. Always a warm welcome! Kshitij is on duty tonight, having recovered from his earlier state, and will be putting together a ramen dinner. Good luck to us all.

Crew 272 Journalist Report 1-5-2023

Sol: 4

Author: Kenny Pritchard, Crew Journalist

Title: Chert

Our morning exercise session today was overridden by the more important task of completing the EVA request/planning process that carried over from the previous evening’s comms window. Unfortunately, due to a few miscommunications and the necessity for absolute certainty in plans here, our EVA for this sol was cancelled. The mission on Mars is not accomplished by astronauts alone – our crew depends on both our Purdue Mission Control team back home and the on-site MDRS Mission Support. Given the remoteness of Mars and the communication delay from Earth, the traditional-space-mission involvement of a full-scale mission control team is not so practical, forcing our crew to operate semi-autonomously. My own research is to document disruptions to the schedules we set and better qualify the unique challenges of Martian surface operations. In a way, my data depend on the others achieving their objectives – so stop reading this and get back to work, Crew 272!

Regardless of the lack of EVA, the crew had a productive day accomplishing tasks within the cozy boundaries of the Hab. Madelyn served up a pancake breakfast and tried out a new bread recipe. In the GreenHab, she distributed the substrate from yesterday’s EVA into containers and planted some new seeds. We might get to see the beginnings of some of the ‘black nebula’ carrots she planted in a few sols. Adriana hosted a rock party in the Science Dome, teaching the crew about the various kinds of samples we thought looked shiny enough to bring back from EVAs. Mostly, it was chert. Megan ironed out some technical difficulties with the 3d printer, Mason worked on a preflight checklist for flying the drone, and Kshitij led the entire crew in reviewing EVA/mission protocols in hopes of a smoother tomorrow (or rockier, depending on how you look at it).

When she’s not adding more music to our crew’s joint playlist, Arly spends much of her time documenting behavioral observations and preparing to analyze the ongoing results of her research (pending IRB approval). Members of the crew have been taking cognitive performance tests and completing personal surveys each sol, typically immediately after returning from EVA. The results of these tests, along with air quality sensors in the Hab, will help clarify the cognitive and mental effects of highly regimented sol-to-sol life in an enclosed space.

We’re all looking forward to trying out Mason’s cheese raviolis tonight. Sure he’s handy with a wrench, but how about a spoon? Time will tell. Lastly, as I write this report, other members of the crew have adorned the upper deck of the Hab with many colorful balloons and an inflatable Baby Yoda/Grogu left to us by Crew 271. They’re whispering (well within earshot) about cake and plans to celebrate the occasion of my birth-sol. I couldn’t ask for a more unique place to enjoy it, nor a cooler Martian crew to spend it with. Thanks, team!

Crew 272 Journalist Report 1-4-2023

Sol: 3

Author: Kenny Pritchard, Crew Journalist

Title: BTS

On the third sol of our stay at MDRS and the second of our simulation, we’re really breaking into our routine. Here at the Hab, everyone has their clear roles and responsibilities for the day, and everything gets done in a timely manner. It’s a simple lifestyle of chores, work, and relaxation that I think we could all get used to! I continued in my showcase of New Jersey cuisine this morning by following up last night’s pizzas with bagel/egg sandwiches for breakfast. Much of the crew elected to pass on the dehydrated eggs after their previous experience, but I’ll hold that they’re delicious with a healthy supplement of dehydrated cheese.

Adriana, Kshitij, Madelyn and Mason ventured out for a longer EVA today while the other three of us held down the Hab. This trip to the regions of Compass Rock and Candor Chasma was multi-faceted. The plan was for Mason to test scouting with his drone, Kshitij to set up a radio transmitter for his low-visibility navigation research, Madelyn to collect gypsum and regolith samples, and Adriana to fawn over seemingly ordinary rocks (and minerals!) as usual. According to our post-EVA debriefing session, it was a resoundingly partial success! Really though, the team did a good job adapting to the situation and accomplishing goals while the rest of us sat on our Martian behinds. Hiking around in EVA-attire, though fashionable, can be very tiring.

After nearly getting lost on the untamed roads around the Hab (seriously, Mars needs a transit administration), the EVA crew found their way and began their work. Kshitij was able to set up a beacon (the Boiler Transmission Station, or BTS) on a ledge overlooking Compass Rock. With the signal from this station and a nearly identical transmitter at the Hab, an astronaut could use a handheld ‘Yagi-Uda’ antenna to locate themselves without needing a visual. This might be important for a crew caught in one of those bothersome Martian dust storms I mentioned on Sol 1. Meanwhile, Mason was setting up a long-range beacon and piloting Garud the drone to scout ahead for the next destination of the EVA. Despite difficulties maintaining a solid connection at range, he was able to get some good views and an orbital video of the crew. Madelyn collected two containers of sand samples, which she will use as substrate for her plant growth experiments. The crew was ultimately unable to continue to Candor Chasma due to a combination of rover-battery and time concerns, but they pushed ahead to Compass Rock proper. There, Madelyn collected some good powdery sulfates, and Adriana some sandstone, petrified wood, and invertebrate fossils. Life on Mars! Somebody tell David Bowie.

Dinner was prefaced by a pungent odor emanating from the bathroom on the lower deck. Fear not, Mason suited up and fixed the problem, which required flushing out our septic system. Thanks Mason! It pays to have a good engineer out here. This time, he didn’t even die after making the repair. For dinner, Arly is cheffing up some cauliflower and sweet potato tacos, and we’ll celebrate our lack of sim-deaths this sol (so far…).

Sol: 2
Author: Kenny Pritchard, Crew Journalist
Title: Crash Course
This morning began the same as every other so far, with a toothbrush party on the Hab’s lower deck and an exercise/meditation session on the upper deck, this time led by Kshitij. Along with the dehydrated eggs Megan cooked for the crew, we enjoyed some powdered orange juice (which mysteriously seemed to be neither orange nor juice). Breakfast was followed by our final educational session with Mission Support: rover training. A few K-turns (or W-turns) later, we were ready to go and officially enter simulation before noon! Mason set us off on the right foot when he mended a shelf for a fellow crewmate (who will remain unnamed). In his own words, Mason really went out on a high note with this repair – he unfortunately experienced sim-death shortly thereafter, by entering an open-air compartment of the Hab without protection. Simulation has been a figurative crash course in the constant battle against Martian inhospitality. It’s also been a crash course in the literal sense, as we continue to accidentally bump helmets in the tight enclosure of the airlock.
Taking the crew’s first small steps and giant leaps into the Martian wilderness, Adriana, Arly, and Madelyn drove out to Marble Ritual, a geological hotspot not far from the habitat. Although Madelyn suffered our crew’s second sim-death experience when she inadvertently switched off her EVA-suit, the three were still able to collect a plethora of rocks and minerals for Adriana to analyze. Kshitij, Mason, Megan, and I took the next EVA. We followed in the earlier group’s bootprints and tire tracks, which were easy to spot in the pristine rusty sands that cover the surface here. The landscape’s primitive beauty pierced effortlessly through the fog-misted visors of our heavy helmets.
In other news, Megan has set up the 3d printer she’ll be using for her study into additive manufacturing. It will soon build a rock hammer and other tools for research, but currently the machine is toiling away to make a scoop for the coffee grounds that fuel us through every sol. For dinner, Kshitij and I will impose upon the crew our best impression of pizza, complete with fresh herbs from the GreenHab. Our recipe (and the recipe for the bread Madelyn has made daily) is courtesy of MDRS veteran and Crew 272 advisor Dr. Cesare Guariniello. The inclusion of Martian water really takes it to the next level!

Sol: 1
Author: Kenny Pritchard, Crew Journalist
Title: Hab Sweet Hab
Due to one of those pesky Martian dust storms delaying our entry into simulation, Crew 272 has spent today and yesterday (or should I say yester-sol?) making preparations for the mission. We’ve set up our lodgings, prepared our first meals, and the on-site Mission Support team is leading us through the necessary training! It looks like the beginning of a very rocky relationship with dehydrated food for us.
In the morning, crew Health & Safety Officer Megan led us through a routine of stretches to keep us limber for the sol’s activities. We’ve been lucky to get some glimpses into the awesome beauty of the Martian landscape here, but even luckier to experience the crew’s earnest attempts at Crow Pose and various other exercises. In the midst of a replenishing biscuits-and-gravy breakfast prepared by crew Engineer Mason, a slight oven storage mishap necessitated crew Geologist Adriana to try her hand at emergency tortilla amputation. The surgery was a success with only minimal loss of plastic-infused tissue.
A busy afternoon brought us a training session and our first test drive in the MDRS EVA suits. The whole crew partook in a lengthy-but-productive photoshoot, after which crew GreenHab Officer Madelyn was able to set up seeds for germination to begin her research into plant performance. Mason and crew Commander Kshitij took our drone (named Garud) for a sunset flight around the Hab, capturing some awe-inspiring shots of the flaming red ridges and sun-soaked mesas that surrounded us. Tonight, Adriana will don her chef’s hat to share with the crew her world-famous enchiladas (in fact the only enchiladas in this world). If all is well tomorrow, the dust storm will clear up, and the real mission will begin!

Sol: 11
Author: Trevor Jahn, Technology Officer

Matthew Eby and Trevor Jahn surveyed the conditions outside from the observatory on a chilly December 8th, 2022. Frost was still in the air, and shimmering ice crystals could be seen hiding behind the white dome of the Science Habitat and beneath the dark blue solar arrays. It had snowed the morning before, and today the crew needed to know if the ground was safe enough to walk for an EVA either in the morning or afternoon. The ground continued to give way as the two precariously tried to kept their balance through the tunnels, and their outdoor boots slipped on the loose muddy ground. The two men concluded conditions would be best in the early afternoon for the crew’s only EVA of the day. Matt, Kristine, and Allison, emerged from the airlock around noon, and went about their work. Today was a special day, as the crew was tasked with launching a weather balloon. Helium tanks hissed, computer logs beeped, and drone propellers buzzed as the crew worked quickly to fill the balloon, check the logs, position their equipment, and prepared their flying drone for documentation. The moment of culmination finally arrived and Kristine let go of the balloon and payload Matt had worked so hard to make and prepare. The balloon raced upwards towards the Jetstream, too fast for the drone to keep up with, and eventually reached speeds over 100 mph before being brought down by design somewhere in the Colorado Mountains, leaving a mystery and future adventure for next year, when some of the crew might try and find the payload.
The rest of the day saw the crew being productive taking Mirror Sample observations in the Science Dome, proactively finishing chores around the Crew Habitat, and working on reports, before taking in the sights of the orange full moon over the East horizon before bed.

Sol: 10
Author: Dr. Kristine Ferrone, Commander
Title: Snow Day!

This morning the crew awoke to a winter wonderland outside; the landscape surrounding MDRS that had just started to become familiar was once again new and different with a soft white blanket over the ruddy rock formations. The crew consulted with Tier 1 mission support regarding their EVA plans for the day and decided that a short EVA to repair the mirror sample payload justified the additional risk of traversing the muddy terrain. Health and Safety Officer (Barbara Braun) and Crew Engineer (Ashley Kowalski) embarked in the late morning (with Green Hab Officer Matt Eby leading IVA comms) to the mirror payload location and worked through some realistic astronaut challenges such as working with tools and fasteners not specifically designed for use while wearing an EVA suit, bringing to mind the challenge Astronaut Mike Massimino experienced in removing tiny screws from a panel of the Hubble Space Telescope on a Space Shuttle EVA on STS-125. During the EVA, Technology Officer (Trevor Jahn) worked through challenges with data processing for Project Phantom while Commander (Kristine Ferrone) and XO (Alli Taylor) worked on planning, mission summary reports, and coordination for Friday’s STEM event. After the EVA, the crew settled in with hot chocolate to work on reports and begin preparation for end of mission activities. For dinner, Ashley and Trevor made extra large black bean burgers with microgreens Matt harvested from the Green Hab, served on homemade sourdough buns made by Barbara.

Sol: 9
Author: Barbara Braun, Health and Safety Officer
Title: Big Buttes

Our time on Mars is starting to run short! The crew counted the remaining days last night, and was astonished to discover that we had only a handful of opportunities left for final data collection. Today, an EVA crew of XO Alli Taylor, HSO Barbara Braun, and Tech Officer Trevor Jahn embarked on a morning data-gathering session with the photogrammetry drone, which students in a northern Virginia elementary school have named “Vixl.” After four flights over many of the features of our local Martian area, the team packed up the drone and examined the area on foot before returning to the Hab to crunch data. The imagery will be used to create 3D maps for augmented-reality exploration.

Next, an afternoon crew consisting of Commander Kristine Ferrone, Green Hab Officer Matt Eby, and Crew Engineer Ashley Kowalski drove a pair of rovers to Barrainca Butte to take radiation measurements in the area and conduct more regolith sampling. The crew also tested out ham radio communications back to the Hab. After returning to the Hab, Matt prepared an afternoon snack for the crew involving lots of chocolate and peanut butter, before conducting a dry-run of the weather balloon launch scheduled for Thursday. The three ham radio operators on the crew have been enjoying testing out the Hab’s ham radio equipment, and have received transmissions from around the world. We have not yet received confirmation of any of our transmissions, but we plan to keep trying!

Sol: 8
Author: Barbara Braun, Health and Safety Officer
Title: Kissing Camels and Ham Radios

Sol 8 dawned slightly overcast on Mars, but the fresh pancakes made by Green Hab Officer Matt Eby made up for any lack of sunshine. Fortified by this excellent breakfast, Commander Kristine Ferrone, XO Alli Taylor, and Health and Safety Officer Barbara Braun left on the first EVA of the day. The team retrieved the mirror coating experiment for analysis by Crew Engineer Ashley Kowalski, and after stowing the payload in the airlock, headed toward Kissing Camel Ridge on a pair of crew rovers. South of Kissing Camel Ridge they parked Curiosity and Perseverance and ventured out on foot to the west of the road. After crossing a flat plain strewn with large rocks, they ascended through several foothills to Hab Ridge Road, where they were rewarded with beautiful views and multiple samples of regolith. After admiring the views and examining a large cache of small shell-like rocks, the team descended back to the rovers and returned to the Hab.

Meanwhile, Ashley completed her analysis of the mirror samples and prepared for an EVA of her own with Green Hab Officer Matt Eby. Ashley and Matt returned the mirror sample payload to its location for one final round of exposure to the elements. The duo then proceeded up Sagan Street to conduct tests of ham radio communications with Kristine and Barbara back at the Hab. Space exploration may seem glamorous, but there is always the element of the mundane: HSO Barbara Braun spent a good portion of the afternoon troubleshooting the Hab toilet. After this unpleasant task was successfully concluded, and afternoon exercise sessions were completed, the crew settled in for the much more enjoyable activity of eating a dinner of jambalaya, sourdough, and fresh greens harvested by Matt from the Green Hab.

Sol: 7
Author: Alli Taylor, Executive Officer
Title: Soup & Suits

After a Saturday night of trivia and belly laughs, the crew was able to sleep in for a more relaxed Sunday. I started the day by baking an experimental quiche casserole created with rehydrated ingredients including potato, egg, spinach, and Colby cheese. With ketchup, I found the dish quite edible and was surprised to find most of the crew seemed to enjoy it as well. Shortly after brunch we began suiting up Commander Kristine Ferrone, Technology Officer Trevor Jahn, and GreenHab Officer Matthew Eby for a short EVA around the vicinity of the Habitat. With the winds calm, Vixl the drone could be heard whirring through two pre-planned flight paths. While I ran IVA comms for the EVA crew, HSO Barbara Braun and Crew Engineer Ashley Kowalski could be heard troubleshooting spacesuits, carefully narrowing down possible root causes for anomalous battery charging to discover a faulty power strip. I was able to squeeze in a 15 minute cardio blast between comm check intervals as the trio outside the habitat flew Vixl on the pre-planned flight paths collecting a plethora of imagery. With a successful deployment of the ham radio antenna and completed drone flights, the crew returned from EVA. Ashley began cooking a late lunch of cheddar and broccoli soup, and the crew came together to share stories from experiences in EMT training and volunteer rescue. In the late afternoon the crew split up to work on individual reports, exercises, ham radio operations, and dinner prep. Meal time has definitely been something to look forward to as we work through our daily operations, with unjustifiably delicious outcomes thus far. The crew remains optimistic and generally in good spirits with regard to our mission, and I look forward to accomplishing our remaining goals and accumulating more lessons learned over the coming week.