Category: Journalist Report

Crew 235 Journalist Report 06May2021
Author: Jeff Streba, Crew Journalist
Sol 4: Log Entry

Another beautiful day on Mars.
We had an early morning EVA out to the overlook and then we collected Gypsum and Sandstone samples. Because of the lack of functional suits, only 3 people went on
each EVA.

While one EVA team was out the other team analyzed bacteria. We were all impressed with the results.

When everyone was together, we discussed how to incorporate both the bacteria experiment and rockhounding into our classrooms.

We then ended our sim

Crew 235 Journalist Report 05May2021
Authors: Thomas Quayle and Randall Gibson, Crew Journalist

Sol 3: Generally Speaking, It Goes Like This

Morning began with a brisk wind and another species of Rodentia captured. The crew has been remarkably passive about the recurring nature of the event. What began as a mixed curiosity has evolved into a morning routine, complete with EVA procedures, and smiles.

However, the first order of the day: coffee and another round of lively discussion surrounded the breakfast table. Today’s topic was the politics of Earth. We are hopeful they will come to solve their problems in time. The morning fair consisted of sausage and eggs. It has been great to enjoy the variety of meals that each of the crew members has been willing to jump in and prepare.

Little did the crew suspect that the quiet morning would not remain so for long. Even the most well-planned EVA cannot account for everything a crew can prepare for or expect. Their mission was to search for specific geologic samples in a region that was located nearly twice as far as the previous day’s activities.

More than an hour had passed from when the first EVA team had departed when a call came over the radio, “Hab, Hab!..”. The other half of the crew at the Hab quickly responded and was informed that the EVA was being aborted. Within minutes of the radio communique, the EVA team had arrived.

Thankfully no one had been injured, but a malfunction in the power pack of the Commander’s spacesuit (redacted) had occurred that seriously affected the ability for air to be recirculated. While it is not yet known where the malfunction took place or how it was missed, the event has impacted our EVA assessments for the duration of our mission. Each team will now have to continue with one crew member volunteering to abstain from participation. In the end, the second EVA team was able to successfully manage the completion of objectives scheduled for the day.

After the second EVA returned to the Hab, the crew reconvened as a single group to rest and clean the remains of lunch until the next event of the day. Shannon led a crew discussion on the assembly of Estes Rockets and the pitfalls to consider when introducing the topic to students. Each member of the crew was able to construct their own prototype, which should be available for launch tomorrow.

The crew then joined Shannon in the Science Dome to compare the samples that had been collected across multiple EVA’s. In the last significant event of the day, the astronomy box was retrieved from the outpost. This was the final component required to activate the solar observatory, which the crew is looking forward to using tomorrow.

As a social component, the crew finalized a Lego build that had been started the previous day. The genders and position of the Lego figures were debated and rearranged by the crew. The dinner discussion covered several topics, including the similarities to the Lewis and Clark expedition.

Jennifer prepared an incredible culinary masterpiece of southern fried chicken, fried potatoes, biscuits, and gravy by using dehydrated ingredients. This was surely the best meal yet to be prepared on this planet, and she shall be henceforth be known as the “Mars”tha Stewart.

Crew 235 Journalist Report 04May2021
Author: Krysta Darby, Crew Journalist
Sol 2: Rock Sampling and Mission Patch Design

The day started at approximately 7:15am Earth’s MT when Thomas got up and started the coffee. Members of the crew got up one by one, eager to look out onto the Martian landscape. Atila filled the water tank, but recommended going forward it be filled at night in case there are any unforeseen issues overnight. A rodentia unfamilia was captured at an unknown time and was released out of the airlock by Randall. Director Shannon continued to work on the new generator, and the crew went into low power mode. While Krysta fixed a breakfast of spinach scrambled eggs and spam, the crew assembled around the table for morning coffee. Conversation over breakfast ranged from the day’s tasks to human rights issues in education. So far this crew has not shied away from digging deep into controversial topics. Atila and Randall led cleaning efforts in the kitchen as breakfast and a heated debate came to a conclusion.

After breakfast, Atila briefly reviewed the map of local terrain with the crew.

Today’s goal was for both teams to retrieve rock samples from Kissing Camel.

At 9:00, the crew traveled to the science dome to review the types of samples that could typically be found in the surrounding area with our resident expert, Shannon. For the purposes of this expedition, we will be referring to petrified wood as sulfur, blueberries as hematite, and lava rock as breccia. Temperature of the incubator was found to be 56 degrees Celsius. Atila adjusted to bring the temperature down to 25 degrees.

At 9:45, the crew headed back to the hub to prepare for the first team’s expedition. Jen, Randall, Jeff, and Allison stayed behind and prepared a lunch of macaroni and cheese casserole, while Atila, Krysta, Thomas, and Jennifer left the hub to collect samples from Kissing Camel. Krysta and Jennifer rode ATV’s and Atila and Thomas took the rover. They successfully collected several samples of sulfur along with some unique samples which will be analyzed. One fatality was reported due to a removed glove. Crew members are still acclimating to wearing suits for extended periods of time. A lack of maneuverability and the weight of the suit has been a challenge, but the adrenaline from inhabiting Mars fuels the team making the weight and discomfort of a space suit a minor inconvenience.

The first team returned to the hub at approximately 11:50am, and assisted the second team as they prepared for their expedition. First team enjoyed the macaroni and cheese casserole heartily and cleaned up the aftermath. The second crew reached Kissing Camel with no issues and collected samples, taking careful note of the context in which each sample was found. There was a second fatal mistake while the commander was adjusting her helmet. The crew is learning fast. Second team returned at about 1:30pm. They then had to sanitize the helmets and return the suits.

After comparing rock finds, the crew collaborated on patch design. It was noted that patch designs typically have the mission number/name/designation, and the design should represent the purpose of the mission. Last names of crew members usually border the patch, and flags of nationalities are also incorporated. After looking at examples and some brainstorming, the crew decided to incorporate symbolic representations of education, STEM, and collaboration. The patch will also incorporate a hexagon to represent the Beehive State, geometric lines representing the geodesic science dome, and the overall shape will represent the habitat. Allison has taken lead in final design as the person with the most experience in this field.

Each Crew member is currently working on their own project (reports, patch design, and telescope observations) for a few hours before the crew will come together for team building and dinner.

Crew 235 Journalist Report 03May2021
Author: Jennifer Grimes, Crew Journalist
Sol 1: Questioning My Life Choices
As I pulled up to the red cattle guard at 10:15 pm last night, I questioned where am I at? What have I gotten myself into? It took about 30 minutes in the dark to locate the MDRS. Once I arrived at the MDRS and was secure inside I felt more comfortable with my decision to come here. I was so tired from my 19.5 hour drive I crashed and slept all now. After getting up I enjoyed a great pancake for breakfast. Crew started the day with a tour of MDRS and proper training on how to operate and maneuver the rovers. After that we were excited to get our flight suits and gear up to do our practice EVA. We were instructed on the optimal safety protocols to survive on Mars while completing our real EVAs. We collected rock samples while out on our practice EVA. After our lunch break we went to the lab, created agar, that we set up in a ziplock bag to see what bacteria will grow from the samples we collected. After experiencing the practice EVA I am so ready to begin our SIM. We will wake up on Mars tomorrow.

Crew 235 Journalist Report 03May2021
Author: Allison Weber, Crew Journalist
Sol 1: Mission Log

With a meeting set for 9am, the cohort woke up in various states of coherence between the hours of 6 and 8:30. Some were early risers, taking their tea and the morning to themselves. Others, like me, tried to sleep as long as they could on a Monday morning. The one thing you have to understand about our cohort is that it’s the educator mission. Part of NASA’s "Spaceward Bound" program, MDRS brought 7 teachers to the desert of Hanksville, Utah for a week-long professional development/Mars analog simulation/STEM education opportunity. No students to manage? No papers to grade? And all sorts of science to learn? This was a learning vacation, and I was determined to make the most of it by catching up on my sleep.

Breakfast was as characteristic of teachers as was considering waking up at 7 "sleeping in": coffee and whatever else you could quickly find. The cohort struggled productively against the drip coffee maker. Upon seeing our sorry breakfasts, the commander decided to make us a REAL breakfast of blueberry and chocolate chip pancakes. The leftovers were stowed away for later. I ate all of them for lunch.

Shannon (Director of MDRS) and Atila (Assistant Director) came up to the main living habitat to enjoy the morning with us. Shannon was the one who had written the handbook. She was the one behind such ominous phrases as "If you don’t bring [Object from the recommended supply list], you might as well leave". With that and infrequent emails being my only exposure to Shannon prior to arriving at MDRS, I was intimidated by the mere idea of her. Shannon moseyed into the living space wearing leggings reminiscent of the works of Piet Mondrian and a graphic tee of a triceratops skeleton and the phrase "COPROLITE HAPPENS". She still intimidates me, but in a good way.

Hearing the discussion between Shannon, Atila, and Jen (our commander, who had been here before) enlightened me on the different philosophies there could be towards "sims". Simulation learning was one of those methods of instruction I’d heard about in college, but was never given the opportunity or the resources to study in-depth. It’s too resource- and preparation-intensive to do often in the classroom. In the unique environment provided by MDRS, simulation learning can be explored and enacted at a scale inequivalent, but comparable, to that in the classroom.

The group discussed concerns as small as practicing mise en place and as big as instilling life skills in the next generation. As Shannon recounted, groups would leave the rover without plugging it in to charge. The natural consequence of this was not being allowed to use it the following day, resulting in very frustrated researchers. Atila phrased it as the researchers forgetting; Shannon phrased it as lack of action. "People don’t understand how to be proactive," she said. The difference in mindsets between the two top members of our group was fascinating to see. What was even better was the constructive way people disagreed! Respectful problem-solving and communication skills are going to be invaluable on Mars.

A little before noon, we took our first steps on "Mars". (We still weren’t "in sim", the phrase for actively treating the world around us as Mars.) Suiting up beforehand was an experience. First, we had to change out of civilian clothes; then, into undershirts and leggings to wick away sweat; then socks; then flight suits; then shoes; THEN suits. Depending on the model of spacesuit you chose, it could’ve been between 10 and 20lbs. Both models had an abysmal range of motion for your head, and vision that all but eliminated your peripheral view. Helmets clunk together in the airlock. We got all nice and cozy, shoulder-to-shoulder, before heading out.

Our very first trip on Mars was a sacred experience. All we did was take the rover up to Pooh’s Corner, look at rocks, and spot an extraterrestrial lizard, but it was just… even if I HAD brought a thesaurus, I would not be able to find the words to describe it. Meditative, amazing, joyful, engaging, enlightening, all at once. We felt the weight of the helmets and packs long after we returned to the Hab and suited down.

After our trip, we found canned tuna, and tried to make mayo to bind it together into a tuna fish cracker spread. A pair of our crewmembers said it wasn’t bad, but as I stared on at the pumpkin puree-colored mass lumped between the prongs of a whisk, I had the complete opposite of a spiritual experience and felt less "enlightened monk" and more "Gordon Ramsey".

The rest of the day was good. Some of us took naps, some of us talked. We learned how to make agar (the gel-like substance found in petri dishes) in a classroom setting and went on a hunt around the Hab for surfaces to swab. Within the next few days, we’ll try to guess who swabbed what based on the pattern of bacterial growth. A crew member threw out the joke that we would be safe to put the samples in the incubator, so long as we didn’t wake up encased in goo. That may contribute to some John Carpenter nightmares later tonight.

As I write this, the crew, including Atila and Shannon, are seated in the upper floor of the Hab. We are about to have Spam and rice for dinner. I’ve eaten enough candy bars (only Mars brand, of course) and dehydrated strawberries that my stomach grumbles, so it looks like this trip will have two end results for me: a wealth of knowledge on the whole process of simulation learning, and the loss of at least 5 pounds.

Crew 223 Journalist Report 13Mar2020

Author: Clément Plagne, Journalist

Sol 12: Closing in

It’s weird to wake up knowing that that heavy airlock door you heard shut such a short time ago was going to open just that evening. Honestly, while knowing that it’s over will be a relief, I think all of us would also like it to last just a little longer. It’s part of the experience to know that you can never do everything you intend to, and that you will face challenges that will slow you down. The job is as much about dealing with these challenges as it is doing what you came here to do. And challenges we had to face, even today. We had so many great days early on, I think that the MDRS gods decided to punish us before the end.

We awoke not only to the thought of that door, but also to pouring rain. A bad situation on clean-up day. The corridors between buildings in the station are insulated, but we still walk on the ground, or, as we had to today, the mud. Wind was howling even after rain had stopped, and the EVA that we had already moved to the afternoon was becoming even more perilous. After four weeks of loyal services to our two crews, the weather station for the LOAC experiment finally lost against the wind and fell over, mere hours before being dismantled. Nevertheless, the EVA was a great demonstration of all we’d learned during our previous expeditions. In hostile conditions of strong winds and loose, muddy terrain, we managed to perform all intended procedures quickly, safely and efficiently. The conclusion of a job well done on all EVAs.

And, some time later, the experiments were all packed up and ready to go back home. We’d been entrusted with them, and we hope we did a great job of gathering data. Everyone in the station did their best, that is, excellent work, so we have high hopes for the results to be valuable. We were just counting minutes until we could say the simulation was broken, and there it was: the outside, not seen through a glass helmet. We all ran around in the mud like children, and waited for Shannon, whom we’d invited over for dinner, to come inside the Hab. She’s done a fantastic job of helping us throughout the mission, and we are all grateful to have her here.

I’m writing these last few lines while she’s here: she has far too many good stories about her tenure at MDRS, and I’m finding myself hurriedly doing my best to finish up before missing the comms window. Tomorrow will be my last report, and there’s a lot to think about and a good look back to do.

Crew 223 Journalist Report 12Mar2020

Author: Clément Plagne, Crew Journalist

Sol 11: Life goes on

After yesterday’s news, it was not only hard to get some good sleep, but also difficult to spend the day without looking at our computers, hanging on to every email and piece of information we could find. We do have a bit of internet in the Station, but it’s limited, sometimes messy, and reserved in priority for the Comms window in the evening, to send all our critical reports to mission support. So we make do with what’s available: the few emails from friends and family on Earth, and a few articles on the internet. We’d never really even thought about looking at our emails outside of that comms window, and we actually felt refreshed to not be inundated by information from everywhere. Now, not only have two weeks of social isolation taken a toll on us, but we got closer to Earth only to see it hurt, sick and confused. We’re leaving in two days, and we know that we’re going to find Earth different than how we left it.

We don’t really know if we’re lucky to be here or not, when we know what’s out there. On the one hand we’re safe, and being disconnected from the world allows us to some distance to process everything rather than taking it all in the face. On the other hand, there’s so much we don’t know, can’t know easily, and the distance can easily become a stressor. Safety doesn’t matter as much as being close to your loved ones, and it’s especially hard to know that there is no walking away from the mission at hand.

One of the books that has been going around the Hab was Chris Hadfield’s fantastic “An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth”. In it, he explains that he isn’t afraid during missions, no matter the danger. He’s worked hard to make sure he could fix everything that could be fixed if something goes wrong, so it’s just procedure. We’re no astronauts, and don’t have that much training for a mission like this, but we knew what to expect, we were ready to accept that, and now that things aren’t going smoothly, we keep going. There’s little we can do, so we do that and wait until we can do more. The mission is nearing its close and we’re busy packing things up and finishing off what we started. Getting busy is an added bonus that helps us get our minds off things.

We move on with our day, and the routine goes well. In our free time, games, movies, as well as Blandine’s positive thinking and relaxation exercises do a tremendous job of cutting through the and gloom. In little time we’ll be back on Earth, with a lot to catch up on and a lot of plans to change. We’ve spent two weeks figuring things out in an unusual place. We can do it again.

Crew 223 Journalist Report 10Mar2020

Author: Clément Plagne, Crew Journalist

Sol 10: Save it for rainy days

Today, we woke up to the sound of raindrops softly hitting the roof of the Hab. On any other day, the idea of spending a day with friends, stuck inside, watching rainfall from the window from the comfort of y. our home can be pleasant. It is much less so when you don’t always get to go outside even when it’s sunny. In fact, it is even less so because we must go outside somehow, but don’t know how we’ll do it safely. The science doesn’t care if it rains, and at least two of us must go on EVA to make sure everything is alright.

The sky is a cruel mistress. Explorers on Mars will be lucky enough to avoid rain, but may have to suffer through massive dust storms. Not knock over Matt Damon’s spaceship bad (the film kind of exaggerates that), but wide enough to cover much of the planet, and capable of causing electrical malfunctions and power losses. The even bigger danger comes from far away. With little atmosphere and no magnetic field, Mars is particularly vulnerable to solar winds and the intense radiation from solar flares.

It’s ironic to write a report about our astronomer’s work on a cloudy morning. Florian’s luckily had the chance of doing some fantastic work while he had clear skies, and still has things to do when he doesn’t do observations. Astronomy isn’t just pointing a telescope at the sky. During the day, the sun needs to be tracked and monitored. Night-time observations through the remote-controlled telescope must be scheduled, with the necessary calibrations that come with it. And once the observations are done, there are heaps of treatment needed to create a beautiful picture, or one where data can be extracted. Besides astrophotography, Florian looks at thirty galaxies in a search for supernovae: incredibly powerful, but very short-lived and extremely rare explosions of massive stars.

Things then began looking up: having a free-ish morning helped us all cook delicious burgers for lunch, we saw some tomatoes beginning to grow, and the sky turned blue in the afternoon which helped us take a look at the observatory and watch the sun live. Things began to look up, until they kind of didn’t.

“This is Shannon, is everyone together right now?”, buzzed the Station Director over radio. That’s an unexpected one, as we’re left alone all day long usually. We were reading, coincidentally, our daily email from Supaéro students back on Earth, with focus on the coronavirus epidemic.

“The World Health Organisation has recently classified COVID-19 as a pandemic.”

Well, not an epidemic anymore, I guess. Earth sure does spin when we’re away. When we cut ourselves off most communications, Italy was looking somewhat worrisome, but things felt fine enough at home. In recent days, it turns out everything looks like it’ll be canceled, and we’re probably in for some quarantine coming back.

The good thing is, we’re probably some of the safest human beings in the world right now. The bad news is, all our plans for our return have been thrown into chaos. There’ll be no crew following us, and no one is looking forward to LA anymore. We began our day with our eyes looking at the sky, and end it looking back at Earth. We look with worry to the people at home, and hope they’re as healthy as we are.

Provenance : Courrier pour Windows 10

Crew 223 Journalist Report 10Mar2020

Author: Clément Plagne, Crew Journalist

Sol 9: Why we do it

If you’re reading this, it probably means that you’re either a family member or friend of ours, interested by science and the exploration of Mars, or both. From your point of view, being out in the desert and being like astronauts for some time is fascinating, or at least intriguing. There’s this funny bubble of odd people, who see the prospect of near-total isolation from the outside world as something to envy, or to try out yourself. They read about the golden age of superhero astronauts, and look with admiration to the people shooting themselves upwards to live in the literal middle of nowhere, six at most in a metal tube zipping through the vacuum of space.

I have no doubt that every member of our crew is in that bubble. But, as it turns out, most of the world lives outside of it. It’d be stupid to imagine ourselves as more adventurous or curious than them – and I like to imagine we’re no less normal than the rest. They simply don’t see the point, and it’s not unreasonable. They ask: how will you live away from everyone you love? Why would you live without showering for weeks? Why are you doing this?

From inside the bubble, it’s easy to dismiss those questions; they simply don’t get it. But they often do, and they make a great point. Everyone here misses loved ones. We miss being clean, we miss walking outside without 10 kilograms weighing on us, we miss eating whatever we want, we miss knowing all about the news, we miss watching any movie or reading any book we want. Some people say that a stay at MDRS is just a two-week vacation, a relaxing time away from everything, and they sure are wrong. But those who think that it’s the opportunity of two weeks of acting like cool astronauts are missing the point too.

Yes, there’s the honeymoon period, where everything is brand new and exciting, and you don’t think you can get enough of it. Every day has its unexpected moments of fun, and of learning. But the routine sets in fast too. Your hair gets greasy, the spacesuits begin to hurt a little, the experiments don’t work that well, and you can’t get new material in anyway. You remember the time where you could leave work at 5 and sit in a park, breathing the fresh air like everyone else. The distinction between work and daily life gets blurry. Things get boring, and that’s the point. So, yes, why are we doing this?

It’s funny how, after writing so negatively, I still have no regrets about being here. I don’t think anyone in the crew does either, and I’d be sad to imagine people leaving the MDRS wishing they’d done something else. No, it’s not that glam. If any one of us ever walks on Mars, it probably won’t be with the grandeur of the giant leap for mankind, but as one of many starting a colony out there. We don’t do it because it’s cool, no, and certainly not for the fun (though we do have a lot of it). It’s work, and that’s all there is. And that’s fine. Everyone needs to work. We all sacrifice a bit of our comfort to give it to others, and the world moves onward a little. Nearly everybody doesn’t even have the privilege of wondering why they’re doing their job, and there are very, very few jobs that don’t get boring or tiring.

I like to think every person is a dreamer. Our dream is to work so that, someday, humanity will flourish somewhere else, away from its cradle. It’s no more or less valid than any other. Here, we have the chance of working towards that dream. There are sacrifices, but few are those who get to try and turn their dream into reality. We’re alone, yes. We’re dirty, yes. But we’re lucky.

Crew 223 Journalist Report 09Mar2020
Author: Clément Plagne, Crew Journalist
Sol 8: Is there life on Mars ?

For all intents and purposes, we’re on Mars. Everything reasonably possible is done to make the MDRS feel like a real Martian base. We have protocols for everything, from safety communications for moving from place to place to knowing exactly how many grams of plants were harvested on a given day. We have boring powdered food, that tests our culinary creativity on the daily. We have beautiful, multicoloured, but barren landscapes that span as far as the eye can see. We have limited water, and virtually no outside air to breathe. We also have the iffy internet one might expect from a base several astronomical units away from Earth. All in all, it certainly doesn’t feel like home.

Yet, in some small ways, it still inevitably is. The MDRS is in the desert, and it is one dry place, but we’re still on Earth, and there’s some water out there. And where there is water, there is life. On our many times out, we saw plants or animal tracks frequently. We get the occasional insect hanging around in the Hab every so often. And, on lucky days like yesterday, we get to see live animals, such as the antelope we witnessed graciously running as we rode on our rovers. It’s funny to think that this was the first new vertebrate the four of us saw in a whole week. When you come to such an arid place and find, when looking a little harder, that some life is still thriving, it makes you think about how some form of life could have very well developed on Mars when conditions were better.

Sadly, nature is never left alone by humans. There’s the big scientific research base in the middle of nowhere, of course, but traces of human life are plenty elsewhere when you look for them. Every EVA team comes back with a plastic bag, a piece of paper or even a huge plastic box found in the field, littered and waiting an eternity to decompose. We simply can’t keep any place clean.

We’re some of the closest things to real Martian explorers, despite the few things in our ways. From here, things are exciting: the bold exploration and the fascinating science make the days go by fast. But it’s no great place to live, and it shouldn’t be. Comfort is far from the priority, and that’s expected. We can hope to have a Martian colony in the coming decades, but it’s hopeless to think life will be as easy as it ever was on Earth. Sustainable human life on another planet is an exciting step forward, but it’ll never replace living where we evolved to be. There’s no place quite like home, and we realise it all the time here at MDRS. We can hope for the first words from the surface of Mars to be “Keep home clean while we’re away, there’s no better place to stay”.

Crew 223 Journalist Report 08Mar2020

Author: Clément Plagne, Crew Journalist

Sol 7: Learning and Teaching

Sunday is a rest day. We’re not fully inactive (a two-week mission is far too short to allow that), but we at least got a break to get some more sleep and recover from the daily sports sessions and long EVAs. Batteries don’t know about rest days and still needed a short EVA to be taken care of. Like yesterday, this was accomplished through a fully silent EVA, to allow for those who didn’t get to try out the procedure yet to attempt it as well. They were done swiftly, and the morning carried on in the Hab as we played and cooked. There’s a lot to unwind from even a week inside the Station, so taking the time to do that was very much needed for everyone.

We’re all students from the same engineering school, all belonging to one club focused on the exploration of Mars. And while an MDRS mission is a lot of work to prepare, it’s still only two weeks in the year.

So, we and the club members who don’t go to the MDRS get busy with other activities: mainly intervening in local middle and high schools to discuss space, astronautics, and science in general. While being on our own to learn about things we love is a great experience, going out and teaching others about the same thing and seeing their interest grow is just as great.

It was, therefore, a pleasant surprise to learn that an educational science TV show in France was interested in our mission, and wanted us to record a visit of the station to be featured in an episode about living in space.

Being the Crew Journalist, it fell upon me to be the talking head and spend time in front of the camera. I don’t think my crewmates minded, as it was an awkward experience all around. It took a while to get the hang of it, but overall it turned out to be great fun, with the blooper reel being far longer than anticipated. It’s a whole lot easier to do science, all things considered. It’ll remain a fun memory from a slower day, and, if the footage is usable, I can’t wait to not see myself broadcasted once I’m back home.

The end of the day was as calm as its beginning, with Blandine’s relaxation sessions working wonderfully as always. Sometimes too much, but at least we didn’t hear any snoring this time, so that’s a plus. We’ll all try to get our work done as early as we can to lay down and watch a movie, as we didn’t get the chance so far.