Category: Journalist Report

Crew 223 Journalist Report 05Mar2020
Author: Clément Plagne, Crew Journalist
Sol 6
Title: The Sound of Silence
A couple days ago on EVA, Marion unfortunately lost the use of her comms
headset, making her incapable of communicating with the rest of the
expedition by radio. Fortunately, thanks to the little nonverbal
communication we’d all learned to be more efficient, she was able to
pass over her EVA leader role and carry on the EVA normally. This
situation made Aurélien wonder: what if all our comms failed? EVAs limit
our senses drastically already, as the bulky suits limit our vision and
our movement. Even with the radios, it can prove difficult to coordinate
rovers on the road. As he came back in the Hab, he asked the question:
could we carry on an entire EVA without once using our radios?

Communication is the absolute centre of any EVA. We need to be clear
with the HabCom inside, who needs data on vehicles and water outside,
needs to give us permission to get in and out of various zones, and
requires updates to be given as we stop near the Hab to change batteries
on experiments set up within communication range. Between crewmembers on
EVA, communication is kept to a minimum, as radio chatter quickly
becomes impossible to understand if people try to talk over one another.
What remained, however, was of course the important communications:
whether everyone was feeling alright, what direction we need to be
going, or when the rovers need to stop or turn. A lot of crucial
communication goes through those radios, and imagining the ways to
eliminate the need for them and find alternatives is a tough task. While
we were outside yesterday morning with Blandine, Valentin and Florian,
Aurélien, Luc and Marion were thinking of a protocol to carry on a fully
silent EVA.

The final proposal, as given to us by Luc, was clever and felt fool
proof. Our five required minutes of airlock depressurisation would be
directed by the lights turning on or off by the HabCom on the other
side. The beginning measurements of data from the water tank and rovers
around the Hab were distributed among us, and would be relayed by Marion
using hand gestures to Valentin, our HabCom, looking through a window in
the Hab. He would respond similarly and give us the go or no go to take
the rovers outside. To ensure that no rover was left behind on the way,
the one in front would periodically stop and wait to be passed by the
other, and the dance would go on until reaching our destination. By
foot, most things can be done by mime – hand gestures were decided to
tell each other about our levels of fatigue and pain, making sure that
we can go back if someone is too uncomfortable.
The test was a complete success, and the EVA went on nominally without
one word spoken. Two years ago, the Supaéro MDRS crew drew up similar
plans on how to carry on an EVA in case of injury of a crewmember. These
are all possible events during an EVA, and we were glad to continue
doing research on similar themes. The communication between crews on a
year to year basis is one of the strengths of our missions, and this
gives us great hopes for even better experiments in the years to come.

The Science Dome was a lot less quiet though. Marion’s experiment on
foreign language communication is still running strong, and the English,
German and Spanish speaking are still working to build LEGO figures and
find new ways to be understood by the other. The puzzles are getting
rather hard, but what’s interesting is that the speaking pairs are
starting to develop their own slang to describe different pieces, and
much less time is wasted compared to the first attempts. Next week, a
different game: Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes. An asymmetric,
fast-paced bomb defusal game where one person sees puzzles, but only the
others have the manual to solve them. We’re all getting right in sync,
so this can only be exciting!

Crew 223 Journalist Report 06Mar2020
Author: Clément Plagne, Crew Journalist
Sol 5
Title: Grounded
Mars is a colourful place. Today on EVA, we explored the North Ridge, a
hilly area a few miles from the Station. The exploration was rather
athletic, and we once again saw all sorts of terrain as we trudged up
and down the steep sandy slopes. It felt like we walked for hours and
miles, despite the area being rather small and us being done in about an
hour. It probably was because the terrain changes so much – in a matter
of minutes we went from red hills to rocky areas to grey, Moon-like
zones. It’s also probably because the heavy suits make us slower. Most
certainly, it’s a bit of both. The other great news is that the more
comfortable suits that had failed on our first EVAs have been handsomely
fixed by Luc and Aurélien, and now work fully. Begone, back pains!
The ground out there is barren and lifeless. Still, there’s somewhere
not too far where the soil is life-giving and fruitful. The greenhouse
is in full bloom thanks to the good work of Valentin, our devoted
GreenHab officer. Aromatics, radishes, carrots and many others are busy
growing all day long and may at some point be food for us. But there’s
another, odder, thing growing in the warmth of the GreenHab. In glass
tanks lives a green, bubbly mass called spirulina. They’re algae that
shine by the low area needed to grow it, and the massive amounts of
nutrition value it creates with very little input. In those two tanks
that occupy very little of the water consumption and space of the
greenhouse, they have the potential of feeding us much better than all
the rest. It’s not as tasty as rosemary or basil, but some day we may be
forced to be as efficient as possible, and we’ll be happy to have it.
The Science Dome is also on the cutting edge of vegetal research. Today
was the official start of the Music for Plants experiment. It posits
that in harsh environments, sound waves may influence the durability of
plants – in other words, plants may enjoy music! To test this, Valentin
puts different batches of radishes and watercress under strong UV
lights, basically giving them sunburns, and tests different sounds on
the plants in the meantime, seeing how they evolve every day. With the
thin atmosphere of Mars, plants will inevitably be put under stress from
sunrays, so finding out how best to protect them and have an agriculture
on another planet is fundamental. In that same Science Dome, a tower
breathes. No soil this time: little pods on the tower are filled with a
special foam and fed with a nutritive liquid mix, and plants grow just
as well. Aeroponics and vertical culture are possible keys to
efficiently feed a colony on Mars, and working with the first
small-scale examples of these is a privilege for us.

Crew 223 Journalist Report 05Mar2020
Author: Clément Plagne, Crew Journalist
Sol 4
Title: A matter of time
It’s sol 4 already! We’re just about a third of the way through our stay
in the station, which is honestly really hard to imagine. We’ve
experienced a lot already. The team has already changed from how it was
when we started, and we’ve grown as a unit more and more each day. Our
bodies are a bit leaner, bruised for a few of them, but feel stronger
and healthier – the all-American fast-food based diet we had before
arriving here is long gone. They’re also a whole lot dirtier. While no
one’s complained about smells, the days inside an enclosed, dusty
environment have taken a toll on us, and we’re all overdue for a shower.

Yeah, we sure have done a lot already. It’s hopeless to think we’ll
explore everywhere around us and do all the science we want, but we’ve
done a fair bit. Still, it feels like all those days have gone by like a
flash. Time goes by differently in the station. Saying “It’s sol 4!”
sounds fine to all of us, but “It’s Thursday!” just feels weird. Very
easily, you get into a rhythm. 7am wake up time, timed sports session,
breakfast, EVA Prep, check, check, check, 5 minutes of airlock
depressurisation, and on with the procedures. Everyone knows what
they’re doing every single minute of their morning. It’s doing work of
course, but also a lot of waiting for lunch. Lunch, as well as the
afternoon, is a lot freer. Where EVA mornings have us all focused on one
task, afternoons are for our own work. You get to take time to think.

When you’re in here, the rest of the world just stops to exist, and so
does everything with it. The days become simpler. No more social media,
no more advertisements on walks outside, no more commute to work.
Without distractions, you finally get to take time. Time for science,
time for ourselves and others. And, as things get the chance of going
slow and smooth, paradoxically, they go by without realising, and you
end up busy writing reports over a day you thought started instants
before. It’s a pleasure being so efficient and living so simply.

We’re only a third of the way through, but I’m already afraid it’ll be
over before I realise it. I’m enjoying every second of it while it lasts.

Crew 223 Journalist Report 04Mar2020
Author: Clément Plagne, Crew Journalist
Sol 3
Title: The Commander’s Day

Today, our commander was busy. He was not lucky enough to go on EVA today, being instead stuck inside the Hab on HabCom duty. He’s helped out everywhere, from assisting the harvest in the GreenHab to lending a hand in the RAM to troubleshoot the recent spacesuit issues. Also, he’s the one tasked with doing the dishes after dinner tonight. It’s also his birthday. For the second year in a row now, Aurélien got a year older inside the station. Being away from family, home, and, to be quite fair, the whole world on a day like this is never easy, especially with a full
day’s worth of work to do. We’re great company, there’s no doubting it, but I don’t think any one of us is pretentious enough to think that’s sufficient. Besides, for what it’s worth, he’s been telling us he’s beginning to forget what birthdays outside the MDRS are like. Still, we do our best to make this a great day for him, starting with our EVA, that went very smoothly for everyone involved. For once, no spacesuit trouble to report, besides the fact that we had to use the slightly less comfortable ones, and were glad to lay down by the end of it.

The next step to a good day, as always for us, is a lovely meal. Our birthday boy himself, 23 years young now, took part in the making of some fantastic pizzas, tested and approved by all. Marion baked an absolutely wonderful banana bread – in what was possibly the toughest moment of the mission so far, we took the decision of waiting a bit before eating the leftovers. Sometimes I feel like all I’m talking about is food. When things get unusual or tough, you get back to the fundamentals: sleeping and eating. Both are going well for all, a great sign that the rest also works.

We actually ended up having some time before getting back to work to sit down at the table and play a little game of bluff and strategy. The dynamics of the team really is beginning to show, and we had some great fun playing (no one must tell Aurélien that we let him win). For the
third day running, Marion, our Crew Scientist, has had us run an experiment on communication in foreign languages. One person has the instruction for a LEGO build, and the other must construct the object from the pieces without either one seeing the other, with limited time. All teams are making great progress, going from Frankensteinesque monstrosities to things that actually begin to resemble the actual object! To add to that, our Health and Safety Officer Blandine has also continued with team building and relaxation exercises, and it’s once again been a lovely moment together and a great time to talk about how life is going so far in the station.

We’ve got a couple other things planned for Aurélien later on tonight, but we can’t spoil the surprises, so it’ll have to stay secret!

Crew 223 Journalist Report 03Mar2020
Author: Clément Plagne, Crew Journalist
Sol 2
Title: Quick Thinking

“I’m getting no air from the suit”
…
“Marion, you’re taking command of this EVA”
…
“If this weren’t Earth I’d be dead right now”
…
“We need to head back to the Hab immediately”

It’s essential to have a plan – and we do. What’s even more important is
to know how to react when things start to go off the rails. Yesterday’s
EVA started off like the previous one: Aurélien, the veteran, leading
Florian, Marion, and Valentin, three rookies on their first time out.
And, much like yesterday, one of the suits began having issues with its
ventilation systems. Aurélien was the one affected, but unfortunately
this time the problem could be solved neither quickly nor easily by the
remaining crew. A routine battery replacement had suddenly turned into
an emergency situation, as the EVA leader’s helmet began fogging up from
the lack of extra air.

Outside, three Marstronauts with only minutes of EVA experience, needing
to take over from their only experienced companion. Inside, the HabCom
and the other two of us, listening in helplessly to the radio, waiting
for them to make their way back. After the cloud of confusion lifted
from the EVA team and they got control back over the situation, all
seven of us focused on how to make sure the EVA could carry on with
minimal losses. Time was indeed of the essence: there’s only so much
that can be spent outside. As two EVA members rushed in the airlock for
pressurisation, all hands were on deck to give Aurélien another suit and
help Valentin from losing his Comms headset. As quickly as they came in,
they were back out through the airlock, and the EVA carried on
nominally, only with little less time to be spent on exploration.

After a debriefing session to go over the morning’s events, time was
needed for a bit of well-deserved relaxation. Following a hearty lunch
of vegetable curry and improvised cake (powdered butter makes me sad),
we moved on to our respective experiments. Valentin was back to his
ever-relaxing GreenHab, and Florian was busy at the observatory, taking
advantage of the good weather for solar observations. Later on in the
afternoon, Blandine introduced us to a positive psychology experiment:
amongst a myriad of cards showing character strengths, we had to chose
two and explain to the others why we felt it described us well. It was a
great time for introspection, and for learning about our crewmates. Team
cohesion is paramount in missions like this one, and being reminded that
we all have great things to bring to the others is fantastic for the
rest of the mission.

Crew 223 Journalist Report 02Mar2020
Author: Clément Plagne, Crew Journalist
Sol 1
Title: Baby steps

After years spent on Earth, with the comfort of modern technology and the plentiful Western lifestyle, seeing ourselves so limited is as refreshing as it is a shock. We’re like born again on Mars, having to re-learn everything as we move along in our new home. And, as newborns, even our first steps weren’t so easy. Today was EVA day, and it was time for four of us to step out into the (nearly) unknown, making our way into the hills after a first run to replace the batteries of our atmospheric experiments. Between the heat outside, the weight of the life support system and the little air we got from it, it was no walk in the park. Still, with every heavy step, we discovered beautiful features of the terrain, and it was like facing a brand-new landscape every few meters. Deserts are not boring, that’s for sure.

Like the explorers of old, we were on our own, too far away to communicate with help of any kind, and having to figure things out ourselves if anything went wrong. During the EVA, Blandine’s suit had issues with its ventilation systems – while she was perfectly safe in earth’s atmosphere, this could have proven problematic or even critical in real conditions. We had to react quickly, and solved the issue even with our unwieldy gloves. It’ll be up to Luc, the Crew Engineer, to figure out what is wrong and solve the issues.

While we were out, something possibly even more important was going on: Valentin, our botanist and resident cook for the day, was starting to get busy in the kitchen. For lunch, he was preparing homemade pasta with pesto, made from basil harvested this very morning in the GreenHab. As a side, zucchini flowers dipped in batter and shallow fried. An absolute success! And, as if that wasn’t enough, bread was rising for tonight’s dinner. Food: truly the best morale booster for an all-French crew!

Scarcity breeds creativity, so here’s to many more days of delicious food and creative problem solving!

Crew 223 Journalist Report 01Mar2020
Author: Clément Plagne, Crew Journalist
Sol 0

Title: Out with the old, in with the new!

How lucky it is to wake up among friends! As we had taken our new
quarters in the Hab’s bedrooms, our fellow students from Crew 222 spent their last night in the MDRS on the Lower Deck, and it does look like a good night of sleep was had by all. It’s hard to imagine the level of excitement from both crews: one satisfied to have completed their mission, and one eager to finally start living on Mars.

Alas, while we had spent a year planning our missions with Crew 222, it was time for them to go. After a great many hugs and sweet goodbyes, they took off as the sun rose on the Martian desert. As the soft roar of the CrewCar began to quiet down in the distance, it dawned on us that we would be on our own for the two coming weeks.

Farewell, Crew 222! We wish you a safe trip back to Earth, and we promise we’ll take good care of the Station.

There was only one final step before we could finally be in isolation.
We needed to be briefed and trained by Shannon, the Station Director, on how to operate the spacesuits and the vehicles available to us for EVAs. Driving with the desert wind in our hair was a pleasant experience – sadly for us, we will all be wearing cumbersome suits from now on.

After a quick look through the GreenHab, the training was done. And, as simple as that, we were ready to go.

We spent our last moments of freedom on a quick run near the Hab,
enjoying for the last time the touch of the sun and the bite of the
freshening air on our bare skin. Finally, with the metallic clang of the
heavy airlock door, the simulation began. There was little time for us
to ponder over our newfound confinement, as it also meant there was much work to be done.

Valentin was busy at the GreenHab, making his first harvests for tonight’s meal; Luc, our Crew Engineer, had to make his first EVA check on the Station’s support systems. Meanwhile, in the Hab, the sounds of EVA comms clash with the clacks of our many keyboards, working in unison to type up the many reports needed by the
Mission Support.

Soon enough all of today’s work will be done, and we will have dinner
and some rest as a crew in the solitude of the Martian desert. A
comforting thought crosses my mind: on Mars, the sun sets just the same as it does on Earth.

Crew 222 Journalist Report 29Feb2020
Author: Marie Bochard, Crew Journalist
Sol 13
Title: A taste of home

We woke up very early this morning to see the sunrise. At 6am, we were
all outside climbing on the Ridge wall in the pale light of our
flashlights. The view from above was stunning: the sun rose over the
small hills in the distance, illuminating the mesa and the snowy
mountains minutes after minutes. Finally, the sun rays shone through the
atmosphere… What a way to end our stay here.

At 1pm, we met with Crew 223 at the Rock Shop. It was so crazy seeing
new faces after two weeks in isolation! Especially since we know them
from back home, it feels like they brought a taste of home with them. We
cooked lunch and shared our experience here with the new crew. We’ve
been preparing this mission for more than a year, so being here together
is long awaited! We were really excited to tell them all about our
mission and transmit our newly acquired experience. We had so much to share.

Before the sun was setting, we all got together outside to take the crew
change photos. We are leaving early tomorrow morning, so we needed to
finish all our transmission of knowledge before we went out to eat. Once
that was all done, we headed out to have our first meal and their last
meal outside the station: the iconic “last burger” in Hanksville.

It has been a pleasure writing everyday about our life in the station.
It’s been an incredible experience for all of us, and we would love to
spend the next two weeks here again (granted we can take a shower
before…). I hope I could transmit my passion for this mission through
these reports, and I hope they made you aspire to being a marsonaut,
like it inspired me!

Crew 222 Journalist Report 28Feb2020

Author: Marie Bochard, Crew Journalist

Sol 12

Title: First breath of fresh air

To enjoy fully our last simulation day, we started the day off with a long EVA. Nina, Eishi, Valentin and I each took an ATV and headed North to the Moons and Copernicus Highway (a dust path, as the name doesn’t suggest). The landscape was incredible. Every step we took, the ground was a different color. It really felt like we were exploring an alien planet. We found plenty of fossils of oysters, proof that there was plenty of water here a long time ago. There were glass-like shards on the floor, possibly made by lightning hitting the sand… that’s our guess. We surely walked where no one has every walked before, and it

created a very unique mix between feeling special and feeling small. After a couple hours of exploring, we headed back on the ATVs and everyone enjoyed the ride to the Hab.

The rest of the day was mostly spent cleaning. We collected our belongings and started packing.

Then it was over. We opened the Hab door at 5:30pm, finally breathing fresh air after two weeks here. How lucky are we Earthlings to be able to breathe outside and to walk freely without having to wear a pressurized suit!

This mission has gone by tremendously fast. It feels like we just got here, and yet it’s been ages since we thought of the world outside. Everyone enjoyed the stay here, and we feel closer than ever. Missions like this one can create ever-lasting bonds, sometimes more than years can achieve. It will be forged in everyone’s memory for the rest of our lives, I can guarantee that.

Crew 222 Journalist Report 27Feb2020

Author: Marie Bochard, Crew Journalist

Sol 11

Title: Candor Chasma’s Charisma

For this morning’s EVA, we headed out towards Candor Chasma and the surrounding area by ATV. As scary as it is driving these beasts, the drive was fun and we all arrived safely at the end of the road. We even saw some antelopes that crossed the path in front of us! There were about 7 of them fleeing from the noisy quads. It’s strange seeing another form of life here, in this region considered to be so hostile to life! We walked down to the canyon, with the high snowy mountains in the background.

It was a beautiful walk through the canyon. We could see layers of history on either side of us, layers of colored stone forged by the ages. Red, white, green, all the colors were visible one after the other. We walked until the time forced us to stop, soaking in the beautiful canyon walls and the traces of antelopes on the path.

The walk back was rather exhausting as we had to climb back the way we came down, so we were glad to be back in the Hab. Riding the ATVs was definitely a fun part of the stay here.

This afternoon, Nina finished setting up the AeroSpring tower. The seeds planted last week in the moss grew enough to be transferred in the culture tower. What an exciting day. We filled the water tank below the tower with water, so that the pump can spray water inside the tower and water the plants. Lots of water involved. We turned the power on and hurray! It works. She will now come twice a day to turn on the pump that waters the plants, in hope that they will grow big enough to be harvested by the next crew!

Before dinner, we decided to play cards for our last evening together in the sim. We discovered new games and new rules, and had a lot of fun. Tonight, for dinner, the menu is red bean burger with chili and homemade bread! Spicy and delicious.