Category: Mission Plan

Crew 306 – Montes
Dec 22th, 2024 – Jan 4th, 2024

Crew Members:
Commander: Jesus Meza-Galvan
Crew Engineer: Keegan Chavez
Crew Geologist: Elizabeth Howard
Health and Safety Officer: Ryan Villarreal
Green Hab Officer: Adriana Sanchez
Crew Journalist: Rodrigo Schmitt

Mission Plan:
Crew 306, “Montes”, is the twin mission of Crew 305, “Valles.” Valles and Montes are the eighth and ninth crews invited to MDRS from Purdue University. The naming conventions are meant to evoke the popular song by Tammi Terrell and Marvin Gay, which says: “Ain’t no mountain high enough. Ain’t no valley low enough.” The song lyrics literally express the crew member’s desire to one day explore the tallest mountains and deepest valleys on Mars. More importantly, the song highlights the spirit of perseverance that Valles and Montes bring to MDRS. We aim to continue Purdue University’s “Boilermaker” tradition of determination and grit in the advancement of science, technology, and mission protocols in service to future space missions. Montes will perform several experiments related to the long-term survival of a manned Mars station. We will address the need for mapping and scouting terrain using a drone based lidar system. We will address the need for sustainable waste management using fungi to break down and upcycle resources that would otherwise be lost. We will address the need for crew and station health monitoring by implementing both wearable health monitors, and environmental sensors placed throughout the station. We will address the need for in-situ resource utilization by collecting semiconductive materials from the environment and attempting to make photo-voltaic cells. And finally, we will perform geological research by measuring the subsurface magnetic properties us the surrounding environment.

The main objectives of the Montes analog Mars simulation are:
Keeping the highest level of fidelity and realism in the simulation. Earth analogs cannot reproduce Martian gravity and atmosphere, but the crew will keep every other aspect into consideration. This includes safety and research protocols, definition of roles and daily schedule, EVA protocols (and limitations), communication protocols, fruitful collaboration with the program director and mission support, and adaptation to limited resources and environmental difficulties.
Performing research in the fields of geology, engineering, human factors, and crew operations on Mars.
Experimenting with personnel at Purdue, providing a simulated mission control center to coordinate and support research and operations (including delay in communication, to simulate Earth-Mars distance).
Continuing the fruitful collaboration of Purdue crews with the MDRS program.
Following the mission, supporting MDRS with useful results for future crews.

Crew Projects:

Title: LIDAR-Enhanced Drone Simulations for Mars EDL Operations
Author: Rodrigo Schmitt
Objectives: Demonstrate the use of drone-based Lidar to perform local mapping of the terrain.
Description: This project investigates the application of drone-based LIDAR systems for improving Entry, Descent, and Landing (EDL) operations on Mars. Utilizing LIDAR technology, the study will focus on collecting high-resolution topographic data of the Martian-like terrain at MDRS to create detailed elevation and obstacle maps. These maps are essential for identifying potential landing zones and recognizing surface hazards that could impact the safety and success of landing operations. The research will utilize drones equipped with LIDAR sensors to simulate the scanning and mapping process during the descent phase of a Mars mission, aiming to provide actionable data that enhances landing strategies.
Rationale: EDL phases are critical and high-risk segments of space missions, particularly on planetary bodies like Mars, where the atmosphere and surface conditions can greatly affect the landing dynamics. Current Mars missions rely on pre-existing orbital data, which may not capture minute but critical topographical changes. By developing a method to rapidly and accurately assess landing zones up to the last moments before touchdown, the safety and precision of landings can be significantly improved.
EVAs: 6.

Title: Subsurface Magnetic Properties of the Martian Environment
Author: Elizabeth Howard
Objectives: Study geological magnetism to develop test procedures for future missions.
Description: The crew geologist will work to develop and test procedure(s) for studying magnetic behavior of subsurface Martian rocks that would be useful to have humans/astronauts perform, and correlations to possible influencing factors such as solar wind activity. Such research is relevant when attempting to study and understand Mars as we understand Earth, and in addition to giving insight as to which theories about the Martian environment may be supported by data, real Mars missions can allow scientists to develop more accurate planetary and orbital models of Mars.
Rationale: In recent years, NASA’s JPL facility has developed a project called InSight, a Martian environment studying lander. InSight, equipped with magnetometers to study the seismology of rocks on the Martian surface, picks up on magnetic pulse jumps around midnight. One theory for explaining this is that the pulses may be “related to the solar wind interacting with the Martian atmosphere”, although literature from the InSight team assessing data from Mars orbiter MAVEN is inconclusive on this. On Earth, we have the advantage of direct access to setups necessary to make in depth planetary characterizations.
EVAs: 4-5 EVAs

Title: Waste Management Solutions for Space Habitats: Utilizing Mycoremediation
Author(s): Adriana Sanchez
Objectives: Advancing the TRL of mycoponics™ technology by accessing transportability, and survivability of blue oyster fungi (Pleurotus ostreatus var. columbinus).
Description: This research aims to test the use of mycotechnology for waste management in a simulated analog habitat. Using different species of fungi, waste generated by the crew can be broken down instead of disposed of at the end of the simulation. Recycling wastes that are predicted to be created on Mars can help get closer to creating self-sustaining architecture, the key to inhabiting Mars. Using a liquid substrate to suspend the waste for Pestalotiopsis microspora, a plastic digesting fungus, and Coprophilous fungi, a dung mushroom-forming fungi, to digest and fruit, will allow for testing of edibility and the effectivity of upcycling disposable waste in a simulated setting.
Rationale: Lack of advanced bioregenerative life support systems is a critical challenge for long term space missions and establishing bases beyond Earth’s biosphere. Similar wastes generated on the ISS and at MDRS are either jettisoned off into deep space or collected and disposed of after missions. This takes away from the reality of what conditions we will face in deep space.
EVAs: None.

Title: Fabrication of photovoltaic cells using semiconductor material gathered In-Situ.
Author(s): Jesus Meza-Galvan
Objectives: Gather iron and Iron-oxide containing minerals from the environment to use as semiconducting material to fabricate a rudimentary dye-sensitized solar cell.
Description: The project will focus on the fabrication of Dye-sensitized solar cells using semiconducting metal-oxides that will be generated from station resources and minerals collected during EVAs. The basic requirements are glass slides, a graphite pencil, a photo-active pigment (dye), metal electrodes (aluminium cans), a semiconducting material, and an electrolyte solution. Most of the components required for a Dye sensitized cell are part of standard crew supplies. For the electrolyte solution, an Iodide compound works best, such as over the counter Iodine Tincture used for wound disinfecting. Of interest to this mission will be Copper Oxide (CuO), Iron Oxide (FeO, Fe2O3), and Titanium Dioxide (TiO2). TiO2 is often used as a pigment in paint, or as food coloring in frosting and powdered sugar. It is also the most common active ingredient in sunscreen. For this mission, we will be extracting TiO2 from sunscreen by baking it in an oven or hot plate. Copper oxide will be generated from copper sheets which will be brought in along with the crew. These sheets will be oxidized under high heat using the ovens in the science dome. The surface layer of oxide will be scrapped off to create semiconductive powder that will be spread over the glass slide. Iron oxide containing minerals will be collected while on EVA. The primary target of these EVAs will be hematite, as it has been shown that hematite powder can be refined to produce a solar cell.
Rationale: To establish a sustained presence on Mars, technologies for power generation will be necessary. Although Dye-sensitized cells are rudimentary and not the most efficient, they have the advantage of being easy to manufacture and can potentially be constructed using In-situ resources.
EVAs: 6

Title: Sensor-based Team Performance Monitoring in Isolated, Confined, and Extreme Environments
Author(s): Ryan Villarreal
Objectives: To take team-level measurements of team performance in isolated confined and extreme environments.
Description: This study aims to investigate team-level physiological synchrony from wrist-worn photoplethysmography (PPG) using multi-dimensional recurrence quantification analysis (MDRQA) and team workload questionnaires to understand interpersonal relationships. In ICE environments, teams face unique challenges that impact their performance, stress levels, and mood. Current methods for assessing team effectiveness rely on subjective self-reports and expert evaluations, which are prone to biases. Physiological synchrony, the alignment of physiological responses among team members, has been suggested as a potential objective measure of team dynamics but has not been studied in ICE contexts.
Rationale: In isolated, confined, and extreme (ICE) environments, teams face unique challenges that impact their performance, stress levels, and mood. Current methods for assessing how teams are performing rely on subjective self-reports and expert evaluations, which are prone to biases. Physiological synchrony, the alignment of physiological responses among team members, has been suggested as a potential objective measure of team dynamics. Physiological synchrony has been shown to predict team performance and mood among team members. In ICE environments, these constructs are crucial for mission success.
EVAs: None

Title: MDRS Monitoring System
Author(s): Monish Lokhande, Keegan Chavez
Objectives: The project is focused on developing a network of Raspberry Pis to measure data from various locations in the habitat to measure the ambient conditions. This will be a continuation of the project initiated by Crews 288, 289, and 305.
Description: The crew will be making a network of Raspberry Pis to measure data from various locations in the habitat to measure including CO2, VOC, Air Quality, Temperature and Humidity levels. This data would be collected and analysed for any possible sudden changes. The primary problem to be solved is monitoring multiple sensors remotely, as the current dashboard does not allow more than 10 channels active at once. The goal is to integrate up to four sensor payloads together, one for each station module, to be interfaced remotely by Purdue Mission control.
Rationale: Equipment and system health monitoring is an important aspect for long duration missions on Mars. Loss of any equipment or failure of the system on Mars is a massive danger for crews, as transporting any material takes at least eight months of lead time. Also, communication with the Martian habitat has up to a 21-minute delay. Hence, any emergencies need to be detected and solved locally. Therefore, in-house technology to monitor and potentially identify any possible hazardous situations is vital.
EVAs: None

Title: Wearable-Based Autonomic Profiles for Real-Time Cognitive Monitoring in Spaceflight
Author: Peter Zoss, Ryan Villarreal
Objective: This study will longitudinally quantify individual changes in autonomic nervous system (ANS) status via a wearable sensor in MDRS crew members to understand how our autonomic activity is associated with sequential measures of cognitive performance for predictive model development.
Description: Crew 306 will continue the project as proposed by Peter Zoss and Crew 305.
Rationale:
EVAs: None required

Crew Commander
Jesus Meza-Galvan is a PhD candidate in the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics at Purdue University, and a second time MDRS analog astronaut. Jesus served as Engineer for Crew 288 – Phobos and will now serve as Commander for Crew 306 – Montes. Prior to starting his PhD, Jesus worked as an applied physicist for a technology R&D company. His background is in solid-state physics and nano/microfabrication of semiconductor and optical devices. His PhD research is focused on developing MEMS micro-propulsion systems for small satellites. When he grows up, Jesus wants to be a spacecraft engineer working to develop instrumentation for science missions and tools for in-space manufacturing. He aspires to help Will Smith and Jeff Goldblum upload computer viruses onto the alien mothership.

Crew Engineer
Keegan Chavez is a second year Master’s student in the Electrical Engineering department at Purdue, his research focuses on photonic integrated circuits. He has a broader interest in researching and developing technologies that will aid in human exploration and settlement of space. Keegan’s long-term goal is to become an astronaut and be a part of a mission to settle Mars. His home town is Albuquerque, New Mexico. His hobbies include soccer and cycling.

Health and Safety Officer
Ryan Thomas Villarreal is a third year Ph.D. student at Purdue University with a multidisciplinary background passionate about analyzing and gaining a deeper knowledge of how humans interact with their environment, their technologies, and the others around them. Ryan seeks to utilize experience in software, embedded systems, and human factors to conduct research and gain insights into human behavior and physiology that inform the design of safety-critical human spaceflight systems.

GreenHab Officer
Adriana Sanchez is an Undergraduate Student studying Mechanical Engineering Technology at Purdue University with a passion for sustainability, space exploration, and innovative food production systems. Her current research focuses on advancing MycoponicsTM technology to support food production and to tackle waste management. Adriana is deeply committed to using science and innovation to help bridge gaps and build inclusive opportunities. She is working towards her goal of becoming an Astronaut. For crew 306, Adriana will focus on advancing the TRL of MycoponicsTM and test waste-made nutrient media for mushroom cultivation. Outside of her academic pursuits, she is Team Captain/Coach for the Purdue Women’s Wrestling Club and will be leading them in their very first competition this upcoming January. In her free time, she creates art, collects plants, and explores new places.

Crew Journalist
Rodrigo Schmitt, is an astrophysicist, space engineer, and a PhD candidate in Space Systems Engineering at Purdue University. Rod also co-founded SEARCH, the first organization at Purdue dedicated to analog astronautics. At the moment, Rod’s research focuses on exploring designs of innovative space systems using Kerbal Space Program as a simulation environment, while applying AI methods to understand how to better optimize lunar mission architectures. As the Crew Journalist of Crew 306 – Montes, his research explores the use of drones and LIDAR to map the terrain of MDRS. His vision of going to space first started with the show Space Brothers, where the brothers Mutta and Hibito go through the struggles of astronaut training, flight tests, and wilderness survival to reach the Moon. In his free time, he enjoys outdoors activities like hiking, as well as instrumental music and philosophical books.

Crew Geologist
Elizabeth is a master’s student in the astrodynamics department at Purdue aerospace with a background in biosystems engineering. She is interested in contributing to robotic and manned space exploration and ultimately wants to work in mission operations. By participating in MDRS, her goal is to gain a better understanding of what astronauts go through during their missions to be a better flight controller someday. Her research will focus on developing a standard operating procedure for studying geophysical properties such as subsurface magnetism during future planetary missions.

[title Crew biographies, photos and mission patch – December 8th]

Crew Mission Patch

Crew Members
Spruha Vashi, Crew Engineer

Bio: Spruha Vashi is an undergraduate student studying aeronautical and astronautical
engineering at Purdue and an aspiring astronaut. She has worked with previous Purdue
MDRS crews in the past through research preparation and as a part of Purdue mission
control support, but this is the first time that she is attending MDRS as a crew member.
Her academic interests include aerospace systems design with a focus on human
space applications and she is hoping to continue her studies through a master's degree.
She has industry experience applying systems, integration, and test engineering to
multiple space applications and is excited to utilize her skills in the Crew Engineer role
for Crew 305.

Rashi Jain, Crew Journalist

Bio: Rashi, journalist for crew #305, is a Ph.D. candidate in the School of Aeronautics
and Astronautics at Purdue University. At Purdue, her research is on designing habitats
for resilience. Specifically, she is working on developing methods and tools that
designers can use to select safety controls for both foreseen and unforeseen
disruptions. Prior to this, she received a bachelor’s degree in mechanical and
aerospace engineering from The University of Texas at Arlington. She is also a student

pilot. She enjoys spending her free time watching TV shows and movies, reading,
hiking, camping, and snuggling up with her two kittens, Coco and Doonie (aka Mr. Jr)

Ian Pamerleau, Executive Officer & Crew Geologist

Ian is the Executive Office and Crew Geologist of the MDRS Crew #305 – Valles from
Purdue University. He is a fourth year PhD candidate in the Earth, Atmospheric, and
Planetary Science Department at Purdue University. He works with Dr. Mike Sori on icy
geophysics in the outer solar system, currently looking at Ceres and Callisto. He uses a
combination of the finite element method (FEM) and geologic mapping to simulate solid
state flow over billions of years, be it viscous relaxation of surface features or
convection deeper down. His work aims to uncover the internal structure and the state
of differentiation of these icy worlds. Ian received his B.S. in Geology and Mathematics
with a minor in physics from the University of Pittsburgh in 2021, where he helped to
develop an automated floodplain mapping algorithm. In his free time, Ian does sport
fencing, plays the saxophone and guitar, and plays D&D.

Peter Zoss, Health and Safety Officer

Peter is the Health and Safety Officer (HSO) of the MDRS Crew #305. He is a PhD
candidate in Biomedical Engineering at Purdue University. Peter is a member of the
BioCom Lab at Purdue, advised and run by Dr. Matthew Ward to study how we can
communicate to and from the nervous system. He uses invasive devices to study vagus
and genicular nerve signaling in animal models and digital health technologies for
analyzing noninvasive recordings of autonomic nervous system indicators in human
research. Before this, Peter completed his B.S. in biomedical engineering at Purdue
University as well. He enjoys spending his free time with his wife, playing board games
or with their dog.

Monish Lokhande, Crew Scientist

Bio: Monish is the Crew Scientist for Crew #305. He is a PhD student in Aeronautics
and Astronautics at Purdue University. His current research focuses on developing
autonomous multiagent systems frameworks aiming towards enabling heterogenous
robots to coordinate and do tasks more efficiently. He earned his bachelor’s from Indian

Institute of Technology, Goa majoring in Mechanical Engineering. At Mars Desert
Research Station (MDRS) Monish is working towards developing a monitoring system
to analyze data at various locations at the hab. In his spare time, he enjoys outdoor
activities such as hiking, camping, playing sports and trying new adventure sports.

Hunter Vannier, Commander and GreenHab Officer

Bio: Hunter Vannier is a 5 th year PhD candidate at Purdue University studying Planetary
Science, and studies planetary volcanism on the Moon and Mars through orbital, lab,
and field spectral analyses. He is fascinated by planetary analogs (such as MDRS),
places on Earth similar to other planets, since they give us the best opportunity to
contextualize observations on other rocky planets. Prior to Purdue, Hunter received a
BA in Astronomy and minor in Planetary Science from Wesleyan University in 2020. He
greatly enjoys cooking, gardening, hiking and spending time outdoors, and playing ice
hockey.

Mars Desert Research Station
Mission Plan
Crew 305 – Valles
Dec 8 th , 2024 – Dec 21 st , 2024

Crew Members:
Commander and GreenHab Officer: Hunter Vannier
Executive Officer and Crew Geologist: Ian Pamerleau
Crew Engineer: Spruha Vashi
Health and Safety Officer: Peter Zoss
Crew Journalist: Rashi Jain
Crew Scientist: Monish Lokhande
Mission Plan:
The twin “Valles” (305) and “Montes” (306) missions are the eighth and ninth all-Purdue crew at MDRS,
and this is our second year being granted two back-to-back rotations. We aim to bring the same
enthusiasm, interest, and quality of research as past Purdue crews, and hold ourselves to a high
standard.
Crew 305 will perform various research tasks that include measurement of ephemeral streams and Mars
analog paleosols. Some geologic excursions will be supported by a rover to test how it can best support
astronauts in a Mars environment. Indoors, environmental sensors will monitor different buildings, and
MDRS infrastructure will be studied to identify the requirements for safe habitat operations. Data from
health tracking and cognitive tests via headsets will be combined to assess mental health and cognitive
performance. Some of the experiments will be performed inside the MDRS modules, while others
require Extra Vehicular Activities (EVA), thus adding realistic difficulties to the task. As usual, the
combination of excursions and life inside the habitat will provide crew members with the opportunity to
both working on their research and identifying potential difficulties of working with space suits and
living in close quarters in a small habitat.
The main objectives of the Valles analog Mars mission are:
Keeping the highest level of fidelity and realism in the simulation. Earth analogs cannot
reproduce Martian gravity and atmosphere, but the crew will take every other aspect into
consideration. This includes safety and research protocols, definition of roles and daily schedule,
EVA protocols (and limitations), communication protocols, fruitful collaboration with the
program director and mission support, and adaptation to limited resources and environmental
difficulties.
Performing research in the fields of geology, engineering, human factors, and crew operations
on Mars.
Experimenting with personnel at Purdue, providing a simulated mission control center to
coordinate and support research and operations (including delay in communication, to simulate
Earth-Mars distance).
Continuing the fruitful collaboration of Purdue crews with the MDRS program.
Following the mission, supporting MDRS with useful results for future crews.

Crew Projects:
1.
Title: Effect of Moisture on Microgreen Growth
Author(s): Hunter Vannier
Objectives: The primary question I seek to answer is: How does soil moisture content affect the
growth rate of microgreens?
Secondary: Determine the composition of a paleosol sequence near MDRS.
Description: I will grow broccoli microgreens, and vary water volume between three sets of
plants, and I will use a second set of different sized trays to see if growth is affected. There will
be a soil moisture sensor in each tray connected to a single Arduino Uno microcontroller. This
will enable direct recording of soil moisture content. Plant height will be measured to
determine correlation with soil moisture.
Secondary: A second research objective will be collecting a stratigraphic sequence of paleosols.
Every 10 cm, a new paleosol will be collected to determine change in composition.
Rationale: Growing food on Mars will be necessary for long-duration missions or habitation,
and developing efficient growing practices is a critical aspect of resource conservation,
especially for water. I aim to also improve water usage efficiency at MDRS by creating
recommended water quantities for microgreens.
Secondary: Paleosols have recently been recognized as an important geologic unit in Jezero
Crater, the target of the Mars 2020 Perserverance Rover. However, the composition, water
content, and biosignature preservation potential has not been well studied in a Mars analog
environment with application to Mars research. In doing so, we can better assess the role of
paleosols in the Mars geologic record and their potential to preserve past life.
EVAs: 2-3 EVAs
2.
Title: Investigating Rover Applications in a Mars Analog Environment
Author(s): Spruha Vashi
Objectives: The primary question I seek to answer is: How can a rover assist humans during
EVA processes and what interactions are necessary for the rover-human relationship?
Description: The objective of this work is to build a modular rover that is capable of traversing
the analog Mars terrain along with crew members on EVA. Testing at MDRS includes mobility
testing over different sections of terrain, confirming communications and operability, and
exploring human-machine teaming capabilities. The rover will be designed to have a modular
‘toolbox’ and be able to travel with crew members on EVAs and help hold tools. Data collected
will help detail the rover’s operational capabilities in both performance metrics as well as
opportunities of use.
Rationale: Rovers are a longstanding technology that has been applied on Mars but never have
Martian rovers directly interacted with humans. When humans do reach Mars, it is inevitable
that they will work directly with rovers on the surface to help complete tasks. It is necessary to

understand the capabilities of human-machine teaming and how rovers directly designed to
work with humans will operate in the Mars environment.
EVAs: 2-3 EVAs

3.
Title: MDRS Monitoring System
Author(s): Monish Lokhande
Objectives: The primary question I seek to answer is: How can we achieve data efficient
communication to ground station?
Secondary: Can we transmit the data to a remote station?
Description: I will be making a network of Raspberry Pis to measure data from various locations
in the habitat to measure the necessary sensor data (CO2, VOC, Air Quality, Temperature and
Humidity). This data would be collected and analyzed for any possible sudden changes. The
“Sensor Packs” would be made to operate independently on batteries. Test for parsing data to
extract only the necessary data.
Secondary: The data collected will be transmitted to a generated website to publish and check
would be made that data is published regularly.
Rationale: Equipment and system health monitoring is an important aspect for long duration
missions on Mars. Loss of any equipment or failure of the system on Mars is a massive danger
for crews, as transporting any material takes at least eight months of lead time. Also,
communication with the Martian habitat has up to a 21-minute delay. Hence, any emergencies
need to be detected and solved locally. Therefore, in-house technology to monitor and
potentially identify any possible hazardous situations is vital.
Secondary: Having local monitoring is vital but also transmission to Earth is necessary for
Ground station to have the status of systems that might be functioning incorrectly. Due to the
communication limitations, sending only necessary data might be more economical resource-
wise.
EVAs: No requirement.

4.
Title: Hydraulic Geometry of Ephemeral Streams to Elucidate Paleoclimate
Author(s): Ian Pamerleau
Objectives: The primary question I seek to answer is: What is the hydraulic geometry of
ephemeral streams near the MDRS campus?
Secondary: Conduct more detailed geologic mapping of the region between the Tununk Shale
and Summerville and Curtis Formation on the MDRS campus.
Description: Ephemeral streams are present around the MDRS campus and carve out the
landscape after heavy rain. The hydraulic geometry of these streams mathematically describes
how the width and drainage area change along the channel. I will measure the channel width of
ephemeral streams on the MDRS campus (specifically within Candor Chasma and the

southwestern regions of Eos Chasma) to find the hydraulic geometric relations of the streams. I
will mark down the coordinates of each location and use it to find the corresponding drainage
area of each measurement with a digital elevation model.
Secondary: The USGS geologic map of the surrounding MDRS area looks at the large-scale
region of the MDRS campus. However, there is some preferential erosion that leads to mounds
of some units being present in the regions labeled with other units. With remaining time, I will
note where these overriding units are for future MDRS missions.
Rationale: There is a range of values that the hydraulic geometry of rivers tends to fall within,
which tells us more about climate, lithology, and sediment load. These values have been
established for the more “mature” rivers with constantly flowing water. However, the
ephemeral steams at MDRS may not have achieved the values present in the literature. Testing
this will give insight into whether or not Martian astronauts will be able to measure similar
streams on Mars to elucidate paleoclimate.
Secondary: More detailed geologic maps of the MDRS campus will help future MDRS teams
conduct their field work and prepare for research.
EVAs: 6–7 EVAs
5.
Title: Lessons for Robotics from a Mars Analog Astronaut Mission
Author(s): Rashi Jain
Objectives: The main objective of my research is to use MDRS as a case study for identifying
design requirements for safe habitat operations.
Description: My research will focus on identifying the requirements for safe habitat operations.
The study will evaluate how available resources at the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS)
are utilized during the mission to meet these requirements, including rover operations during
EVAs. Data collected will be used to (i) document key functions essential for ensuring safe
habitat operations and mission success and (ii) assess the effectiveness of onboard resources in
fulfilling these functions.
Using this, I will derive the functional needs of future robotic systems.
Research Tasks:
1. Study Habitat Design and Available Resources and Document It.
2. (Optional) Conduct Functional Hazard Analysis or theoretically create scenarios that
demand new or different functionalities.
3. Assign Resilience Power Metric to different Habitat Elements, available equipment, and
resources on Board.
4. Identify Requirements for Safe Habitat Operations

5. Identify Requirements for Mission Success.
6. Functionally breakdown the identified requirements.
7. Evaluate (map the requirements with functionality) whether and how habitat design,
available equipment and resources can satisfy identified requirements.
8. Validate the resilience power metric.
Rationale: While Mars will have crewed missions, there will also be periods of dormancy. In
these periods of dormancy, the habitat will heavily rely on robotic systems for safe operations.
Thus, it is important to identify critical habitat operations, and design robotics for them.
EVAs: 3-4 EVAs
6.
Title: Wearable-Based Autonomic Profiles for Real-Time Cognitive Monitoring in Spaceflight
Author: Peter Zoss
Objective: This study will longitudinally quantify individual changes in autonomic nervous
system (ANS) status via a wearable sensor in MDRS crew members to understand how our
autonomic activity is associated with sequential measures of cognitive performance for
predictive model development.
Description: Mental health and cognitive performance are important aspects of long-term
space missions given the isolated environments, delayed communications (i.e., between 3 and
21 minutes), and lack of proper healthcare access. Cognitive performance is important to
maintain since a decline could compromise the safety of the mission, leading to failure and the
potential loss of life. Monitoring the physiologic changes associated with stress and their impact
on cognitive performance will help maintain crew safety. Watches will be worn before, during,
and after simulation to record health data of crew members. Activity logs will be used to
monitor personal responses crew members have to different environmental factors, providing a
personal contextualization to the data. Crew members will then complete the Cognition battery
test, a cognitive performance test designed for astronauts, on an electronic device while
wearing and looking through the Varjo XR-3 headset to track gaze data.
Rationale: Developing a real-time tool for predicting cognitive performance based on
continuous digital health data obtained from wearables will lead to more efficient and timely
interventions during space missions.
EVAs: None required

Crew 301 October 20-25

Crew Members:

Jen Carver-Hunter, Commander

Alex Grab

Michael Ho

Rachel Johnson

Steve Kirsche

Jason Trump

Jen Carver-Hunter

Jen Carver-Hunter is a 5th grade teacher at a Title 1 School in Salt Lake City, Utah. Carver-Hunter is the crew commander for the Spaceward Bound Utah program at the Mars Desert Research Station. She is also an alumni member of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum’s Teacher Innovator Institute and a current member of Space Center Houston’s SEEC Crew.

Alex Grab

Alex Grab is an education program manager at the Space Foundation, where she designs innovative STEM and entrepreneurship programs that inspire the next generation of explorers. With over a decade of experience in teaching and curriculum development, she’s passionate about hands-on learning. When not shaping future leaders, Alex enjoys hiking, snowboarding, and studying fungi as an amateur mycologist.

Michael Ho

Michael is a Science educator from Singapore. He teaches General Science to grades 7-8 students and Physics to grades 9-10 students. He was with Team A.R.E.S. (MDRS 216) back in Nov 2019. He is really happy to be back at the MDRS and looks forward to the Spaceward Bound programme.

Rachel Johnson

Rachel Johnson is an educator with over 18 years of experience, specializing in Spanish language, technology, and space science. Currently working as an outreach specialist for a mental health nonprofit in Colorado, she is particularly interested in the psychological effects of isolation. A lifelong sci-fi enthusiast and geology aficionado, Rachel is excited to gain hands-on experience in studying mental health in the context of space exploration while examining and collecting geological samples from Utah’s Mars-like terrain.

Steve Kirsche

Steve is an avid space enthusiast and former middle school science teacher from St. Johns, FL. He now works as a secondary science program specialist for St. Johns County School District.

Jason Trump

Jason Trump leads the education team at Clark Planetarium in Salt Lake City. His responsibilities include overseeing a statewide field trip, outreach, and teacher professional development program. Jason is a Utah native who enjoys spending time outdoors and volunteering as a NASA Solar System Ambassador. He is excited to be returning for another experience at MDRS.

Martian Biology 4 (MDRS 298) Mission Plan – June 3-10, 2024

This is the fourth non-simulation mission in the Martian Biology program, which seeks to understand the biodiversity of the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) operational area, both to better support analog missions and to understand this unique biome. The crew consists of Dr. Shannon Rupert, Dr. Jordan Bimm, Samantha McBeth, Jacopo Razzauti, Olivia Drayson, and Paul Sokoloff.

In 2024, we will focus the efforts of our multiple projects at three study sites: Collie Wash (38.32626, -110.67395), the lower slopes of the Henry Mountains (38.07799, -110.91507), and the San Rafael Swell via Temple Mountain Wash (38.66577, -110.67774). Each location would be visited twice – once early in the week to deploy any traps or monitoring devices required, and again at the end of the week to retrieve the samples and/or loggers.

We will continue work on studying the plant and lichen biodiversity of the station through a collections based inventory. We will deploy trail cameras at these locations to better understand the vertebrate diversity at these locations, comparing the data with those available through citizen science platforms (i.e. iNaturalist). We will continue to sample insect diversity with a focus on mosquitos. We will continue to support research into the historical understanding of Martian analogs and astrobiology. We will collect water samples at the study sites to better understand microplastic contamination in the area.

Mission Itinerary:
Monday June 3: Afternoon trip to Collie Wash to collect deposit loggers and traps.
Tuesday, June 4: Science Day on lower slopes of Henry Mountains.
Wednesday, June 5: Science Day at Temple Mountain, San Rafael Swell.
Thursday, June 6: Return to Collie Wash, and collect at waterways along the highway.
Friday, June 7: Return to lower slopes of Henry Mountains.
Saturday, June 8: Return to Temple Mountain, San Rafael Swell.
Sunday, June 9: Flex day.
Monday, June 10: Cleanup at MDRS, mail specimens and gear from Hanksville PO, team leaves MDRS for GJ.

Paul Sokoloff

Prakruti “Pari” Raghunarayan: Crew Commander & Crew Journalist
Hi! My name is Prakruti, or you can call me Pari. I am a physics and material science major at UT and the crew’s Commander for our analog astronaut mission this rotation. I do condensed matter research with Dr. Edoardo Baldini at the University of Texas at Austin, will be at Princeton University with their Electrical Engineering Department, and will be conducting materials studies at MDRS alongside our crew members. I am very excited for this mission (especially the hikes we may get to go on!)

Avery Abramson: Executive Officer & Crew Astronomer
Hi! My name is Avery Abramson. I am a rising third-year at UT from northern Virginia, which is around thirty minutes from Washington, D.C. I enjoy acting, practicing martial arts, and singing with my piano. I am also an astronomy major who is currently pursuing research, and I will be at Seoul National University in South Korea this summer to continue my research in extragalactic cosmology!
Noah Mugan: Crew Scientist

Hi! My name is Noah Mugan, and I am a physics major at UT Austin. At MDRS, I will be studying differences in nutrient density between radishes grown in Earth soil and in analog Martian soil. Outside of MDRS, my research focuses on quantum computing!

Kristina Mannix: Health and Safety Officer & Astronomer
My name is Kristina Mannix, I am a Physics and Astronomy double major at the University of Texas at Austin. For MDRS, I am the Health and Safety Officer, I am here to patch up my fellow crew members and to ensure their safety. Additionally, I am working with Avery, the head Crew Astronomer, on the astronomy research with the Robotic Observatory and the Musk Solar Observatory. One fun fact about me is that I am doing research at UT with Dr. Scott Kravitz making a xenon time projection chamber!

Aravind Karthigeyan: Crew Chemist
Hey y’all, my name is Aravind, and I’m a physics and math double major—though, emphasis on the physics. I was selected to be the Crew Chemist for MDRS, and my job is to track radiation levels across the camp to simulate research done in an actual Martian environment. Something interesting about myself is that I lettered in varsity bowling in high school!

Rishabh Pandey: Crew Engineer
I’m Rishabh Pandey, an Electrical and Computer Engineering major and Crew Engineer at MDRS. My job is to use drones to map out the Martian surface using photogrammetry and develop deep-learning algorithms to find the fastest path from A to B in the event of a rescue mission. An interesting fact about myself is that I used to be on the Olympic development team for Water Polo.

Our Mission:
Our mission is designed to pioneer new techniques for exploring Mars and analyzing extraterrestrial materials through a simulated Martian environment. We are conducting geological research, mapping a detailed 3D mock-Martian terrain, studying the nutritional data of plants grown in mock-Martian soil, and monitoring space weather events in real time via the Musk Observatory. The overall goal is establish steps to ensure successful roundtrip travel to Mars. With MDRS and NASA, we are extending this material study to attempt to bring back rockets we launch. Essentially, a larger plan would be to use space weather patterns to optimize when we perform launches with Avery and Kristina’s work, mapping that terrain with Rishabh’s research, and finally analyzing and repurposing found materials as energy sources to essentially create rocket fuel (process called electrolysis) and figure out how we can look at vegetation and consumption on Mars, which will be a combined effort of what me, Noah, and Aravind do.

Crew 297 – JANUS I
Apr 14th – April 27th, 2024

Crew Members:

Commander and HSO: Pawel Sawicki
Executive Officer: Matthew Storch
Crew Engineer: Matthew Lynch
Crew Geologist: Sarah Lamm
GreenHab Officer: Sean Marquez
Crew Journalist & Crew Engineer: David Laude

Mission Plan:

The 297th crew at MDRS is composed of a team of seven astronauts, coming from an assortment of diverse backgrounds and careers. With over a cumulative fifteen degrees between the crew, conducting research is ingrained within the planned mission. Janus I will investigate many subdisciplines of science and engineering, specifically geological field spectroscopy, operations of nuclear power systems, developing smart sensor-based systems, and Martian-appropriate advancements in IT. While it is ideal for the PI of a research project to also be involved as a mission specialist, a la the Space Shuttle era, it is acknowledged that astronauts will need to tend to other projects and be participants themselves. As such, Janus I also involves other research projects from academia involving studies pertaining to isolated confined environments and human-robotic interaction.

Janus I, the name of this specific MDRS mission, stays in line with NASA’s tradition of naming extraterrestrial explorations after ancient mythological beings. Janus is the Roman god of duality, transitions, and beginnings – a deity appropriately aligned with the goals of MDRS.

Crew Projects:

Title: Simulated Deployment of a Nuclear Power System: Logistics and Operational Challenges
Principal Investigator: Matthew Lynch
Description: Initial mission to Mars will deploy with advanced radioisotope power systems (RPS) or fission power systems (FPS) to power in-flight needs and initial base deployment. However, the ever-expanding work-scope on Mars will dictate increasing power requirements and new reactors will be sent from earth for these power demands. Due to the hazardous nature of these materials the delivery landing site will not likely be near the Martian base. To represent this within sim, one EVA team will hide an analogous (inert) NPS, and provide an estimated GPS coordinate to a second EVA team. The second team will have the task of seeking out the NPS using varying planned search strategies. The analog reactor will also need to be brought back to the base for installation and containment. As an analog to this, an NPS site will be selected 100-500 feet from the MDRS Habitat and the inert NPS will be buried during an EVA such that only its top surface is visible.
Objectives: Locate analog FPS from a delivery landing site in the vicinity of MDRS, assuming slight deviations from the original site. Bring the NPS back to MDRS and excavate a location for it during EVA operations.
EVAs: A minimum of 4 EVAs are required, with more targeted.

Title: Advancing Planetary Mineralogical Analysis: Evaluating the Usability of Portable Gamma Ray Spectroscopy during Martian Operations
Principal Investigator: Sarah Lamm
Description: Gamma-ray spectrometry is used for mapping surveys, as these elemental amounts can be used to determine lithology and possible provenances. Furthermore, the amount of natural uranium can be a concern, as a daughter-isotope of uranium is radon. Radon gas is odorless, colorless, and radioactive, specifically an alpha particle emitter. Breathing in radon gas can cause lung cancer, and therefore a threat to astronaut’s health. This research will not only help with mapping and lithology, but also provide insight to any unrevealed risks to astronaut’s health.
Objectives: Determine the amount of natural radioactive uranium, thorium, and potassium within the adjacent areas of MDRS, through the use of a portable Gamma Ray Spectrometer.
EVAs: A minimum of 4 EVAs are required, with more targeted.

Title: A Toolset for Shared and Long-term Document Management and IT Operations
Principal Investigators: Sean Marquez & Matthew Storch
Description: The combination of text files and distributed source control is well-known to be a best practice in the management of programming-related files. Use of source code to describe highly standardized and easily maintainable computing infrastructure is another well-known best practice. It has been more recently recognized that programming-related tools and methods can be readily re-purposed to manage non-programming data, such as research data, notes, and reports. Thus, for this mission a methodology for maintaining MDRS mission data is developed that is based on marked-up plain text files and distributed source control provided in a virtual desktop environment that is defined and maintained through source code (Infrastructure-as-Code). This toolset utilizes Git (modern software development tool that solves the problem of collaboration without strong centralized dependencies), Markdown (modern non-proprietary data format), Dendron (note organization system on top of Markdown), and a Linux workspace image (provides all of the aforementioned benefits plus more to users in one convenient package, easier to maintain and support).
Objectives: Evaluate the effectiveness of WIDGIT (Workspace Image with Dendron & Git for IT) for collaborative documentation workflows. Users will use the toolset for MDRS report writing, note taking, and other appropriate activities, with allowable support from the PIs. Based on the crew’s use of the toolset, the amount of PI support required, and anecdotal sentiment amongst the crew toward the toolset, the investigators will characterize any minor or major changes required for future mission use.
EVAs: None required.

Title: MDRS IOT-Assisted Data Collection Using OSHW & OSS
Principal Investigator: Sean Marquez
Description: IoT-assisted real-time wireless data collection is a valuable tool for monitoring vitals and environmental conditions of living organisms. The use of FPrime – a flight-proven, multi-platform, open-source flight software framework with flight heritage on the Mars Ingenuity helicopter and university CubeSats, is proposed for use at MDRS. FPrime would facilitate real-time data collection and monitoring of environmental conditions (s.a., temperature, humidity, pressure, and volatile organic compounds) for plants in the GreenHab during the course of crew 297’s mission. This data collection system can be extended to either robotic or manned EVA’s. These can be deployed on a microcontroller (s.a., a Teensy 4.1) or single-board computer (s.a., a Raspberry Pi 4) wired to environmental sensors (s.a., a BME688) configured to stream data over a local network or radio transceiver (s.a., a RFM69HCW) to a laptop running the FPrime ground data system (see https://github.com/mdrs-community/fprime-baremetal-reference for reference implementation). The FPrime ground data system can be run locally from a virtual environment (see https://github.com/mdrs-community/mdrs-workspace-image/).
Rationale: Live monitoring and logging of environmental conditions is vital for sustaining the health and well-being of living organisms. Manually managing such processes can become tedious, time-consuming, and prone to human error. The need for solutions that minimize workload without being too tethered to interplanetary supply-chains becomes more evident as humanity endeavors to become multiplanetary.
Objectives: Demonstrate the use of FPrime open-source software on open-source hardware during GreenHab Operations to assuage tedious monitoring and reporting GHO duties. Develop and test the framework of a customizable and re-usable data collection methodology for use in future MDRS missions.
EVAs: None required.

Title: Use of Sonar for Measuring Water Tank Depth
Principal Investigator: David Laude
Description: Data is needed for properly planning water usage while within sim. During Mission 228, a formula to measure volume was derived using the distance from the tank opening to the water surface (without contacting the water) and carefully obtained dimensions of the static tank. This proposed research would now acquire the distance of the tank opening to the water surface via a sonar device, specifically an LV-MaxSonar. The volume can subsequently be determined by the sensor’s output signal measured with a digital voltmeter (DVM).
Objectives: Acquire a sensor output (e.g., voltage) that corresponds to the depth of water of the Hab static tank. If successful, a final step (within a future mission) would be to construct a measurement unit with numeric display, thus ensuring a contactless means to accurately measure static tank water volume
EVAs: None Required.

Title: Robot Competency Self-Assessment at MDRS
Principal Investigator: Nicholas Conlon (on Earth; CU Boulder)
Description: The main goal of this study is to understand how future astronauts In current real-world robotic applications, users rely heavily on telemetry, map data, and intuition in order to infer how competent a robot will be in a given environment. Telemetry can consist of a variety of data, however in our experiments, telemetry will include the robot’s position, heading, velocity, battery level, and other state information. Map data consists of a displayed map with iconography indicating features such as positions of the robot, waypoints, hazards, and other relevant information. This information, while valuable, can be confusing for non-expert users whose mental model of the robot’s competence is incomplete or inaccurate, tedious to follow and monitor, and can lead to poor human decision-making. Instead, this research focuses on developing more human-centered approaches to convey robot
competency.
Rationale: The interaction and "trust" between astronauts and robots on Mars will need to be well aligned for efficient EVA operations. This study will expand the research community’s understanding as to how future astronauts utilize information related to a robot’s capabilities to inform their decision-making and accomplish a given task.
Objectives: From a practical application standpoint, the experiment will record a dataset of “Google Maps” style imagery that can be used for mission planning by future crews. From a scientific standpoint, the experiment will help an understanding on how human users utilize a robot capable of communicating important information about its task competency. Data will be collected in the form of digital logs of the robot state, questionnaire responses from the crew operating the robot, and imagery to generate the dataset.
EVAs: A minimum of four 2-hour EVAs are required, with more targeted.

[title Crew biographies, photos and mission patch – April 14th]

Pawel Sawicki
Commander and Health & Safety Officer
Pawel Sawicki is currently a New Shepard Crew Capsule Test Engineer at Blue Origin, where he is responsible for the successful and safe execution and on-time completion of several major launch vehicle tests and pre-flight checks. At Blue Origin, he is also a volunteer Emergency Response Team member. Pawel earned a Ph.D. from the University of Colorado at Boulder, where his doctoral research involved computationally investigating amelioration techniques for plasma-induced radio wave blackout, which has historically plagued hypersonic vehicles. Pawel had also obtained an M.S. in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Colorado at Boulder, an M.S. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Michigan, and M.S. and B.S. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from New York University. Pawel’s career has also included stints of varying capacities at NASA Ames Research Center, NASA Langley Research Center, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, and Lockheed Martin Advanced Technology Center.

Matthew Storch
Executive Officer
Matthew Storch has B.S. and M.S. degrees in electrical engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology and a Ph.D. in computer science from UIUC. He has worked as a software engineer and has held various engineering management positions for 35 years He is currently acting VP Engineering and CTO of a small (30 person) company that is building a specialized physical infrastructure management product (target audience is large corporations and government institutions). Outside of work, Matthew has a long-standing passion for adventure, technical achievement and unusual experiences that has led him to becoming an airplane pilot, a gyroplane pilot, sailboat & powerboat operator, and a submersible pilot. Matthew also likes sports and physical activities which has led to running, bicycling, motorcycling, rock climbing, and, most importantly, Ultimate Frisbee, for which he has played on several teams competing at USAU national-level tournaments. Matthew has been happily married for over 30 years.

Matthew Lynch
Crew Engineer
Matt is a 4th year PhD candidate at the University of Michigan, where he studies nuclear engineering. His academic research focuses on developing novel materials for advanced nuclear reactors and extreme conditions, as well as utilizing new methods to use machine learning in assisting electron microscopy material analysis. His PhD is supported by a NASA Space Technology Graduate Research Opportunity (NSTGRO), this is his first experience as an analog astronaut. Outside of work he enjoys rock climbing with friends and hopes to climb on the Red Planet some day.

Sarah Lamm
Crew Geologist
Sarah Lamm is currently a Geology Ph.D. candidate at the University of Kansas, focusing her research on analog materials for Mars and Ocean Worlds using Raman spectroscopy. Sarah obtained her Master’s degree from Kansas State University in 2021. During that time, she worked on developing a chemical calibration for chlorite minerals using Raman Spectroscopy, which also has implications for Mars research. During her graduate studies, Sarah also interned at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in the Origins and Habitability Lab in the summers of 2021 and 2022. In 2018, Sarah graduated from Kansas State University, with three bachelors degrees in Chemistry, Geology, and Geography. Throughout her undergraduate years, Sarah was an active member on the ChemCam Instrument Team on the Mars Curiosity Rover and spent three summers at Los Alamos National Laboratory.

Sean Marquez
GreenHab Officer
Sean has a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering, specializing in design of mechanical systems, from the University of California, Irvine. He worked as an associate mechanical design engineer for Max Q Systems – formerly an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) for the aerospace industry. In his spare time, he contributes to FPrime, an open-source flight software and embedded systems framework used on the NASA/JPL Mars Ingenuity helicopter and university CubeSATs. FPrime is currently undergoing implementation at the Mars Desert Research Station to automate monitoring of plants in the GreenHab. Sean also works with a working group with the Open Source Hardware Association (OSHWA) and the Mach 30 Foundation to develop open standards for the medical/aerospace industry, as well as methodologies for developing open-source hardware (OSHW) like open-source software (OSS). Sean is currently studying permaculture design to develop a means to becoming multiplanetary without the need for interplanetary supply chains, using permaculture as its guiding principles.

David Laude
Crew Journalist and Crew Engineer
David Laude was present for the memorable and impressive launches of Apollo 11, the first Space Shuttle and subsequent Shuttle night launches. He also met several lunar astronauts and like many others, dreamed about space exploration. David began a lifelong passion for electronics and space technology in elementary school. With a B.S. and a M. Eng. in Electrical Engineering, he designed integrated circuits for Harris Semiconductor (now Intersil), Ford Aerospace, Ford Motor Company and Linear Technology Corporation (now Analog devices). David is currently retired from the work force and is a lifelong learner who enjoys working with talented people. He also has formal training in Anthropology and Archaeology. He is a member of The Planetary Society and a founding member of The Mars Society. His hobbies include radio controlled airplanes, electronics, musical instrument synthesizers, music composition and antique radio restoration. Utah, with its stark beauty and remote areas, is one of his favorite states. He previously served as a crew member at MDRS on Crews 80, 181, 228 and 265 in the roles of commander, executive officer and engineer.