Category: Sol Summary

Crew 306 Sol Summary Report 01-03-2025
Sol: 12
Summary Title: First day on earth.
Author’s name: Jesus Meza
Mission Status: Complete.
Sol Activity Summary:
The day began like any other. The crew woke up at 7:00. We had our last breakfast together around 08:00. Rod made our last batch of eggs with a black bean burger patty on the side. We used our last bit of salsa to spice up the meal. We spent the morning chatting about our experiences during the mission. At approximately 11:00 we split up to our respective areas to clean and organize the station. The science dome, ram, and greanhab were cleaned and all samples removed. The HAB was also cleaned and all samples the kitchen was inventoried. At 03:30 the team gathered together for our last puzzle task for Ryan’s project. We arrived back on earth and exited sim at approximately 16:30. In the evening we all took showers, then drove out to Stan’s for our first meal on earth.
Look Ahead Plan:
Sol 12 was the last day of our rotation. Tomorrow (Earth day 01) we will again wake up at 07:00, finish the last couple things on our cleaning checklist, and be ready for inspection at 09:00. We plan to depart MDRS by 10:00. The crew remains excited to be back
Anomalies in work: None.
Weather: It was a cool and cloudy day with a high of 42 degrees.
Crew Physical Status: The crew is happy and well.
EVA:
No EVAs activities were conducted today.
Reports to be filed:
Sol Summary, Journalist Report, Greenhab Report, Operations Report, Crew Photos. End-Mission Research Report, Mission Summary.
Support Requested: None. Thank you for all you’ve done for crews 305 and 306.

Crew 306 Sol Summary Report 02-01-2025
Sol: 11
Summary Title: Last call for science.
Author’s name: Jesus Meza
Mission Status: Active. All systems are nominal.
Sol Activity Summary:
The day began at 7:00. Ryan made crepes for breakfast and we topped them with mango or strawberry frosting that Adriana had made the night before. At 9:00 the team preformed mediation, and at 09:15 the team began preparations for EVA 12, the last EVA of the mission. Keegan, Elizabeth, and Rod went back to White Rock canyon and Barrainca Butte to perform DRONE flights. This time, the team was successful in performing Li-DAR scans of the area. Elizabeth was also able to collect more ambient magnetic data from the area around the Butte. Meanwhile at the HAB, Ryan ran coms while Adriana and Jesus worked to wrap up their research in the science dome. Jesus performed iron extraction from the last set of soil samples collected at Eos Chasma and found that they contained the highest iron yield yet. The hematite solar cells on the other hand seem to not be photo-sensitive, instead acting like chemical batteries, generating charge from the reaction of the hematite with the copper electrode and iodide tincture. Adriana continues to monitor the growth of her mushroom samples and began to pack up some of her experiment. The EVA team returned to the HAB at 13:18. The crew then had lunch together, Ryan and Adriana made lentils and rice. At 15:00 the crew split up to wrap-up research tasks. Ryan ran the last set of VR test for the crew. Keegan worked in the RAM on prototype hardware for a wearable CO2 and Temp sensor for the EVA suits. Rod worked on processing his DRONE data. And Elizabeth work on her EMF data.
Look Ahead Plan:
Sol 12 will be spent wrapping up our experiments, cleaning up the facilities, and packing up our supplies. The crew anticipates being ready to exit our simulation at 16:00, take some photographs outside the HAB, and maybe a traditional burger from Stan’s. The crew is sad that our time on mars is coming to an end… but we are excited to arrive back on earth.
Anomalies in work: None.
Weather: It was a beautiful day on mars. The skies were mostly clear with scattered clouds. The temperature high was 46 degrees F. Average winds were 2 mph, with gust up to 5 mph.
Crew Physical Status: The crew happy and well.
EVA:
EVA 12 was the last EVA of our rotation. Keegan led Rod and Elizabeth back to White Rock Canyon and Barrainca Butte. This time the DRONE was very co-operative and performed as expected. The team was able to perform a total of nine Li-DAR scans of the two EVA sites. The team also acquired a couple hours of ambient magnetic data for Elizabeth’s project. All objectives for this EVA were completed. No additional EVA’s will be required for the mission.
Reports to be filed:
Sol Summary, Journalist Report, Greenhab Report, Operations Report, Crew Photos, EVA Report, and EVA request.
Support Requested: The crew would like to request the crew car for a drive down to Stan’s Burger Shack tomorrow evening. Mission support can come along with us if they would like. Don’t worry, we will try to shower before dinner.

Crew 306 Sol Summary Report 27-12-2024
Sol: 05
Summary Title: Shower Day!
Author’s name: Jesus Meza
Mission Status: Active. All systems are nominal.
Sol Activity Summary:
The crew woke up at 07:00. At 08:00 we had cereal for breakfast and a quick stretching session before EVA prep at 09:00. EVA 06 to Skyline Rim was scheduled for 09:30 so that the EVA team could make it in time to catch low winds for DRONE flights, as higher winds were expected in the afternoon. Elizabeth led Rod and Ryan on the EVA Team. While Jesus and Keegan ran coms. The EVA team had time to perform five flights in the Amazonis Planitia. Elizabeth collected EMF of the area and collected two soil samples from the base of HAB ridge for Jesus to analyze at the HAB. The EVA team made it back to HAB at 13:00. For lunch, the HAB team made a mac-and-cheese casserole with a side of crispy potatoes. The crew then split off for research and work tasks. Adriana harvested some over-ripe arugula and herbs to make a pesto. Ryan worked on getting everyone through VR test. Jesus worked on processing samples collected on EVA 5 and EVA 6 in the science dome. The crew took showers throughout the day and is now happy and clean.
Look Ahead Plan:
Jesus, Keegan, and Ryan will head to Eos Chasma on EVA 07 to analyze the Iron content of the soil and look for hematite. Meanwhile the HAB team will take turns providing coms while working on their research and mid-mission report.
Anomalies in work: None.
Weather: Morning was cloudy and cold with temperatures around 32 degrees F. The temperature increased to 48 degrees F by midday. Skies remained cloudy for most of the day with light rain at approximately 17:00.
Crew Physical Status: Crew is happy and clean.
EVA:
Elizabeth, Rod, and Ryan completed EVA 06 to Skyline Rim. The team performed 5 DORNE flights and took Li-DAR scans of the Amazonis Planitia. Elizabeth was able to collect two soil samples from the base of the rim and took ambient magnetic data of the area. All objectives of EVA 06 were met.
Reports to be filed:
Sol Summary, Journalist Report, Greenhab Report, Operations Report, Crew Photos, EVA Report. EVA request.
Support Requested: None.

Crew 306 Sol Summary Report 28-12-2024
Sol: 06
Summary Title: Half-way there.
Author’s name: Jesus Meza
Mission Status: Active. All systems are nominal.
Sol Activity Summary:
The morning started at 07:00 with a “free-range” breakfast where everyone picked whatever they wanted. Most people had cereal or oats… but one crew member had chocolate chip cookies… and another had a can of tuna. At 09:00 the crew observed our morning meditation and stretching session. At 09:30 preparations started for EVA 07 to Eos Chasm. Jesus, Ryan, and Keegan made up the EVA team while Elizabeth ran coms. The EVA team departed the HAB at 10:00 and drove Perseverance and Opportunity north along cow dung road, stopping at the stream beds east of Eos Casma. The team then followed the streams to the entrance of the chasm and walked more than half-way of the way to the end where the chasm meets the Riverbed. Soil samples and rocks were collected along the way to analyze their iron content for the in-situ photo-voltaic project. Meanwhile at the HAB, Rod and Adriana stayed behind to work on their research and tend to the station. Rod ran a mid-mission inventory on our food stock. Despite our constant bread addiction, it appears we have plenty of food to last the rest of the mission. The EVA team returned to the HAB at around 13:46. Rod and Adriana prepared a delicious Brazilian Stroganoff for lunch. At 15:00 the crew then split off to rest and do research. Rod went to seek inspiration in the science dome. While Keegan and Elizabeth set up a competitive game of chess in the GreenHAB. In the late evening the crew completed their second team puzzle task for Ryan’s human factors research. Some of us love the puzzle… some of us hate the puzzle… but we are all obsessed with the puzzle. The team then finished off the day with mid-mission research reports.
Look Ahead Plan:
Keegan will lead Rod and Elizabeth back to Eos Chasma on EVA 08. The EVA team will perform EMF measurements of the area and perform Li-DAR scans of the riverbed. At the HAB, Adriana will continue to tend to her mushrooms and monitor her newly made CO2 chambers; Jesus will attempt to make his first Martian solar cell using hematite collected from HAB ridge; and Ryan will run coms for the EVA team.
Anomalies in work: None.
Weather: Skys were clear with morning temperatures near 32 degrees F. The day warmed significantly with a high of 50 degrees F.
Crew Physical Status: Crew is happy and well.
EVA:
Jesus, Keegan, and Ryan completed EVA 07 to Eos Chasma. The objectives of this EVA were to collect samples from the riverbed to analyze their iron content, and to scout for launch sites for DRONE Li-DAR scans. A few potential hematite samples were collected from the riverbed, as well as two soil samples for iron extraction. The soil samples were collected from two spots, one at the entrance and one near the middle of the chasma. The team also found several spots within the chasm that can serve as DRONE launch sites. The launch sites were marked on the map and will be the target sites for EVA 08. Although we did not reach the end of the Eos Chasma, all objectives of EVA 07 were met.
Reports to be filed:
Sol Summary, Journalist Report, Greenhab Report, Operations Report, Crew Photos, EVA Report. EVA request. Mid-Mission Report.
Support Requested: None.

Crew 306 Sol Summary Report 29-12-2024
Sol: 07
Summary Title: Sunflower
Author’s name: Jesus Meza
Mission Status: Active. All systems are nominal.
Sol Activity Summary:
The morning started at 07:00 with crepes for breakfast. The crew skipped morning meditation and stretching in favor of using the time to prep for EVA 08, a long trek towards the end of EOS Chasma. Keegan led the EVA team, with Rod and Elizabeth tagging along for DRONE flights and ambient magnetic data. At the HAB, Ryan ran coms for the EVA team and administered VR cognitive test to the rest of the HAB crew. Adriana fed her mushrooms and set up a humidifier in the grow tent to encourage healthy growth. Jesus used the hematite samples collected from Hab Ridge on EVA 05, to create our first Martian solar cell. The device was partially successful as it produced 0.5 V, but only briefly. These results have yet to be re-re-produced and verified. The EVA team performed five DRONE flights at three different sites within the chasma before heading towards the mouth where it meets the river. The team collected a soil sample here to analyze the iron content. The team made it back to the HAB two minutes behind schedule at 14:32. For lunch, Adriana prepared Jambalaya and mashed potatoes. The crew then spent the afternoon recovering from EVA’s and finishing up VR studies. For dinner we are having tuna sandwiches. The highlight of the day is a beautiful sunflower Adriana picked from the greenhab.
Look Ahead Plan:
Weather permitting, Elizabeth will lead Adriana and Jesus back to Eos Chasma to take EMF data of a spot deeper in the chasma. A secondary objective is to rescue a phone that was left behind somewhere near the second half of the chasma. Jesus will continue to look for hematite samples in the riverbed.
Anomalies in work: None.
Weather: Skys were clear with morning temperatures near 29 degrees F. The day warmed significantly with a high of 53 degrees F.
Crew Physical Status: Crew is happy and well.
EVA:
Keegan, Rod, and Elizabeth traveled to Eos Chamsa to take Li-DAR scans of the riverbed and EMF data near the entrance at the start of the chasma. The team performed a total of five DRONE flights at three different sites within the chasma, before tracking down to explore the end of the chasma where it meets the river. A soil sample was collected here for iron extraction at the HAB. The team made it back safe and sound two minutes behind schedule at 14:32.
Reports to be filed:
Sol Summary, Journalist Report, Greenhab Report, Operations Report, Crew Photos, EVA Report, and EVA request.
Support Requested: The crew has seen some evidence of a rodent in the HAB. No food has been chewed, but there are a few droppings underneath the cabinets, and up in the loft. It’s uncertain if these are new, or old. We will keep an eye out.

Crew 306 Sol Summary Report 30-12-2024
Sol: 08
Summary Title: Search
Author’s name: Jesus Meza
Mission Status: Active. All systems are nominal.
Sol Activity Summary:
The morning started at 07:00 with another free-range breakfast. Nothing weird this time, just peanut butter sandwiches or oats. At 09:00 we began stretching, and at 09:15 we began EVA prep. Elizabeth led EVA 08 along with Adriana and Jesus back to Eos chasma for a search and rescue of her phone and EMF measurements. At the HAB, Rod ran coms for the EVA team while Keegan and Ryan recovered from their own trip to Eos yesterday. The EVA team headed straight for to the end of Eos following the tracks left behind by the team on EVA 07. Along the way they stopped to search around DRONE sites for the missing equipment, and Jesus searched for new hematite samples. Adriana was just happy for the walk as her work in the greenhab and with her mushrooms keeps her at the HAB for consecutive sols. The phone was found near the mouth of Eos… and Jesus and Adriana got to witness the majestic site of a green mars. The EVA team made it back to the HAB at 14:13. Ryan and Keegan had prepared a succulent meal of cheddar vegetable soup with cous-cous. The afternoon was slow, with the EVA team recovering from the long trek to Eos. The team is happy to have concurred the chasma… but I don’t think any of us want to go back any time soon. For dinner we are having black bean burgers. I think we are on out tenth loaf of bread? We lost count after we baked two loafs yesterday for the tuna melts.
Look Ahead Plan:
Keegan will lead Ryan and Rod south down cow-dung road to take DRONE scans around Barrainca Bute and White Rock Canyon. The rest of the team will recover from our trip to EOS and continue research at the HAB. Jesus has many samples to extract iron from and will attempt to reproduce the solar cell results from Sol 7.
Anomalies in work: None.
Weather: Skys were clear with abnormally warm temperatures in the morning approximating 40 degrees F. The high temperature was 50 degrees F. The day has been rather windy, with average winds of 15 mph, and gust up to 25 mph.
Crew Physical Status: One crew member has a blister on their toe from today’s EVA. We will make sure they rest before going on their next EVA.
EVA:
Elizabeth, Adriana, and Jesus went back to Eos Chasma for EMF measurements, search for hematite samples, and to search for a missing phone. No new hematite samples were found, but areas that had previously been un-explored were covered more thoroughly. The phone was found at the end of the chasma. Only two of the EVA objectives were met, 1 finding the phone, and 2 searching for hematite. No EMF data was collected due to time constraints.
Reports to be filed:
Sol Summary, Journalist Report, Greenhab Report, Operations Report, Crew Photos, HSO report, EVA Report, and EVA request.
Support Requested: We would like special permission to connect to the permanent wifi to watch the new-years countdown tomorrow outside of coms.

Crew 306 Sol Summary Report 31-12-2024
Sol: 09
Summary Title: Martian New Year
Author’s name: Jesus Meza
Mission Status: Festive. All systems are nominal.
Sol Activity Summary:
The last morning of 2024 started early at 07:00. Elizabeth made M&M pancakes. At 08:30 the crew observed their stretching and meditation session. At 09:00 Rod began to prepare DRONE for EVA 10. An IMU sensor had been added to DRONE to help correct the Li-DAR scan data for tip-tilt and altitude changes. The code that interfaces the sensor with the data collection script was having issues compiling, which could not be fixed in time for EVA 10. The crew made the decision to abort EVA 10, instead using the time to debug the code and make sure DRONE is prepared for EVA 11. At 14:30 the crew had black bean burgers for lunch, then split up to do research task and/or relax for the holiday. Jesus worked in the science dome extracting iron from all the soil samples collected during all previous EVAs. So far, the samples collected at Kissing Cammel have the highest raw iron concentration at 0.0045% free iron by dry soil weight. Adriana continues to tend to her mushrooms, which are doing better than expected, growing healthy and happy. Rod worked on the DRONE code, and Ryan conducted VR cognitive studies on the crew. In the late afternoon another Chess game was played in the greenhab, this time between Elizabeth and Adriana who ended in a draw. Meanwhile Rod, Ryan, and Keegan have been playing a long game of Terraforming Mars. To celebrate the new year the crew will stay up late and have… brownies for dinner???
Look Ahead Plan:
Since EVA 10 was aborted due to technical issues, it will be rescheduled as EVA 11 on Sol 10. To re-cap, Keegan will lead Ryan and Rod south down cow-dung road to take DRONE scans around Barrainca Bute and White Rock Canyon. The rest of the team will stay at the HAB to perform research. Jesus continues to try to reproduce his solar cell results from Sol 7.
Anomalies in work: None.
Weather: Today was a cool day with a high temperature of 41 degrees F and clear skies. Winds were low today with an average of 2 mph and gust up to 8 mph.
Crew Physical Status: The crew is happy and well.
EVA:
EVA 10 was aborted due to technical issues with the drone software. No EVA was performed today. It will be re-requested as EVA 11 for Sol 11.
Reports to be filed:
Sol Summary, Journalist Report, Greenhab Report, Operations Report, Crew Photos, EVA Report, and EVA request.
Support Requested: None.

Crew 306 Sol Summary Report 01-01-2025
Sol: 10
Summary Title: New year, same old crew 306.
Author’s name: Jesus Meza
Mission Status: Active. All systems are nominal.
Sol Activity Summary:
Last night, mission support was kind enough to provide special coms for the crew to watch the “Boot Drop” in Prescott Arizona to ring in the Mountain Time new year. We huddled around a laptop eating brownies as we watched the “time delayed” feed of the celebrations on earth. By the time we got everything cleaned up it was 01:30. Naturally we had a late start to the day on Sol 10… at 07:30. Jesus made speggs (spam and eggs) and potatoes for breakfast. At 9:15 the crew started preparations for EVA 11. Keegan led Rod and Ryan down to White Rock Canyon, and Barrianca Butte to perform Li-DAR scans of the two sites and take ambient magnetic measurements for Elizabeth. Meanwhile at the HAB, Adriana, Elizabeth, and Jesus took turns running coms while performing general tasks such as cleaning and organizing the HAB. The EVA team returned to the HAB at 12:55. Elizabeth made rice and ground beef for the crew to eat during lunch. At 15:30 the crew split up to do research and general tasks. Rod, Ryan, and Keegan continue to work on improving the DRONE data collection software. Adriana continues to monitor her mushrooms, and Jesus continues to work on fabricating solar cells using the hematite samples he collected on EVA. In the late afternoon Keegan and Ryan began another game of Terraforming Mars, a game which half of the crew seems to be consumed by. For dinner we are having a vegetable stir-fry to make up for having brownies yesterday.
Look Ahead Plan:
Sol 11 will look forward to the end of our rotation. Rod, Elizabeth, and Keegan will return to the site of EVA 11 to perform more Li-DAR scans. Ryan will run coms and provide tech support for the DRONE. Jesus will perform final experiments with his solar cells, and Adriana will begin to wrap up her mushroom study. The rest of the day will be spent on VR cognitive test and wrapping up our research in anticipation of the end of our rotation on Sol 12.
Anomalies in work: None.
Weather: Today was a cold day with a high temperature of 41 degrees F. Skies were clear and winds were low with an average speed of 1 mph, and gusts up to 6 mph.
Crew Physical Status: The crew is physically well, but sad that our rotation is ending soon.
EVA:
EVA 11 saw Keegan, Rod, and Ryan travel to White Rock Canyon and Barrainca Butte. The team’s goal was to take ambient magnetic measurements for Elizabeth’s project and perform Li-DAR scans of the area. After several attempts, the team was unable to connect to DRONE’s onboard computer to initiate data collection. This time it was a problem with the SSH portal, rather than the code problems observed before EVA 10. Because of this problem, the team was unable to perform the Li-DAR scans. The team did however take the required magnetic data, and identified several spots ideal for scanning. The team looks to return to the site on Sol 11, for what is likely to be our last EVA.
Reports to be filed:
Sol Summary, Journalist Report, Greenhab Report, Operations Report, Crew Photos, EVA Report, and EVA request.
Support Requested: None.

Crew 306 Sol Summary Report 23-12-2024
Sol: 01
Summary Title: First day on Mars
Author’s name: Jesus Meza
Mission Status: Active. All systems are nominal.
Sol Activity Summary:
Today was our first day on the red planet. GHO Adriana Sanchez and GEO Elizabeth Howard treated everyone to chocolate chip pancakes. The crew then embarked on our first two EVAs. EVA 01 saw CMD Jesus Meza, ENG Keegan Chavez, and Adriana perform the tradition of dropping a pebble into the baskets at Marble Ritual. EVA 02 was led by Elizabeth with HSO Ryan Villarreal and JOU Rodrigo Schmitt joining to also perform the ritual. The evening was then spent completing Ryan’s team puzzle task, completing their first puzzle in record time, but failing to complete the second puzzle within the time limit… but we haven’t given up yet.
Look Ahead Plan:
Sol 2 looks to be a productive day for research. EVA 03 will see Elizabeth, Rodrigo, and Jesus make a trip to Kissing Camel Ridge. Elizabeth will collect magnetic data of the surrounding area using an EMF meter. Rodrigo will attempt the maiden flight of his DRONE (Digital Reconstruction and Optical Navigation of the Environment) experiment. Meanwhile, Jesus will attempt to harvest Iron-rich minerals for his In-Situ resource utilization study. The HAB team will see Ryan set up our VR study, Adriana continues to set up her mushroom study, and Keegan install and debug sensor payloads for Purdue’s station monitoring study.
Anomalies in work: None
Weather: Weather saw clear skies with a high of 50 degrees Fahrenheit and winds as high as 3 mph.
Crew Physical Status: Crew is happy and well.
EVA:
EVA 01 saw Jesus, Keegan and Adriana complete the marble ritual. EVA 02 saw Elizabeth, Rodrigo and Ryan complete the marble ritual.
Reports to be filed: Sol Summary, Journalist Report, Greenhab Report, Operations Report, Crew Photos, EVA Report, and EVA Request.
Support Requested: None

Crew 306 Sol Summary Report 24-12-2024
Sol: 02
Summary Title: Martians at Work
Author’s name: Jesus Meza
Mission Status: Festive! All systems are nominal.
Sol Activity Summary:
The day started with a spa-con (spam bacon) and egg breakfast curtesy of Elizabeth. At 09:00 the team observed a stretching and meditation session led by Adriana and Rod. At 09:30 the team started preparations for EVA 03. Jesus, Elizabeth, and Rod went to Kissing Camel Ridge for DRONE’s maiden flight. The initial phase of the experiment was a success. Rod was able to safely pilot DRONE with the Li-DAR camera. While on EVA, Elizabeth was able to collect ambient magnetic data at the base of Kissing Camel East. Jesus was able to collect a miniscule amount of iron from the sand found in the dry stream beds in the area. Several bags of sand we’re collected for iron extraction in the coming days. Meanwhile at the HAB, Keegan provided CAPCOM for EVA, Ryan set up the Virtual Reality (VR) exercise for the team, and Adriana took care of the greenhouse and her mushrooms. At 13:00, the crew returned from EVA to fresh spaghetti cooked by Adriana using herbs from the greenhouse. At 14:00, the crew split up to perform research and work tasks. Keegan performed repairs on the tunnels connecting the station modules. Ryan ran VR studies on the crew. Elizabeth analyzed her magnetic data. Adriana performed her GreenHab tasks. Jesus organized his EVA samples with corresponding photographs and geotags, the way he was taught by 305 commander Hunter Vannier. Rod discovered that DRONE did not initiate data collection during its flight. Ryan and Rod spent the rest of the afternoon resolving this issue and DRONE is ready for it’s next mission.
Look Ahead Plan:
Happy Holidays! Sol 3 will be a day dedicated to personal research and relaxation. Only mission critical tasks will be accomplished. Weather permitting, EVA 04 will feature a DRONE test flight around the HAB. The crew will spend most of the day in the HAB celebrating the holidays by sleeping in, baking cookies, watching movies, and solving Ryan’s puzzle.
Anomalies in work: None
Weather: Weather was clear skies with a high of 45 degrees F. Winds picked up in the late evening reaching up to 8 mph.
Crew Physical Status: Crew is happy and well.
EVA:
EVA 03: Jesus, Elizabeth, and Rod completed their first research EVA. The EVA objectives were to perform DRONE maiden flight, take ambient magnetic data, and canvas the area for iron and iron-oxide minerals. All objectives for this EVA were completed.
Reports to be filed:
Sol Summary, Journalist Report, Greenhab Report, Operations Report, Crew Photos, EVA Report. EVA request.
Support Requested: None