Category: Sol Summary

Crew 310 Sol Summary Report 13-02-2025

Sol: 11

Summary Title:

Author’s name: Ariadna Farres, Commander

Mission Status: Nominal

Sol Activity Summary:

Another day waking up before 7am to start with the daily exercise routine, and the crew feels strong. The first EVA was planned to start at 9:00 am but they got delayed and started around 9:45 am. However all the EVA goals were met. The crew drove north along Cow Drung road and stopped at different locations to collect geological samples, and film scenes for the documentary. This EVA was conducted by Ariadna Farres (Commander), Marian Martinez (Geologist), Mònica Roca i Aparici (Mission Specialist) and Marta Ferrer (Filmmaker). Inside the base, Anna Bach (Resident Artist) added color to one of the drawings she has been working on for her Children’s Book. Helena Arias (Engineer) finished 3D printed some late designs, while Jennifer Garcia (Journalist) and Estel Blay (Scientist) recorded the progress of the TomatoSphere experiment.

The crew enjoyed a nice and relaxing lunch, and started to get ready for the afternoon. Around 2:45 pm the crew started their second EVA, led by Jennifer Garcia, accompanied by Helena Arias and Estel Blay. The EVA team filmed the surroundings of the base and then drove to North Ridge and explored the martian landscape. Inside the base, Ariadna Farres processed some of the solar images while Anna Back kept working on her drawings. Mònica Roca tried flying the drone from the Musk Observatory to do a 3D map of the base and surroundings.

These are the last days of the simulation and the crew is trying to wrap up everything before the last SOL.

Look Ahead Plan: Tomorrow is the last day of simulation, the crew is looking forward to wrapping up their projects.

Anomalies in work: A helmet accidentally fell on the floor and the 3D printed ring broke.

Weather: Cloudy, Temperature 30 F / 35 F

Crew Physical Status: Nominal

EVA: Crew 310 conducted two EVAs. Morning EVA’s goal was to film more scenes of the crew on an EVA for the documentary Marta Ferrer is working on. Afternoon EVA’s goal was to record some of the projects by Jennifer Garcia.

Reports to be filed: Sol Summary, EVA request #22, EVA Report #20 #21, Operations Report, Astronomy Report, GreenHab Report, Journalist Report, Pictures of the Day.

Support Requested: none

Crew 310 Sol Summary Report 13-02-2025
Sol: 12
Summary Title: Ha_Nevat on Mars!
Author’s name: Ariadna Farres, Commander
Mission Status: Nominal
Sol Activity Summary:
Today was the last Sol on Mars, and Mars had a surprise for the Hypatia crew. They woke up with a white martian landscape, it had snowed during the night. Before starting their day the crew gathered around the Musk observatory to admire this unexpected event. The day couldn’t start on a happier note.
After breakfast, part of the crew embarked on their last EVA. Monica Roca i Aparici (Mission Specialist), Estel Blay (Health and Safety Officer), Jennifer Garcia (Journalist) and Helena Arias (Engineer) walked around the base to do some maintenance of the corner reflector and record some videos for one of the research projects.
Anna Bach (Resident Artist), Marina Martinez (GreenHab Officer), Marta Ferrer (Filmmaker) and Ariadna Farres (Commander) stayed inside the base focused on finishing some of their research projects and started to pack.
Around 1:30 pm the crew enjoyed their last lunch on Mars together. At 3pm the simulation was broken and the crew was back on Earth. It has been an amazing journey that will stay in our memories for many years.
Look Ahead Plan: the crew is looking forward to getting back home and reuniting with their loved ones.
Anomalies in work: none
Weather: Cloudy, Temperature 22 F / 44 F
Crew Physical Status: Nominal
EVA: Crew 310 conducted one EVAs. Morning EVA’s goal was to do maintenance on the corner reflector and film some videos around the base.
Reports to be filed: Sol Summary,EVA Report #22, Operations Report, Astronomy Report, GreenHab Report, Journalist Report, Pictures of the Day.
Support Requested: none

Crew 310 Sol Summary Report 09-02-2025

Sol: 7

Summary Title: A Birthday on Mars

Author’s name: Ariadna Farres, Commander

Mission Status: Nominal

Sol Activity Summary:

The crew woke up around 6:45am to start with their daily exercise routine in the bottom deck. A first group, Ariadna Farres (Commander), Anna Bach (Executive Officer and resident artist), Estel Blay (Health and Safety Officer), exercised from 7 am to 7:30 am and the second group, Helena Arians (Engineer), Monica Roca i Aparici (Mission Specialist), Jennifer Garcia (Journalist) and Marina Martinez (Greenhab officer), exercised from 7:30 am to 8:00 am.

After that we enjoyed a delicious pancake breakfast. Today is a special day, our crew engineer completed a new turn around the Sun. Our excitement for the day meant that most of our EVA started later than planned.

During the morning EVA, Monica Roca i Aparici and Helena Arias worked on the corner reflector, installing some side bars for the final position of the antenna. In the meantime Estel Blay checked her solar panel experiment and used a 360 camera to scan the exterior of the MDRS base, guided by Jennifer Garcia from the inside. The rest of the crew worked on their research projects, observing the Sun, analyzing geological samples and filming the crew activity for the documentary.

The afternoon EVA was lead by Marina Martinez, and joined by Ariadna Farres, Marta Ferrer and Jennifer Garcia. This EVA started an hour late because they had to complete a project that was time sensitive. The EVA team intended to reach Green Mars View but they missed the turn on the road and ended by the fence at Lilith Canyon Road. At that point the communication with the base was lost and the team changed the sampling to ensure continuous communication with the base. However, they were told by mission control to come back to the base early.

Around 5:30 pm they started working on their midterm mission report and planning their EVA activities for the next week.

Anomalies in work: The lock from the Musk Observatory could not be unlocked after entering the observatory. A new lock was provided by mission support.

Weather: Sunny, Temperature 21 F / 47 F

Crew Physical Status: Nominal

EVA: Crew 310 conducted two EVAs. The morning EVA was around the base, to work on the corner reflector and record the exterior of the base with a 360 camera. The afternoon EVA had the goal to reach Green Mars View but the crew missed the turn and ended at Lilith Canyon Road, resulting in an early return to the base.

Reports to be filed: Sol Summary, EVA request #14 #15, EVA Report #12 #13, Operations Report, Astronomy Report, GreenHab Report, Journalist Report, Pictures of the Day.

Support Requested: none

Crew 310 Sol Summary Report 10-02-2025

Sol: 8

Summary Title: Corner Reflector to Space, do you copy!

Author’s name: Ariadna Farres, Commander

Mission Status: Nominal

Sol Activity Summary: The crew members woke up early to start their daily exercise routine. After last night’s birthday celebration, the crew was feeling a little tired, but after breakfast and a morning coffee the energy was up.

Today was a relaxing day, where most of the crew had time to work on their respective projects.

Monica Roca i Aparici (Mission Specialist), Helena Arias (Engineer), and Marta Ferrer (Filmmaker) went on the first EVA, with the goal of finishing the installation of the corner reflector. They mounted the final bars and moved the antenna to its final configuration. They were excited to finalize the project. Ariadna Farres (Commander), Anna Bach (Resident Artist), Estel Blay (Health and Safety Officer), Marina Martinez (Geologist), Jennifer Garcia (Journalist) stayed inside the base. Ariadna, Anna and Estel had the opportunity of observing the Sun at the Musk Observatory. Marina analyzed geological samples in the science dome and Jennifer did some recording inside the main Hab.

In the afternoon, Ariadna Farres, Anna Bach and Estel Blay went out on an EVA to Cowboy’s Corner and Marble Ritual. During this EVA they collected geological samples, enjoyed the Martian views and tested the handling system of the experimental EVA support system. Around 4:30pm they were back in the station and helped Monica Roca i Aparici and Helena Arias to clean the RAM. After the installation of the corner reflector, the large box inside the RAM was moved to one of the corridors to free some space. Marina, Jennifer and Marta stayed all afternoon inside the base working on their projects.

At 6:30 pm the crew started talking about the EVA plans for the next day and working on their daily reports. They are now looking forward to another dinner on Mars.

Look Ahead Plan: The crew is looking forward to tomorrow’s EVA and to continue working on their research projects that are starting to show good progress.

Weather: Sunny, Temperature 21 F / 52 F

Crew Physical Status: Nominal

EVA: Crew 310 conducted two EVAs. The morning EVA was around the base to finish the installation of the corner reflector. The afternoon EVA was to collect geological samples and test the experimental EVA support system for future lunar and martian missions.

Reports to be filed: Sol Summary, EVA request #16 #17, EVA Report #14 #15, Operations Report, Astronomy Report, GreenHab Report, Journalist Report, Pictures of the Day.

Support Requested: none

Crew 310 Sol Summary Report 11-02-2025

Sol: 9

Summary Title:

Author’s name: Ariadna Farres, Commander

Mission Status: Nominal

Sol Activity Summary:

The day started as usual, with the morning exercise routine between 7:00am and 8:00am, and breakfast after that. The first EVA team left the base around 9:30 am, and drove towards Barrainca Butte to collect geological samples. The EVA was led by Marina Martinez (Geologist) who analyzed samples using a Vanta XRay fluorescence analyzer provided by Evident (Olympus). Jennifer Garcia (Journalist) and Estel Blay (Health and Safety Officer) were there to document her finding.

Today was a cloudy day and Ariadna Farres (Commander and Astronomer) could not observe the Sun, so she spent the morning processing some of the images that were taken during the past days. Helena Arias (Engineer) designed tools to collect geological samples using her 3-D printer. Monica Roca i Aparici (Mission Specialist) and Marta Ferrer (Filmmaker) were filming scenes for the documentary.

The second EVA started around 3:00 pm, after a long lunch break, with Ariadna Farrés, Monica Roca i Aparici and Helena Arias. One of the goals was to fly the drone around the MDRS base and North Ridge, but the high winds made this task impossible. However they did manage to take some geological samples and test the handling system of the experimental EVA support system.

The rest of the crew stayed inside and worked on their respective scientific projects.

Look Ahead Plan: The crew is looking forward to tomorrow’s EVA and to continue working on their research projects that are starting to show good progress.

Weather: Sunny, Temperature 16 F / 49 F

Crew Physical Status: Nominal

EVA: Crew 310 conducted two EVAs. The morning EVA the crew explored Barrainca Butte to collect geological samples. The afternoon EVA the crew installed a plate on the corner reflector, flew the drone around the MDRS base and then went behind North Ridge to test the experimental EVA support system.

Reports to be filed: Sol Summary, EVA request #18 #19, EVA Report #16 #17, Operations Report, Astronomy Report, GreenHab Report, Journalist Report, Pictures of the Day.

Support Requested: none

Crew 310 Sol Summary Report 12-02-2025

Sol: 10

Summary Title: Phobos rises on Mars

Author’s name: Ariadna Farres, Commander

Mission Status: Nominal

Sol Activity Summary:

The morning started with an Early EVA, to take advantage of the morning light to film the martian landscape for the documentary. Marta Ferrer (Filmmaker), Monica Roca i Aparici (Mission Specialist), Helena Arias (Engineer) and Anna Bach (Resident Artist) took the rovers and went towards the area close to North Ridge to fly the drones and film some of the landscape. The crew had a hard time finding the right spot to start the filming, and several conversations between the EVA team, the Base team and mission support took place to ensure the success of the EVA and stay with the plan.

Ariadna Farrés (commander) stayed in the base and managed to observe the Sun. Estel Blay (Health and Safety Officer) continued to monitor the effects of different coatings of the solar panels. Mariana Martinez continued to analyze geological samples and Jennifer Garcia (Journalist) filmed the crew in different areas inside the base for her Hypatia’s Odyssey project.

The afternoon EVA was conducted by Estel Blay and Ariadna Farres around Roberts Garden. This was a calm EVA, where they tested the experimental EVA support system. Inside the base, Jennifer Garcia kept filming the crew in different situations inside the base, and explaining the crew’s sustainable practices. Anna Bach, worked on her children’s book, while Helena Arias was fixing one of the 3D printed solar panel configurations for Estel’s Blay project. Marian Martinez kept analysing geological samples. Monica Roca i Aparici flew the drone from the Musk observatory to scan the exterior of the MDRS base.

Around 6:30pm the crew gathered together around the Must Observatory to admire the full moon. This was a nice moment to finish the day before starting to work on our daily reports.

Look Ahead Plan: The crew is looking forward to finishing most of the filming inside and outside of the base.

Anomalies in work: LilyGo #8 has not refreshed since 9:45am

Weather: Sunny, Temperature 19 F / 35 F

Crew Physical Status: Nominal

EVA: Crew 310 conducted two EVAs. Morning EVA’s goal was to film the crew on an EVA for the documentary Marta Ferrer is working on. Afternoon EVA’s goal was to test the experimental EVA support system.

Reports to be filed: Sol Summary, EVA request #20 #21, EVA Report #18 #19, Operations Report, Astronomy Report, GreenHab Report, Journalist Report, Pictures of the Day.

Support Requested: none

Crew 310 Sol Summary Report 03-02-2023

Sol: 1

Summary Title: First sunrise on Mars!

Author’s name: Ariadna Farres, Commander

Mission Status: Nominal

Sol Activity Summary: The Hypatia II crew woke up early this morning to do a 30 min exercise routine in the bottom deck, this going to be part of our daily routine to keep the crew fit. A first group, Ariadna Farres (Commander), Anna Bach (Executive Officer and resident artist), Estel Blay (Health and Safety Officer), exercised from 6am to 6:30am and the second group, Helena Arians (Engineer), Monica Roca i Aparici (Mission Specialist), Jennifer Garcia (Journalist) and Marina Martinez (Greenhab officer), exercised from 6:30am to 7:00 am. After that we enjoyed our first breakfast on Mars and around 7:30 am called mission control to let them know that we are starting the simulation. We are officially on Mars!!

The morning started with an early EVA, at 8:00 am Ariadna Farres, Anna Bach, Estel Blay and Marta Ferrer (Filmmaker) started getting ready. This is our first EVA and it took over an hour to get ready to leave. The goal of this first EVA was to start the resident artist art project. During the first hour everything was going as planned, however the wind started to blow and the crew had to finish earlier than expected. At 11:30 am the crew was back the the base.

After lunch, Helena Arians, Monica Roca i Aparici, Jennifer Garcia and Marina Martinez went on their first EVA. This EVA had two goals, first scout Compass Rock and collect some geological samples, second setting up a coaxial cable from concrete patch to the base. This EVA started at 2:15am and ended at 4:30pm.

During the rest of the afternoon the crew worked setting their respective experiments before starting to communicate with Mission Support

Look Ahead Plan: We are planning on conducting two EVAs and continuing our experimental work. During the morning EVA we will perform a rescue mission to recover the Lilygo lost during EVA#2

Anomalies in work: During EVA#2 one of the crew members lost the Lilygo on the field.

Weather: Sunny, and windy after 11am, Low 34.5F / High 70F

Crew Physical Status: One of the crew members showed signs of stomach illness with initial symptoms of dehydration and dizziness. After providing electrolytes she recovered quickly, she is now feeling better.

EVA: We conducted two EVAs to Marble Ritual to put into practice all the lessons learned during our EVA training session

EVA: We conducted two EVAs, one to the area before crossing Kissing Camel Ridge where we started the artist project, and a second one headed to Compass Rock where we collected some geological samples.

Reports to be filed: Sol Summary, EVA request, EVA Report #1, EVA Report #2, HSO Report, Operations Report, Greenhab Report, Journalist Report, Pictures of the Day

Support Requested: We would like to understand why the upper deck loft is cold. We would like to be able to solve this before going to bed.

Crew 310 Sol Summary Report 04-02-2025

Sol: 2

Summary Title: Hypatia II on a rescue mission

Author’s name: Ariadna Farres, Commander

Mission Status: Nominal

Sol Activity Summary: The crew woke up early and performed their daily 30-minute exercise routines in the bottom deck and had breakfast all together between 8:00 am to 8:45 am.

The first EVA was led by Ariadna Farres (Commander), and supported by Marina Martinez (Greenhab officer), Estel Blay (Health and Safety Officer), Jennifer Garcia Carrizo (Journalist) and started at 9:20am. The first objective was to retrieve the LilyGo that was lost yesterday during an EVA. The crew drove to Compass Rock, scanned the area where it was lost and found it. Success! They then drove back to the base, Marina Martinez went back into the main hab to continue setting the geology and chemistry lab. Estel Blay and Ariadna Farres installed the solar panel experiment and Jennifer Garcia Carrizo started scanning the exterior of the base with a 360 camera, as part of her Hypatia’s Circular Odyssey project. It was very windy and hard to stabilize the camera tripod, during a wind gust one camera lens was damaged.

The team that stayed inside the main hab worked on their respective research projects. Anna Bach (Executive Officer and resident artist) worked on her children’s book. Meantime, Helena Arians (Engineer), Monica Roca i Aparici (Mission Specialist) mounted part of the reflector structure in the RAM, so that it was ready for the afternoon EVA.

After a morning of hard work, the crew enjoyed a delicious rice and veggies lunch.

The second EVA was led by Monica Roca i Aparici, and supported by Anna Bach, Helena Arias and Marta Ferrer (Filmmaker) started. The goal of this EVA was to install the structure of the corner reflector on the concrete patch that is 20 meters NW of the base. The preparation for this EVA was special since the crew left the base through the RAM. Marta Ferrer documented the whole process while Monica Roca i Aparici, Helena Arias and Anna Bach worked on the installation.

The team that stayed inside the main hab worked on their respective research projects. Estel Blay finished the setting for her outreach space tomato seed project. Marina Martinez finished setting up the geology and chemistry lab. Jennifer Garcia worked on her Hypatia’s Circular Odyssey. Ariadna Farres tried to observe the Sun from the Musk Observatory, but it was very windy and had to abort the mission to avoid damaging the dome.

Around 6:30pm the crew started planning tomorrow EVAs and working on their daily reports.

Look Ahead Plan: Crew 310 will continue with their own experiments. Tomorrow the crew plans to finish installing the plates of the corner reflector, and the crew geologist will be performing her first official field trip.

Anomalies in work: The base experienced several power cuts when the solar panels were on. Some of the power cuts started when the hair drier or microwave was turned on.

Weather: Cloudy morning and sunny afternoon. Very windy all day (wind speed around 11mph), Temperature 43F/70F

Crew Physical Status: A crew member hit her back while working in the RAM, she has a bruise and scratch on her back.

EVA: Crew 310 conducted two EVAs. During the morning EVA, they first went on a rescue mission to retrieve the LilyGo. Once it was retrieved, the EVA team installed a solar panel experiment near the base solar panels and started mapping the exterior of the base with a 360 camera. During the afternoon EVA the crew started mounting the reflector, they managed to install the corner reflector structure.

Reports to be filed: Sol Summary, HSO Report, EVA request #5 #6, EVA Report #3 #4, Operations Report, GreenHab Report, Journalist Report, Pictures of the Day.

Support Requested: None

Crew 310 Sol Summary Report 05-02-2025

Sol: 3

Summary Title: Enjoying the SpaceTatouille cuisine

Author’s name: Ariadna Farres, Commander

Mission Status: Nominal

Sol Activity Summary:

The morning started with an early and challenging EVA, the goal was to finish the installation of the corner reflector. The EVA team was composed by Ariadna Farres (Commander), Monica Roca i Aparici (Mission Specialist), Helena Arias (Engineer) and Marta Ferrer (Filmmaker). During the first part of the EVA they managed to detect the parts where to install the pegs for the guy wires to stabilize the reflector. The wires were too long and they decided they would resize them later. They then proceed to move the three reflecting mirrors, from the RAM to the patch where the corner reflector is being installed. Putting them all together was a challenge, but they managed to do that successfully. The final piece was to install the GNSS antenna in the middle of the corner reflector. Around 12:00 pm the crew returned to the house.

The crew that stayed inside the main hab, did their daily 30 min routine and worked on their respective research projects.

The afternoon EVA was led by Marina Matinez (Geologist) who went on a geological field trip to Valles Marineris. Anna Back (resident artist) and Estel Blay (Health and Safety Officer) joined Marina on this EVA. Jennifer Garcia (Journalist) was supposed to join them, but she was feeling tired and stayed in the main Hab. Marina managed to collect a lot of samples that she will start analysing tomorrow.

Today was also a very special day for the crew, since they enjoyed the meal designed by the winners of the International Challenge organized by Space Faculty from Singapore. The winners were SpaceTatouille, a group of four amazing kids, ages 8 to 9. They created a complete menu designed for astronauts, including breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks, tailored to meet the astronauts’ nutritional needs. The meal was prepared in the US, dehydrated and shipped to the MDRS two weeks ago. This has been a fun experience and we have enjoyed a little of Singapore for lunch.

The crew ended the day planning tomorrow’s EVAs and doing their daily reports. They are looking forward to finishing them soon to be able to enjoy a beef stew and delicious dehydrated spaghetti with meatballs from the SpaceTatouille menu.

Look Ahead Plan: The crew is looking forward to completing the large-scale art project designed by Anna Bach, the artist in residence.

Anomalies in work: Several air leaks on the upper deck have been detected, creating a cold environment in the loft area.

Weather: Sunny and windy, Temperature 29F / 69F

Crew Physical Status: Nominal

EVA: Crew 310 conducted two EVAs. The goal of the morning EVA was to finish installing the corner reflector, the installation is almost complete, it is only missing the guy wire. The main goal of the afternoon EVA was to collect geological samples around Valles Marineris.

Reports to be filed: Sol Summary, EVA request #7 #8, EVA Report #5 #6, Operations Report, GreenHab Report, Journalist Report, Pictures of the Day.

Support Requested: Guidance to find a temporary fix for the air leaks detected in the upper deck loft.

Ariadna Farres Crew Commander

Crew 310 Sol Summary Report 06-02-2025

Sol: 4

Summary Title: Art is everywhere on Mars!

Author’s name: Ariadna Farres, Commander

Mission Status: Nominal

Sol Activity Summary:

The crew day started early as the toilet tank overflow alarm started beeping at 4:30 am, when one of the crew members was using the toilet. After emptying the tank we went back to bed to get a couple of hours of sleep before starting the work day.

Today half of the crew dedicated their efforts on putting together a large-scale art project that the Hypatia team has been working on. We are hoping to get it captured by a satellite in the next few days. Two EVAs were dedicated for the project. In the morning Ariadna Farres (Commander), Estel Blay (Health and Safety Officer), Helena Arias (Engineer) and Monica Roca i Aparici (Mission Specialist), scouted the area before crossing Kissing Camel Ridge and started working on the main structure. In the afternoon Ariadna Farres (Commander), Estel Blay (Health and Safety Officer), Helena Arias (Engineer) and Anna Bach (Resident Artist) worked on the main structure. Unfortunately the crew could not deploy the full artwork because it was very windy, and will try to do the full deployment on Saturday.

The crew members that stayed in the main Hab had a relaxing day. Jennifer Garcia (Journalist) kept recording the interior of the MDRS base with her 360 camera. Marian Martinez spent the day in the science dome, analysing the samples she collected in Vallis Marineris, using the Spectroscout instrument, a portable Energy Dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometer, provided by SPECTRO. Anna Bach spent the morning working on the children’s book, drawing scenes from the Hypatia crew adventures on Mars. Monica Roca i Aparici spent most of her afternoon working in the RAM and checking on the EVA team.

Look Ahead Plan: The crew will continue working on their respective research projects, and have their first team building night activity.

Anomalies in work: The toilet level alarm went off around 4:30 am

Weather: Sunny and windy, Temperature 49 F / 66 F

Crew Physical Status: Nominal

EVA: Crew 310 conducted two EVAs that were both dedicated to work on the large-scale art project designed by our artist in residence.

Reports to be filed: Sol Summary, EVA request #9, EVA Report #7 #8, Operations Report, GreenHab Report, Journalist Report, Pictures of the Day.

Support Requested: Options to try and fix the toilet tank level indicator.