Category: Sol Summary

Sol: 12

Summary Title: Sol Twelve: Into Cleaning We Delve

Author’s Name: Aditya Arjun Anibha

Mission Status: Nominal

Sol Activity Status:

Crew 289 ended their simulation this morning. However, this did not mean respite as we worked to complete cleaning and packing responsibilities at the station. Adriana and Gabe travelled to Grand Junction to rent spacecraft (cars) for our return back to our respective destinations on Earth. Riya worked on her air quality sensor brought to life in the form of a lego mount called Russell (Gerald now has a friend!) and broke down her hydroponics and examined plants under a microscope. Eshaana collected the last portion of data from her mini agrivoltaics farm. Sara led the charge of cleaning the station and guided Eshaana, Nathan, Riya and Adi in ensuring a thorough job. We extracted a moment to boost morale by cooking soupy Indian Pink Pasta and Chai. With cleaning and packing complete, we look forward to dinner at a burger shack in Hanksville and potentially stargazing again to make the most of our last night at MDRS before we prepare to depart the next morning.

Look Ahead Plan: Crew departure and travel back to respective destinations

Anomalies in work: None

Weather: Cloudy and windy throughout

Crew Physical Status: Nominal

EVA: None

Reports to be filed: Journalist Report, Greenhab Report, Operations Report, Sol Summary, Astronomy Report, Photos, Mission Summary, Final Research Report

Support Requested: None

Sol: 10
Summary Title: Sol Ten: "We go out of sim when?"
Author’s Name: Adriana Brown
Mission Status: Nominal
Sol Activity Status:
Sol 10 began with a quinoa based breakfast prepared by Sara. Fueled for the day, the EVA crew of Adriana, Eshaana, Riya, and Gabe set out on the rovers for a trip down south to White Rock Canyon. A new location for all, the crew explored the terrain with the specific focus of noting the presence or absence of the Gryphaea fossils characteristic of the Western Interior Seaway. The EVA crew was delighted when Gabe keenly spotted a small bed of oysters, which was reflected on the opposite side of the path as well. The EVA crew sampled 54 of the oysters and ventured farther into the canyon and back. All were in awe of the beautifully river-carved landscape and multicolored rocks scattered along the route.
Upon return, the crew sat down for a cheese and broccoli soup and homemade bread by Sara. Afterward, Riya went to the GreenHab to tend to the plants (including more baby tomatoes) and harvested cilantro, Nathan worked on his sensor code, Adi worked in the lower deck on E.L.F., Sara read through more material for her reporting project, and Adriana went to the Science Dome to clean and catalogue her new oyster samples. With the final sol approaching, the crew is working hard on their research to gather as much data before their return to Earth. These efforts will be rewarded by a tasty dinner of fried rice and some cozy camaraderie around the table.
Look Ahead Plan: Drone + robot testing EVA near the Hab (if weather permits)
Anomalies in work: None
Weather: Cold and overcast
Crew Physical Status: Nominal
EVA: Exploratory geologic EVA #11 to White Rock Canyon
Reports to be filed: Journalist Report, Greenhab Report, Operations Report, Sol Summary, Astronomy Report, Photos, EVA report, EVA Request
Support Requested: None

Sol: 9
Summary Title: Sol Nine: E.L.F.’s Incline
Author’s Name: Adriana Brown
Mission Status: Nominal
Sol Activity Status:
Sol 9 was another productive sol for the team. After a breakfast of cereal and various dinner leftovers, our EVA crew consisting of Adi, Gabe, Sara, and Nathan set out at 11:00 AM to Candor Chasma. With them, the group carried our drone and Adi’s robot, E.L.F. While at Candor Chasma, they tested E.L.F.’s ability to climb slopes in the dynamic sandy and rocky terrain of the canyon. While our little friend performed gallantly, he will need a wheel repair before his final EVA. The team also conducted LiDAR using the drone (FLiDAR) and took many photos of the beautiful vistas.
During the EVA, Adriana worked in the Science Dome to set up new sediment carbonate experiments and Eshaana uploaded agrivoltaic data. Adriana, Riya, and Eshaana then teamed up for their own expedition: homemade tomato soup with cheesy biscuits. After several iterations of tasting and seasoning, they arrived at a concoction worthy of the hungry EVA crew. After the EVA, Nathan and Adi soldered in the RAM, Sara finished a main portion of her report coding project, Riya and Eshaana worked in the GreenHab to water plants and test a camera set up for the mini farm. Our GHO was very excited this morning to announce that we have baby tomatoes growing! While we might not be here to reap the bounty, it is exciting to know that some vegetable goodness awaits the next crew.
This evening, Eshaana is cooking up some tasty lentils while the crew works on report writing. The crew is starting to plan out their last few days on Mars research-wise, EVA-wise, and importantly, meal-wise!
Look Ahead Plan: Geologic EVA #11 to White Rock Canyon
Anomalies in work: None
Weather: Sunny and clear
Crew Physical Status: Nominal
EVA: robotics EVA #10 to candor chasma
Reports to be filed: Journalist Report, Greenhab Report, Operations Report, Sol Summary, Astronomy Report, Photos, EVA report
Support Requested: a refill on salt (if possible)

Sol: 8
Summary Title: Sol Eight: Kissing Camel Date
Author’s Name: Adriana Brown
Mission Status: Nominal
Sol Activity Status:
The Earth year 2024 began with a toast of sparkling juice in mugs after a midnight countdown. The crew then awoke to a gorgeously sunny morning on the Red Planet. We were treated to Adi’s poha and upma for breakfast which fueled the crew for a day of EVAs and research. Adriana checked on her sediment experiments afterward. The EVA crew set out at noon for a set of LiDAR scans. The first scan took place at our Home Sweet Hab. Under Riya’s careful guidance, Adriana, Eshaana, and Sara helped guide the camera around the MDRS campus to reproduce a high-resolution scan. Then, they boarded the rovers and drove southward to Kissing Camel Ridge to collect more LiDAR data (and some petrified wood).
At the Hab, Gabe, Nathan, and Adi were busy cheffing up a storm. The EVA crew returned to a wonderful carb-rich spread of macaroni and cheese, cheesy biscuits, roasted veggies, and mashed potatoes. Thanks, team! After lunch, the crew began the sequence of showers to kick off the New Year squeaky clean.
This evening, Adriana will be making some sort of dinner that utilizes a lot of kale (thanks, GHO!), Adi will work on E.L.F., Nathan will work on an airlock sensor, and Eshaana will download data from her mini farm. If time allows, we also hope to finish the second half of Lagaan. Here’s to 2024!
Look Ahead Plan: robotics EVA #10 to candor chasma
Anomalies in work: None
Weather: Sunny and clear

Sol: 7
Summary Title: Sol Seven: Relaxation Heaven
Author’s Name: Adriana Brown
Mission Status: Nominal
Sol Activity Status:
Crew 289 ended 2023 with a rest day on Mars. With no alarms set, the crew enjoyed a brunch of crepes with various toppings. Soon after, some crew members returned for an early afternoon nap, or played Jenga, with some emerging victorious, and some not (sorry Riya and Eshaana). Then, the crew worked for a bit on research. Riya checked on her hydroponics set up, added more stakes to cucumber leaves, trimmed carrot plants, and treated the plants to some EDM. Adriana relabelled all of the sediment samples catalogued yesterday with the correct stratigraphic heights, Nathan worked on the air quality and air lock sensors and figured out a battery problem with one of the suits. Besides research, the crew also worked on jamming to some music, a Martian themed puzzle, and a special New Years Eve dinner: layered biryani courtesy of Eshaana and Adi. Tonight, the crew is also planning to make some brownies as a treat to usher in the New Year and watch Lagaan, a Bollywood movie downloaded by Adi. Happy New Years from Crew 289 to all our friends at Mission Support and on Earth!
Look Ahead Plan: LiDAR scanning EVA #9 to Kissing Camel Ridge
Anomalies in work: None
Weather: sunny and clear
Crew Physical Status: Nominal
EVA: none
Reports to be filed: Journalist Report, Greenhab Report, Operations Report, Sol Summary, Astronomy Report, Photos
Support Requested: None

Sol: 6
Summary Title: Sol Six: Robot Tricks and a Sediment Mix
Author’s Name: Adriana Brown
Mission Status: Nominal
Sol Activity Status:
Sol 6 began with the crew chipping away at the vat of oatmeal from yesterday morning’s breakfast. Soon after, the first EVA crew of the day, Adi (SCI), Sara (XO), and Nathan (ENG) suited up for a brisk 9:30 AM departure to Cowboy Corner. This EVA was an important one; the objective was to test the performance of E.L.F. As one may recall from earlier reports, E.L.F stands for Electronic LeapFrog. As such, the ability of E.L.F to maneuver over rough terrain was tested. We are happy to report that our little robot friend was able to navigate the rocky terrain, but future tests on jumping and crawling will be required.
45 minutes after the first EVA crew returned, the second EVA crew consisting of Adriana (CO), Eshaana (GEO), Gabe (HSO), and Riya (GHO) set out at noon to a familiar field site: Hab Ridge. At Hab Ridge, two sites were selected to bulk sample a stratigraphic section. The first section was at the base of Hab Ridge where the team, broken into two pairs, collected 45 samples over 75 feet of section. Moving farther up path 1103, the team found a second section to sample, where they collected 48 samples over a 93 foot section. Adriana will use these samples to test weight percent carbonate in the different strata and, back on Earth, run them for carbon isotopes as a proxy for oxygenation in seawater. Their sediment-sampling-efforts (a.k.a. a lot of crawling around in the dirt) were much appreciated by Adriana. Thanks, team!
The thoroughly-chilled EVA crew returned at 2:30 PM to the warm and cozy Hab where their crewmates had prepared some delicious black bean burger nuggets, expertly seasoned mashed potatoes (great job, Adi!), and leftover enchiladas. After a hearty lunch, much of the crew retired for short naps and to their various workstations. As we enjoy our sixth evening on the Red Planet, the crew is looking forward to Sara’s savory tomato basil pancakes and, most of all, sleeping in on our rest day tomorrow!
Look Ahead Plan: No EVAs tomorrow, Sunday will be used as a rest day
Anomalies in work: None
Weather: cold and cloudy with some sparse sun early in the morning
Crew Physical Status: Nominal
EVA: EVA #7 to test robotic capabilities and EVA #8 to sample two measured sections on Hab Ridge
Reports to be filed: Journalist Report, Greenhab Report, Operations Report, Sol Summary, Astronomy Report, Photos, EVA report, Mid-Mission Summary
Support Requested: None

Sol: 5
Summary Title: Sol Five: E.L.F. is alive!
Author’s Name: Adriana Brown
Mission Status: Nominal
Sol Activity Status:
Crew 289 awoke to greet sol 5 at 7:30 AM in our Martian abode. Breakfast was by Nathan (ENG) who prepared a giant vat of oatmeal with various sweet toppings. After morning comms with Purdue Mission Control, the EVA crew consisting of Nathan, Adi (SCI), Riya (GHO), and Gabe (HSO) set out at 10:30 AM to conduct further LiDAR scans. The first scan took place on the MDRS campus and the second at Hab Ridge. Both scans utilized two methods: Adi flying the drone with a LiDAR equipped phone mounted to it (utilizing his soon-to-be-patented rubber band method) and Riya on the ground with an elevated phone mount. This was also the first EVA without a CO/XO, and we are proud to report they performed like champs! Once our comms window opens, they will be able to process a 3D reconstruction of their sites, including our Home Sweet Hab.
Meanwhile, Adriana (CO), Sara (XO), and Eshaana (GEO) remained at the Hab, preparing potato gratin with a rehydrated sour cream, lemon pepper, and GreenHab-dill sauce. Once the EVA crew returned, the team sat down to a pleasant and starchy lunch filled with conversation around Eshaana’s creative questions (our Crew Geologist loves to get morbidly existential!). Then, as usual, the team dispersed to continue independent research. Riya went to the GreenHab to water the plants and then the Science Dome to check on her hydroponics set up (spoiler alert: they’re sprouting!) and test the soil pH. Nathan and Adi jammed out on the lower deck, working on their sensors and E.L.F. (and their Coldplay karaoke), respectively. Excitingly, E.L.F. has received his new batteries and has all the power of a kid in a candy store. They grow up so fast! Adriana spent some time in the Science Dome organizing her samples and notes and set up her experiment testing carbonate percent weight with a few samples (sand, silt, and a bentonite from Hab Ridge) collected so far. On the upper deck, Sara continued working on her project coding past MDRS reports and Eshaana troubleshooted her mini farm sensors and drew up a schematic of the farm set up. Gabe is gearing up to complete the day’s swabbing to monitor dust accumulation in the Hab.
Tonight, Adriana is preparing one of her specialities: enchiladas! The crew appears to be excited, which means the culinary stakes are higher than ever. The crew is also planning out their necessary EVAs and data to wrap up the end of the first half of the mission before our rest day on Sunday. The team is functioning as a well-oiled machine (as evidenced by our faster EVA prep times and increased data collection!), and I am confident the sol will end with the standard late night kitchen table conversations, characterized by more laughter than actual talking.
Look Ahead Plan: EVA #7 to test robotic capabilities and EVA #8 to sample a sediment section on Hab RIdge
Anomalies in work: None
Weather: Sunny and clear
Crew Physical Status: Nominal
EVA: LiDAR scanning manually and using the drone during EVA #6 to campus/Hab Ridge
Reports to be filed: Journalist Report, Greenhab Report, Operations Report, Sol Summary, Astronomy Report, Photos, EVA report, EVA request
Support Requested: None

Sol: 4

Summary Title: Sol Four: Chert Galore

Author’s Name: Adriana Brown

Mission Status: Nominal

Sol Activity Status:

Sol 4 began at a brisk 7:30 AM with nutella and strawberry crepes by Riya (GHO) (my personal favorite breakfast so far). Luckily, the crews’ friendships survived last night’s game of UNO (especially notable for Nathan and Adi). The crew used their morning comms window to send messages to our mission control at Purdue, which is staying busy sending us requested reference materials, saving our uploaded sensor data, and advising on robot and drone projects. It’s nice to know we have friends in Earthly places.

After breakfast, Adi (SCI), with the help of much of the crew, worked on designing a mount for the drone which started as a full Lego brick harness and ended as three strategically placed rubber bands. No one can say we over-engineered this one! Meanwhile, Adriana (CO) consumed stratigraphy papers and a large bowl of cereal in preparation for the day’s EVA to Barrainca Butte. At 11:00 AM, the crew departed. Adriana, Eshaana (GEO), Nathan (ENG), and Sara (XO) drove southward of the Hab and then walked on foot to Barrainca Butte. During their drive, they were forced to stop when a small, high-pitched canine alien with an exceptionally poor sense of self-preservation decided to make its home in the center of Cow Dung Road. Luckily, the alien was soon called away and they continued. Their journey was strikingly beautiful. As they traversed over the plain towards the Butte, they trod over sloping river-cut sandbanks, delicately scattered ripples, and brilliantly colored rocks of green, blue, red, and orange (and every color in between). As you may be able to guess from the title of this report, many of these rocks were chert. Although a common mineral, it is one of surprising variety and can contain a truly astounding palette of colors.

Although no oyster fossils were found, Adriana was pleased to note a "bentonite swarm" that will be useful in constraining the ages of previously collected oyster samples. Eshaana was kind enough to pose as her "bentonite model" so that the scale of the swarm can be evaluated back at the Hab. Even without fossils, the crew still returned with heavier pockets thanks to the chert scattered about. Fortunately, just as the EVA crew felt hunger gnawing at their stomachs, they depressurized and entered the upper deck of the Hab to the delicious aroma of homemade pizza with freshly dissolved Tang. With a full stomach, Adriana went to work in the Science Dome to organize her field notes, label oysters, and catalogue her samples. In the GreenHab, Riya was busy testing the pH of the soil and water and composted coffee grounds and leftover dehydrated broccoli. Excitingly, we have new kale, lettuce, and arugula sprouts. Meanwhile, Gabe was the first crew member to embark on potentially the most exciting EVA yet. After gathering all his gear (towel, shampoo, conditioner), he walked on foot down Hab Stairs road until reaching his final destination: the shower. Other crew members soon followed.

This evening, Adriana and Eshaana discussed different geological hypotheses from their field notes and observations so far, diving deep into Tununk stratigraphy and the near-MDRS paleoenvironment. The Hab is filled with the sounds of report-writing, robot whirring, sizzling Indian dishes, freshly delivered research equipment from Earth (thank you, Mission Support!), and the nightly lower deck conversations by Nathan and Adi (if you have any burning questions about relativity, dark matter, or the fundamental nature of our existence, please send them through the proper communication channels!). Here’s to another productive sol for Crew 289!

Look Ahead Plan: LiDAR scanning with drone (EVA #6 to Hab Ridge)

Anomalies in work: None

Weather: Sunny with few clouds

Crew Physical Status: Nominal

EVA: geologic EVA #5 to Barrainca Butte

Reports to be filed: Journalist Report, Greenhab Report, Operations Report, Sol Summary, Astronomy Report, Photos, EVA report, EVA request

Support Requested: None

Sol: 3
Summary Title: Sol Three: Bivalves for me!
Author’s Name: Adriana Brown
Mission Status: Nominal
Sol Activity Status:
Crew 289 awoke at 7:30 am and ate a breakfast of berries and biscuits by Adriana (CO). The crew then engaged in morning stretches to limber up for a day of research and fieldwork. At 10:00 AM, Adriana led a briefing for the EVA crew, Eshaana (GEO), Gabe (HSO), Riya (GHO), and Adriana, on what they would be looking for in the field in terms of specimens, formations, documentation, and the sample collection plan. The two main objectives of the EVA were to collect bivalve fossils from the Tununk Shale and locate bentonite beds in the area. The EVA crew departed at 11:00 AM, quickly awed by the colorful strata, views of the sprawling Martian landscape, and ancient shells scattered about. The EVA crew met their objectives, collecting 36 oyster fossils from two sites on Hab Ridge, noting the coordinates, and also sampled the sediment matrices of the two sites and a bentonite bed. Riya gathered LiDAR scans of Hab Ridge that will be processed this evening.
While on the EVA, the Hab crew made a delicious cheesy broccoli soup (Adi) with homemade bread (Sara), and with some remnant spaghetti noodles (Nathan), as well as worked on robots and processed survey data. Once the EVA crew returned, the team had a group lunch then dispersed to work on research. Eshaana troubleshooted her mini farm sensor and labeled its plants, Adi worked on his robot son, E.L.F. and Nathan soldered a battery pack for his air quality sensors.
This evening, Gabe is gearing up to compile his photometry measurements for his variable star and set a baseline for his dust experiment (aka cleaning Hab surfaces!). Adi is brainstorming mounts so the drone can take LiDAR scans, and Adriana will check on her samples drying in the Science Dome. Dinner will be provided by Nathan and Gabe which will feature pasta and chickpeas with a side of report writing.
Look Ahead Plan: Geologic EVA #5 to Sea of Shells
Anomalies in work: None
Weather: Cold, clear, and sunny
Crew Physical Status: Nominal
EVA: geologic EVA #4 to Hab Ridge
Reports to be filed: Journalist Report, Greenhab Report, Operations Report, Sol Summary, Astronomy Report, Photos, Mission Summary Report
Support Requested: None

Sol: 2
Summary Title: Sol Two: Much to do
Author’s Name: Adriana Brown
Mission Status: Nominal
Sol Activity Status:
Sol 2 began with the crew rising at 7:30 AM to another brilliant Martian sunrise. Gabe (HSO) made blueberry pancakes with Sara (XO) in an advisory role. Because they recycled the water used to rehydrate the blueberries, the pancakes also turned out thoroughly blue. Speaking of recycling water, Sara used yesterday’s pasta water as a base for her risotto’s vegetable broth, which turned out great! Sometimes, conserving water on Mars leads to some extra tasty results. After pancakes, the crew communicated with our Analog Mission Control Center at Purdue University. Even with delays between Mars and Earth, it was heartwarming to hear holiday wishes from our friends at BoilerCom and know we have a support system back on Earth for our research needs.
Soon after, the first EVA crew suited up for the second training EVA to Marble Ritual. Adriana (CO), Nathan (ENG), and Riya (HSO) took a short jaunt up Cow Dung Road and found petrified wood samples and several trace fossils (worm burrows). The first EVA crew returned and with a short transition period, helped the second EVA crew suit up for our first non-training EVA. Sara, Gabe, Riya, and Aditya (SCI) ventured to Pooh’s corner with three objectives: use the drone to scout Candor Chasma for suitability of future origami robotics testing, test the drone’s abilities to transport cargo (a lightweight box attached with fishing wire to the drone, containing a small Lego creature named "Gerald"), and to take LiDAR scans of the area near Pooh’s Corner. The EVA crew successfully completed all objectives and returned to the Hab with drone footage of Candor Chasma, rock samples that will be used to assess the weight-carrying capacity of the drone (for future robotics experiments), and 179 LiDAR scans.
While half the crew worked at Pooh’s Corner, the remaining members at the Hab prepared lunch and worked on research. Eshaana (GEO) set up her mini-farm for her agrivoltaics research in the GreenHab while Nathan and Adriana monitored comms and prepared lunch. The EVA crew came upstairs to a massive pan of stir fry, which featured four different dehydrated vegetables and GreenHab produce to keep the crew strong and healthy. After lunch, Adriana and Eshaana discussed the plan for the next geologic EVA and the crew members dispersed around the Hab to continue their research. Nathan successfully set up his air quality sensors, Aditya worked on the electronics of his robot E.L.F. (I can hear happy robot noises from the lower deck at time of writing this report, so it appears to be going well), and Riya harvested plants in the GreenHab and helped Eshaana plant seeds in her mini farm, which is now ready for monitoring! Sara downloaded today’s EVA footage and videos from her GoPro and Gabe prepared to process his photos of the Crab Nebula from last night.
As the crew settled in for the evening, Adriana and Nathan calculated a water-use budget, and Sara figured out how to reduce her photo size for future journalist reports. Tonight’s dinner will feature leftover stir fry (it was a really massive batch) given a new life through Eshaana and Adi’s addition of Thai curry. As our distant sun sets on sol two, the crew reflects on the first few days of Martian life and our newfound routine. It is truly a wonderful opportunity to be here during this time.
Look Ahead Plan: Geologic EVA tomorrow to gather bivalve fossils, all other members continuing research (Aditya working on robot, Eshaana monitoring mini-farm, Gabe processing images and swabbing the lower deck for dust particles, Nathan working on sensors and checking the accuracy of sensor logs, Sara administering surveys and processing photos, Riya continuing work in the GreenHab, Adriana washing and cataloging samples)
Anomalies in work: None
Weather: Cold, clear, and sunny
Crew Physical Status: Nominal
EVA: training EVA #2 to Marble Ritual, EVA #3 to Pooh’s Corner
Reports to be filed: Journalist Report, Greenhab Report, Operations Report, Sol Summary, Astronomy Report, Photos, Mission Summary Report
Support Requested: None