Category: Sol Summary

Crew 261 Journalist Report 12-05-2023

Author: Kris Davidson, Crew Journalist

Earth and Mars pirouette around the sun in a cosmic dance covering mind-boggling distances. Two cosmic dancers, they swing close and then recede. The distance between Earth and Mars varies depending on their positions in their respective orbits around the Sun. At its closest approach, Mars is about 54.6 million kilometers (33.9 million miles) from Earth. At its farthest, the distance can be over 400 million kilometers (249 million miles).

Yet, distance isn’t merely a spatial concept. If we think of time as a flowing river, then each moment is an island in that river, each separated from the others by the relentless current of time. Consider standing at MDRS, your feet grounded in the same soil, separated not by miles but by millennia. Some 145 million years ago to 150 million years ago, dinosaurs roamed this landscape, the remnants of their existence still being unearthed by paleontologists working at the nearby Hanksville-Burpee Dinosaur Quarry. The same latitude and longitude, yet a chasm of a million years stretches between them. The temporal distance between these moments is profound and poignant, a vivid demonstration of how time itself is a kind of distance, no less real than the vast expanse between Earth and Mars.

Finally, there is another kind of distance, one not easily measured — the emotional distance between human beings. Not the unfathomable gulf between celestial bodies, nor the temporal chasm between epochs, but the distances that ebb and flow between souls.

On Sol 12, the crew’s final Sol on Mars, Commander Burk and Executive Officer Aline Decadi executed a rescue drill (carried out on EVA 19), unbeknownst to the rest of the crew. Once they sent the “assistance needed” signal over the garmin device, the crew at the hab went to work to close the distance, not knowing the nature of the call as comms had been lost. It ended up being a physical distance of 2 kilometers between the hab and the EVA crew, a gap that was closed in 22 minutes. The emotional distance during those 22 minutes can only be described as charged. After two weeks, we have all become good friends, and the concern while in the blind was real and raw.

Distance, in the end, is a paradox. It isn’t static. It separates and unites, isolates, and connects. Today marks Sol 12 for Transatlantic Mars Crew 261, the final day of our simulation. At 1800, we will exit our Mars habitat, shedding our spacesuits to reconnect with Earth’s environment. The distance is inconsequential, this traverse from Mars back to Earth occurring in an instant, with words spoken by Commander James Burk. We will leave here with memories and our shared story of time on Mars.

Anthony de Mello famously said that “the shortest distance between a truth and a human being is a story.” Stories serve as bridges, closing the gap between hearts and minds, weaving threads of understanding where misunderstanding once prevailed. Every sim carried out at MDRS can be thought of as a story, with the goal of bridging distances in understanding of what human-to-mars is all about. Throughout our Mars mission, we have fostered friendships destined to endure and contributed to the vast body of knowledge propelling humanity towards a future on Mars. Tomorrow, on an Earth day, we will begin our homeward journeys. The physical distances between us will become tangible once more, but the shared memories of our time on Mars will ensure that reconnection is only a thought away. Our collective story about our time on Mars will continue to bind us, regardless of the miles that separate us.

With immense gratitude, we are Transatlantic Mars Crew 261, signing out:
James Burk (Crew Commander)
Aline Decadi (Executive Officer + Crew Geologist)
Cécile Renaud (Greenhab Officer + Crew Biologist)
Julien Villa-Massone (Crew Engineer)
Erin Kennedy (Crew Robotics Engineer)
Audrey Derobertmasure (Health + Safety Officer)
Kris Davidson (Crew Journalist)

Sol 11

Summary Title: Wonderful culmination of team efforts

Author’s name: Aline Decadi, XO

Mission Status: nominal

Sol Activity Summary: Today took place 2 EVAs:

– EVA-17 with the following 2 crew members: James Burk (Commander) (EVA Leader), Cecile Renaud (GreenHab Officer).

– EVA-18 with the following 4 crew members: Julien Villa-Massone (Crew Engineer) (EVA Leader), Cecile Renaud (GreenHab Officer), Erin Kennedy (Crew Roboticist), Kris Davidson (Journalist) (Not In Sim – Not Wearing Suit).

EVA-17 successfully conducted soil gathering for Crew Biologist. The crew drove the rover Perseverance to the North side of Kissing Camel Ridge, just off Cow Dung Road.

EVA-18 had the following purpose:

1. Final testing of Atmosphinder robot
2. Observe the geological features of that region

The EVA-18 started close to the RAM, then the crew drove with the rovers Curiosity and Opportunity to Cow Dung Road north to Brahe Hwy 1572, then north turn and stop at Sea of Shells.

Today was the final testing of the Atmosphinder robot! The robot response was prominent owing to the servo motors functioning and the LEDs being brighter compared to EVA-16.

The anemometer was activated, and the robot responded by changing the sail servo motor movements and LEDs. As the wind speed value hit different thresholds, the sail servo movements changed accordingly. This test result proves that Atmosphinder was able to control its sail trim servos in response to the wind speed. This is an indicator that in the future, controlling the direction of the robot based on the current winds is possible.

EVA crew members Cecile and Julien showed the robot computer vision camera pink and green cards, and the robot responded by moving its sails accordingly. The EVA crew members then swapped positions to change the colour combination, and the robot responded by moving its sails in the other direction. This test result proves that this is as an alternate method for human-robot interaction for astronauts, and is worth exploring further to improve the usability when collaborating with robots.

EVA-18 was an extraordinary conclusion to the Atmosphinder project. The functionality worked, making it a wonderful culmination of the efforts for the past two weeks. Sharing the enthusiasm with the entire crew was extremely rewarding! Many thanks to the entire crew for contributing to this final EVA to make it a favourable result.

The crew spent the rest of the afternoon debriefing. Julien Villa-Massone (Crew Engineer) performed a demonstration on the resources in the Hab (power supply and water). Erin Kennedy (Crew Roboticist) made a demonstration of the functions and performances of Atmosphinder. Then, the crew made the daily reports, have dinner together. The crew discussed the “remain to do” for the last day in Sim tomorrow and prepared the last EVAs tomorrow.

In the Greenhab, some activities have been anticipated for tomorrow by Cecile Renaud (Greenhab officer), such as the characterization of the soil with the plants, and the counting of the number of seeds visible from the top of the soil. It remains tomorrow to check for potential sprouts to be detected. Regarding the photoreactor: harvest training has been done with James Burk (Commander); he will be able to teach the harvest process to the next crew. Moreover, the volumes of the culture have been increased at their maximum volume.

Look Ahead Plan: we will conduct our last 2 EVA tomorrow: EVA-19 in the morning for scouting the area South to the Gateway of Condor; EVA-20 in the afternoon for exploring the geological features at Sea of Shells, according to mission request approval.

Anomalies in work: None.

Weather: Pleasant and sunny. Windy in the afternoon.

Crew Physical Status: Nominal.

EVA: EVA-17 North side of Kissing Camel Ridge, just off Cow Dung Road; EVA-18 at Sea of Shells.

Reports to be filed: HSO Report, EVA Report, Operations Report, Journalist Report, Pictures of the day, GreenHab Report.

Support Requested: None.

Crew 261 Sol Summary Report 09-05-2023

Sol 9

Summary Title: Solidarity as a team to solve problem

Author’s name: Aline Decadi, XO

Mission Status: nominal

Sol Activity Summary: Today took place 2 EVAs:
– EVA-13 with the following 5 crew members: Aline Decadi (XO) (EVA Lead), Erin Kennedy (Crew Roboticist), Julien Villa-Massone (Crew Engineer), Cecile Renaud (GreenHab Officer), Kris Davidson (Journalist) (Not In Sim – Not Wearing Suit).

– EVA-14 with the following 2 crew members: Cecile Renaud (GreenHab Officer) (EVA Lead), Julien Villa-Massone (Crew Engineer).

EVA-13 successfully conducted a photo shoot walking outside Hab with suits on.

EVA-14 conducted the rescue of Julien’s Drone successfully + Fly Adapa Drone to get footage, driving with the 2 Opportunity and Curiosity rovers on Cow Dung Road north to Lith Canyon.

The crew spent a part of the afternoon to inspect the toilet due to a bad smell looking for a potential leak, clean it up and fix it. The crew spent the rest of the afternoon: harvesting tomatoes (orange+red), thyme, mint and sage; talk about the Mongolian project MARS-V (creation a laboratorial environment like Mars) advised by Dr Robert Zubrin; have dinner together and prepare the next day’s experiments and EVAs.

Look Ahead Plan: we will conduct 2 EVAs tomorrow: EVA-15 in the morning for engineering testing of drones including fly ADAPA drone to get footage; EVA-16 in the afternoon for the engineering testing of Atmosphinder, according to mission request approval.

Anomalies in work: None.

Weather: Pleasant and sunny. Very windy in the afternoon.

Crew Physical Status: Nominal.

EVA: EVA-13 outside the Hab; EVA-14 on Lith Canyon.

Reports to be filed: HSO Report, EVA Report, Operations Report, Journalist Report, Pictures of the day, GreenHab Report.

Support Requested: None.

Crew 261 Sol Summary Report 08-05-2023

Sol 8
Summary Title: Gypsum crystals on the Martian soil
Author’s name: Aline Decadi, XO

Mission Status: nominal

Sol Activity Summary: Today took place 2 EVAs:
– EVA-11 with the following 4 crew members: James Burk (Commander) (EVA Lead), Julien Villa-Massone (Crew Engineer), Cecile Renaud (GreenHab Officer), Kris Davidson (Journalist) (Not In Sim – Not Wearing Suit)
– EVA-12 with the following 4 crew members: Audrey Derobertmasure (HSO), Erin Kennedy (Crew Roboticist), Aline Decadi (XO) (EVA Lead), Kris Davidson (Journalist) (Not In Sim – Not Wearing Suit)

EVA-11 conducted testing of ADAPA 360 Drone. The crew walk outside of Hab to a suitable flat piece of ground for drone launch & landing. This preliminary testing of the drone was successfully, and the EVA was also successful. Another EVA is foreseen to take 3D imaging to map a terrain on the field.

EVA-12 had the following purpose:
1) Find, investigate, and collect Gypsum crystals on the Glistening Seas region from selenite, the transparent form of gypsum. This relates to Atmosphinder experiment as it could be an analogous feature to CO2 gas jet expulsions in the Mars South Polar region.
2) Atmosphinder electronics environmental sensor data logging.
EVA-12 ventured North of the Hab to the vicinity of the Valles Marineris region, located East of Cow Dung Road, and South of Brahe Highway.
Upon approaching the destination, it became evident why this location is nicknamed “Glistening Seas”. Gazing across the horizon, sparkles could be seen from the sunlight reflecting on the crystals. Gypsum crystals protruded from the red-tinged dirt below. The EVA crew investigated a cluster of these and collected samples. The EVA crew investigated this area thoroughly, finding rocks of interest and additional crystals. The crew was elated with the plethora of crystals and fascinating geological features!
Atmosphinder was extracted from the rover for a test. The wind gusts were powerful in this region as it was a clear plain. Atmosphinder was given an initial push, and it traveled ~70 m as propelled by the wind. Additional testing occurred, with the same results. The result was compelling to observe a structure moving on its own, venturing to explore the vastness of Mars! After a test concluded in disassembly, the area was thoroughly checked for remaining pieces, and the pieces were brought back to the rover.
Crew health checks were completed regularly by the EVA lead, everyone was feeling great and in great spirits. We received coordinates to a point of interest of a crew member’s lost drone. We conducted a search for the lost drone, akin to a ‘geocaching’ activity. The search concluded without retrieving the drone, though admittedly, admiring the incredible geology at that point of interest.
The EVA-12 resulted in awe-inspiring observations and making connections of those observations to Mars. New information was learned about Atmosphinder robot that would only be possible in this unique environment. There was an experiential confidence boost for some of the EVA crew. The collected crystal samples will be further investigated through a microscope, shared, and whimsically gazed upon. Many thanks to the entire crew — both on the EVA, at HabCom, and behind the scenes!

The crew spent the rest of the day: Audrey Derobertmasure (HSO) performed a demonstration on her thesis on Cardiovascular measurements and the rigorous protocol under development for handling and storing human biological samples (as part of the COSMOS experiment); having dinner together and preparing the next day’s experiments and EVAs.

Look Ahead Plan: we will conduct 2 EVAs tomorrow: EVA-13 in the morning for the rescue of Julien’s drone, and fly ADAPA drone to get footage; EVA-14 in the evening for photoshoot in the immediate vicinity of the Hab, according to mission request approval.

Anomalies in work: None.

Weather: Pleasant and sunny. Very windy in the afternoon.

Crew Physical Status: Nominal.
EVA: EVA-11 in the vicinity of the Hab; EVA-12 on the North of Cow Dung Road.

Reports to be filed: HSO Report, EVA Report, Operations Report, Journalist Report, Pictures of the day, GreenHab Report.

Support Requested: None.

Crew 261 Sol Summary Report 07-05-2023

Sol 7
Summary Title: Crew rest day on Sunday

Author’s name: Aline Decadi, XO

Mission Status: nominal

Sol Activity Summary: No EVA took place. This is Sunday, the Crew rest day. The crew made Cardiovascular measurements and proceeded to a rigorous protocol for handling and storing human biological samples (as part of the COSMOS experiment).
Crew members performed sports and worked on their own experiments. Our Artist and journalist Kris Davidson performed a demonstration on her fantastic artistic projects that are going to be fed with our Mars analog mission. The crew made a debrief of the day, then spent the evening together, including having dinner.

Look Ahead Plan: We will have 2 EVAs tomorrow: EVA-11 in the morning (10 AM to 12 PM) for ADAPA Drone engineering test; EVA-12 in the afternoon (1 PM to 5 PM) for Atmosphinder engineering test#4 using rovers Opportunity and Curiosity, according to mission request approval.

Anomalies in work: None.

Weather: Pleasant and sunny.

Crew Physical Status: Nominal.

EVA: No EVA on Sunday.

Reports to be filed: HSO Report, EVA Report, Operations Report, Journalist Report, Pictures of the day, GreenHab Report.

Support Requested: None.

Crew 261 Sol Summary Report 06-05-2023

Sol: 6

Summary Title: Long-range EVA

Author’s name: Aline Decadi, XO

Mission Status: nominal

Sol Activity Summary: Today took place 2 EVAs:
– EVA-9 with the following crew members: Audrey Derobertmasure (EVA Leader), Erin Kennedy (Crew Roboticist), Kris
Davidson (Journalist) (Not In Sim – Not Wearing Suit)
– EVA-10 with the following crew members: James Burk (Commander) (EVA Leader), Cecile Renaud (GreenHab Officer)

EVA-9 conducted 1) testing of Atmosphinder prototype mechanised wind sails and improved towing method at a walking distance from the Hab; then 2) drove the rover Spirit for Testing the Atmosphinder prototype descending hill with steeper grade.
The crew drove the rover Spirit instead of the rover that was planned in the EVA Request The reason for this is they have been confused by the first EVA request that was mentioning Spirit – while the second approved EVA request has changed to Perseverance and Curiosity (one additional rover was considered in case the journalist would have joined). It turned out that the journalist has walked and not joined the rover drive.
EVA-9 conducted Atmosphinder testing in the half-sized configuration (~1 m diameter) with sails (17" x 28.5") extending from the two hoops. The testing was divided into two sections: sail testing near the Hab and steeper grade hill testing near Phobos Peak.
Sail testing took place in front of the Hab. The sail testing observed the performance of the trim motors with the gusts of wind. In all 3 positions and on both sides, the motors performed to specification. The force of the wind on the sail frame ranged from 2N to 9 N, as measured with force spring gauges. The wind on the sails was able to tilt the electronics payload bay to 30 degrees. This test built on learnings from EVA-6.
Steeper grade hill testing took place in the vicinity of Phobos Peak, within close proximity to the road for transporting the robot. The location was scouted on foot. The candidate hill was approximately 2 meters tall, at an estimated 30 degrees grade, and clear of boulders. The robot was towed to the top of the hill while walking while keeping in mind astronaut safety.
The robot was given an initial push to roll down the hill. This was conducted to observe the dynamics of the robot structure given the terrain. With an enthusiastic ‘Bon Voyage’, the robot rolled down the hill with gusto! As the robot approached level land, known weak pieces broke under the loads, similar to EVA-2. All pieces were collected. An initial damage analysis shows that it was not as destructive as it had appeared to be in the field. The repaired pieces from EVA-4 held up well.
EVA-9 built on the lessons learned previously as well as the pertinent safety training received yesterday. The EVA-9 resulted in new information being learned that would only be possible in this unique environment. Many thanks to the entire crew — both on the EVA, at HabCom, and behind the scenes!

EVA-10 conducted the Drone Rescue to recover Acarus that was lost during the yesterday’s EVA. They drive to Cow Dung Road, then North to Galileo Road, then East/SouthEast to Compass Rock, then the location of the downed Icarus drone.
The crew drove the rovers Opportunity and Curiosity (instead of Spirit after concertation with Mission Support – Spirit has been used for the EVA-9 during this morning and its SOC went down to around 70% so it as changed for Curiosity). After retrieving the drone successfully, they went Northeast on Galileo Road and drive as far as rovers’ allow, up to Sommerville Overlook. They took a few minutes to find their road back to Galileo Road towards Sommerville as it is mostly covered by sand and sometimes difficult to see over the dunes). They Walk on foot to explore area up to Sommerville Overlook. Then went back to the Hab. They arrived at the Hab 30 minutes late because they have not been able to anticipate the time to make the round trip. Nevertheless, the 2 AA were wearing the 2 InReach devices and their location was updated on the Hab screen every 10 minutes, confirming to HabCOM that everything was operating nominally on the field.

The second EVA ended at 6:00pm. The crew ended the afternoon with the debriefing of EVA-10, the request activated on Skynet for observing Polaris from MLC-RCOS16 observatory (New Mexico), followed by the dinner and the reports of the day.

Look Ahead Plan: No Sim on Sunday.

Anomalies in work: None.

Weather: Chill in the morning. Very windy day.

Crew Physical Status: Nominal.

EVA: EVA-9 close to the Hab, EVA-10 to Sommerville Overlook.

Reports to be filed: HSO Report, EVA Report, Operations Report, Journalist Report, Pictures
of the day, GreenHab Report.

Support Requested: None.

Crew 261 Sol Summary Report 05-05-2023

Sol: 5

Summary Title: First long-range EVA

Author’s name: Aline Decadi, XO

Mission Status: nominal

Sol Activity Summary: Today took place 2 EVAs:
– EVA-7 with the following crew members: James Burk (Commander)
(EVA Leader), Aline Decadi (XO).
– EVA-8 with the following crew members: Julien Villa-Massone (EVA Leader), Kris Davidson (Crew
Journalist), Audrey Derobertmasure (HSO).

EVA-7 conducted EVA with the following purposes:
Test of drones at Compass Rock.
Build experience for longer-range EVAs.
HabCom training of crewmembers to support longer-range EVAs.

We drove with Curiosity rover to Compass Rock with intermediate points: drive to Cow Dung Road, then North to Galileo Road, then East/SouthEast to Compass Rock. Walk on foot to explore the area.
We took time to find the right turn on Galileo Road. The MDRS Map seemed not reliable enough: the GPS was pointing the right turn at 4252200 while the map was indicating 4252000. As a lesson learnt from this experiment, we concluded that the map shall not be used as a reliable tool while navigating in exploration areas, but rather as an indicator. The good solution is to focus on a detailed preparation upfront (using satellite imaging to visualize the shape of the road) combined to the use of navigation devices on the field.
Another outcome from this EVA was that the SOC of the Curiosity rover decreased in a non-predictive way: in ten minutes, it decreased very quickly from 100% to 85%, then it stays at 66% for a very long time. As a lesson-learnt, it could be useful to test the rover under 60% in the vicinity of the MDRS station (for safety purpose) to predict the SOC. This could help to learn/ predict if the SOC goes very fast from 60% to 40% or even 20% or if it stays stable for a certain time around 50%-60%; and what are the parameters that can influence the SOC while in a long-range EVA. As the battery consumption may be different for each rover, we would recommend performing this test on the 4 rovers and provide the results to the mission support.
The Atmosphinder electronics payload was included on EVA-7. The air quality monitor was added, which reports PM 2.5, PM 10, and NH3 every 10 seconds. This sensor data, along with the pressure, humidity, temperature, wind (anemometer), GPS, and battery, was logged at 1 Hz to the microcontroller’s micro sd card. The data will be analysed at a later date. Progress on Atmosphinder including adapting and installing both sail assemblies, affixing an improved towing method, and coding the mechanised sail trim motors.
EVA-8 conducted exploration of Area for Geologic Purposes. The crew walked to MDRS sign, then head due Southeast. The crew found various traces of ancient civilisations on the field. The purpose was also to train for communication between the crew and HabCom.

During the debriefing session post-EVA, we have collected several additional lessons-learnt that are detailed in the EVA Report.

The crew spent the afternoon to their experiments: further tests on the drones and Meshtastic devices, to prepare for the next observatory session, to progress on Atmosphinder, to perform cardiovascular measurements post EVAs. I also proposed a training session for emergency on the field with the purpose to expose what kind of hazards may happen on the field, how to detect and make decisions on the most appropriate “way for action”. Then we trained on how to remove the helmet/ backpack in different degraded situations as quickest as possible.

Look Ahead Plan: We will be in Sim tomorrow according to mission request approval.

Anomalies in work: None.

Weather: Chill in the morning. Very windy day.

Crew Physical Status: Nominal.

EVA: One EVA to Compass Rock, One EVA walking in the vicinity of the Hab.

Reports to be filed: HSO Report, EVA Request, EVA Report, Operations Report, Journalist Report, Pictures of the day.

Support Requested: None.

Crew 261 Sol Summary Report 04-05-2023

Sol: 4

Summary Title: experiencing Mars is never routine – Focus on Safety (Drill)

Author’s name: Aline Decadi, XO

Mission Status: nominal

Sol Activity Summary: Today took place 2 EVAs:
– EVA-5 with the following crew members: Aline Decadi (XO) (EVA Leader), Audrey Derobertmasure (HSO), Cecile Renaud (GreenHab Officer), Kris Davidson (Crew Journalist)
– EVA-6 with the following crew members: James Burk (Commander) (EVA Leader), Erin Kennedy (Crew Roboticist).

EVA-5 was focused on the initial Meshtastic Testing and on conducting Safety Procedures for EVA Crewmembers.
Each team member carried one Meshtastic: it worked nominally and gave consistent positioning data. This concluded this test successfully. The next tests would be focused to analyze how far we can go from the Hab with this device performing well.
The crew drove with Perseverance and Spirit rovers to explore the Pooh’s Corner, looking for traces of ancient civilizations.
Safety Drill: On our way back, I experienced a possible smell of burnt and alerted the crew and the HabCom I was feeling weak and decided to abort the EVA. The rest of the crew brought assistance on the field removing my Helmet and Backpack, coordinating with the HabCom, and coming back quickly to the Hab for Safety. The overall management of the Safety issue took around 15 minutes. The objectives of the EVA were still reached, and immediate actions were taken while facing danger. A debriefing took place once the crew was safety back to the Hab, and led to a detailed list of the encountered issues from the crew perspectives, and associated outcomes that are deeply detailed in the “EVA Report” of the Sol 4, e.g. regarding coordination & communication management. Some improvements will be also proposed for the next EVAs, e.g. bring water in the rover and fix a water bag/ protein bar on the suit to be able to assist the crew on the field. Experiencing Mars is never routine, and we plan to train for safety procedures during the rest of the mission to learn to act with more confidence: e.g. how to remove very quickly helmet/backpack in case of emergency. The backpack has been checked once coming back at the Hab : no visible sign of damage, and seems functional.

EVA-6 commenced with a thoughtful message from the Commander regarding the three reasons to go to Mars: for the Challenge, for the Science, and for the Future. This certainly gave colour to the present experiment where it could lead to in the future.
EVA-6 conducted Atmosphinder testing with the same size configuration as EVA-4 (half-sized, ~1 m diameter) in front of the Hab with repairs from EVA-4. The objectives of today’s tests focused on leveraging the excellent weather conditions, with wind speeds of 40.2 km/h and wind gusts of 77.2 km/h. The robot was able to be self-propelled by the wind gusts after an initial force assist, travelling approximately 4 meters from its starting position. This was repeated successfully 3 times.
A series of tests were conducted on the sail assembly to determine the amount of sail deflection by the wind with varying servo motor angles. The reactions of the servo motors interacting with the wind gusts were observed. By testing in these unique conditions at MDRS, this gave valuable insight into factors for developing the control system of the sail servo motors. Thank you to the Commander for assisting with the strenuous sail testing.
Final tests involved rolling the robot down a small hill outside the Hab. The robot completed all 3 runs successfully. The electronics payload was functioning separately, collecting environmental sensor data. The EVA-6 worked smoothly, and new information was learned. The success of EVA-6 was again in large part thanks to the entire crew — both on the EVA and behind the scenes!

Look Ahead Plan: We will be in Sim tomorrow: drone testing, according to mission request approval.

Anomalies in work: None.

Weather: Sunny and pleasant. Very windy day.

Crew Physical Status: Nominal.

EVA: One EVA to North West Pooh’s Corner, One EVA in the vicinity of the Hab.

Reports to be filed: HSO Report, EVA Request, EVA Report, Operations Report, Journalist Report, Pictures of the day.

Support Requested: None.

Crew 261 Sol Summary Report 03-05-2023

Sol: 3

Summary Title: experiencing EVA procedures in the windy environment of Mars

Author’s name: Aline Decadi, XO

Mission Status: Nominal.

Sol Activity Summary: Today took place 2 EVAs:
– EVA-3 with the following crew members: James Burk (Commander) (EVA Leader), Cecile Renaud (GreenHab Officer).
– EVA-4 with the following crew members: Aline Decadi (XO) (EVA Leader), Erin Kennedy (Crew Roboticist).

EVA-3 conducted a collection of soil for GreenHab experiments and operational testing of EVALink and VR-Comms procedures using Garmin devices. The soil collection is meant to support our Biostimulation experiments.

The crew drove with the Opportunity rover towards Cow Dung Road, took it South to the entry to Robert’s Rock Garden, and walked East to the collection site.

EVA-4 conducted Atmosphinder testing using the half-sized robot (~1 m diameter) in front of the Hab. The objectives of the test focused on
structural aspects of the robot and de-risking operational elements. The EVA crew members worked together to increase the operational understanding of extracting the robot out of the RAM, loading the robot into the rover (ATV), securing the robot to the rover (ATV), and driving slowly with sudden decelerations. The lessons learned from this exercise will de-risk these elements on future EVAs when transporting the robot to regions of interest. Quantitative testing of the robot was completed using force meters to measure the longitudinal and latitudinal forces required to lift the robot. Qualitative testing observed that the robot can roll down a small incline unassisted.
Structural elements on the robot that failed were known previously and can be repaired. The electronics payload was tested separately, with the new addition of the wind sensor compared to EVA-2. The EVA-4 worked smoothly, and valuable new information was learned. The success of this EVA-4 was in large part thanks to the EVA crew lead and the crew facilitating behind the scenes.

We spent the afternoon making analysis and processing yesterday’s experiments: the Musk observatory first Sun imaging; analyzing the soil samples collected for the GreenHab and Biostimulation experiments; and setting up the tomorrow’s experiments: robotics Atmosphinder, drone reconnaissance of campus with 4 waypoints. The Commander James Burk also made a detailed demonstration on MarsVR, showing the MDRS and the surrounding desert with very accurate details of the terrain, and also how we will be able to use the VR to plan out our EVAs and even see EVAs in progress.

The cardiovascular monitoring with requested parameters has been also performed as usual by HSO.

Biostimulation experiments are divided in 2 sections:
– early growth biostimulation using different kinds of soil (Utah soil, Martian
regolith simulant and normal soil).
– biostimulation on grown tomato plants.
Biostimulant solution is made from spirulina.

We spent the evening having dinner, the commander briefing, and preparing the experiments for tomorrow.

Look Ahead Plan: We will be in Sim tomorrow to perform a flyover of the campus using a drone, and to test out the Meshtastic devices for the VR, and make a complementary structural test for the Atmosphinder experiment, according to mission request approval.

Anomalies in work: Toilet is smelly, and Crew Engineer will cover that in Operations report.

Weather: Sunny and pleasant. Very windy day.

Crew Physical Status: Nominal

EVA: testing Atmosphinder prototype, drone reconnaissance of campus.

Reports to be filed: HSO Report, EVA Request, EVA Report, Operations Report, Journalist Report, Pictures of the day.

Support Requested: None.

Crew 261 Sol Summary Report 02-05-2023

Sol: 2

Summary Title: Completion of the crewmembers qualification on EVA procedures on Mars

Author’s name: Aline Decadi, XO

Mission Status: Nominal.

Sol Activity Summary: Today has taken place the EVA-2 with the following crew members: James Burk (Commander) (EVA Leader), Erin Kennedy (Crew Roboticist), Kris Davidson (Crew Journalist). They were accompanied by the crew journalist and the HSO. They prepared our flight suits, backpacks, helmets, and radio. The purpose was training EVA procedures + communication test with crew members and with the hab.
EVA-2 crew members started donning at 8:45 AM and EVA started at 9:15 AM. Our Crew261 Commander pronounced the following emotional beautiful sentences when heading for the first time on Martian soil: “It is with a profound sense of humbleness, duty, and honor that we take these first steps on Mars. We come from Earth, on behalf of all humanity. We come to bring Life to Mars, and Mars to Life”. They drove the Rovers (Spirit and Perseverance) for the first time with their spacesuits to the Marble Ritual, then walked around. We exercised walking around with the spacesuits, making geology/ collecting samples, regular health status, made photographs, and performed communication checks & extensive use of the radio. The communication was confirmed to be good on the field, and the overall safety health checks were nominal. The EVA-2 crew members qualified on EVA procedures today. As a lesson learnt from Sol 1, the EVA total duration was extended from 1h00 to 1h30 to successfully finish on time at 10:22 AM (ETA in the mission request was 10:30 AM).
We spent the afternoon setting up experiments: the GreenHab, the PhotoBioreactor, the Musk observatory first Sun imaging, the file server, the headsets for MarsVR, the robotics Atmosphinder, and cardiovascular monitoring with requested parameters.

We spent the evening having dinner, the commander briefing, and preparing EVA & experiments for tomorrow.

Look Ahead Plan: We will be in Sim tomorrow: soil collection, make a structural test for the Atmosphinder experiment, according to mission request approval.

Anomalies in work: None

Weather: Sunny and pleasant. Very windy day.

Crew Physical Status: As lessons learnt from yesterday, the extended duration for the EVA enables it to function safely and with continuous operational communication. The EVA has been scheduled in the morning as the temperature is more moderate.

EVA: Training EVA to Marble Ritual

Reports to be filed: HSO Report, EVA Request, EVA Report, Operations Report, Astronomy Report, Journalist Report, Pictures of the day.

Support Requested: None.