Sol Summary – December 29th

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.

Sol Summary – December 30th

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.

Sol Summary – December 31st

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.

Sol Summary – January 1st

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.

Sol Summary – December 23rd

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

Sol Summary – <date – January 5th>

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

Sol Summary – December 25th

Crew 306 Sol Summary Report 25-12-2024
Sol: 03
Summary Title: ChristMARS
Author’s name: Jesus Meza
Mission Status: Festive. All systems are nominal.
Sol Activity Summary:
Last night the crew stayed up late watching the movie, Elf. We chose to “sleep-in” today in observance of the holidays, but everyone was awake by 08:00. Ryan treated us to French Toast for breakfast and we all opened our white elephant gifts. The crew then practiced our daily stretching and meditation session before splitting off for research at 12:00. Adriana and Elizabeth fed the mushrooms and took care of the Green Hab. Rod, Keegan, and Ryan worked on getting DRONE prepared for EVA, and Jesus worked on planning out the upcoming EVA schedule. EVA 04 began at 14:00, with Rod, Keegan, and Ryan performing DRONE test flights as well as inspecting the repairs done to the tunnel system. The crew had a late lunch at 16:00 where Elizabeth treated us to Murry (mars-curry), composed of chickpeas, potatoes, green-beans, tomato paste and spices. At 17:00 the crew settled into a slow afternoon of report writing and puzzle solving. We’re having cake for dinner.
Look Ahead Plan:
EVA 05 will take place on Sol 4. Jesus, Elizabeth, and Adriana will travel up to HAB ridge in search of iron containing minerals along the edge of the ridge south of the HAB. If time permits, soil samples will be taken from the base of Skyline ridge to analyze iron content. Meanwhile at the HAB, Ryan, Rod, and Keegan will work on repairing and preparing DRONE for EVA 05.
Anomalies in work: None.
Weather: Morning was wet from last night’s rain but dried up by noon. Skies were clear with a high of 54 degrees F. Winds were high with gust up to 15 mph.
Crew Physical Status: Crew is happy and well.
EVA:
Rod, Ryan, and Keegan completed EVA 04 in the area surrounding the HAB. The EVA objectives were to perform DRONE test flights and inspect the tunnel system repairs that Keegan has been performing. The software issues that prevented DRONE from acquiring data on EVA 03 were resolved. However, a bracket that mounts the Li-DAR camera to DRONE fractured during test. Inspection of the tunnel system yielded one new issue to repair. At the intersection of the main tunnel with the science dome tunnel the tarp material is loose enough to flap with the wind. Preventative maintenance will be scheduled to tighten down the tarp to prevent a breach.
Reports to be filed:
Sol Summary, Journalist Report, Greenhab Report, Operations Report, Crew Photos, EVA Report. EVA request.
Support Requested: We have been having trouble with the VR setup we brought for human factor research. The system logs out of the software account and to recover it requires an internet connection. We would like to request permission to connect this computer to the WIFI outside of coms windows.

Sol Summary – December 26th

Crew 306 Sol Summary Report 26-12-2024
Sol: 04
Summary Title: Bread loaf number 05.
Author’s name: Jesus Meza
Mission Status: Active. All systems are nominal.
Sol Activity Summary:
The day began at 07:00 with Rod making breakfast burritos. The morning coms widow was very active with most of the crew needing to look up material for projects. At 09:00 the crew started prepping for the day. Adriana tended to the GreenHAB and harvested some cucumbers. At 10:00 the crew observed a stretching session before gearing up for EVA 05 to HAB Ridge and Skyline Rim. Elizabeth, Adriana, and Jesus were the EVA team, while Ryan and Keegan ran CAPCOMS. The EVA team had a nice long walk up the ridge, finding a disposable Fiji camara along the way, possibly the one lost by crew 305? The crew then traveled southward along the ridge in the direction of Kissing Cammel to look for an outcrop of rocks thought to contain Hematite Concretions. Samples were taken along the way for analysis at the HAB. The site had a few interesting minerals that may be the iron containing rocks that Jesus needs for his project. At approximately 13:00 the crew travel back north towards the HAB, then west along Sagan Road toward Skyline Rim. The crew took samples along the road, about halfway to the rim, to analyze the iron content. The HAB team baked yet another loaf of bread. We have now baked the same number of loafs as we have had EVA’s… five. At 14:15, the EVA team was back to the HAB. At 15:00 the crew had BBQ chicken for lunch with a side of rice, curtesy of Ryan. The evening saw the crew catch up on Ryan’s VR assessments, and prepping DRONE for EVA 06. Adriana made mediterranean style quinoa for dinner using the cucumbers she harvested this morning!
Look Ahead Plan:
Elizabeth will lead Rod and Ryan back up to HAB ridge towards Skyline Rim. The EVA team will take samples of the soil at the base of the cliff and perform Li-DAR scans along the dirt planes. Meanwhile at the HAB, Jesus, Adrian, and Keegan will work on their research.
Anomalies in work: None.
Weather: Morning was cloudy with light wind and temperatures around 31 degrees F. The sky’s were clear by the late afternoon and the temperature warmed up to 46 degrees F.
Crew Physical Status: Crew is happy and well.
EVA:
Jesus, Elizabeth, and Adriana completed EVA 05 atop Hab Ridge with Ryan and Keegan running CAPCOM. The EVA objectives were to take EMF measurements and collect Hematite Concretions for the in-situ photovoltaic project. Two sites were chosen for this EVA. First the team headed to a rocky outcrop along the top of HAB ridge at 4250250E, 518000N. Here the EVA team collected a few samples that may be Hematite concretions. This will be confirmed with the help of Purdue Mission Support. Elizabeth performed magnetic readings atop of HAB ridge. The EVA team then made their way towards Skyline Rim, stopping about 1/3 of the way to the rim to collect sand from a dry stream, and gray soil from the plains. These samples were brought back to the HAB to analyze their iron content. The objectives of the EVA were met.
Reports to be filed:
Sol Summary, Journalist Report, Greenhab Report, Operations Report, Crew Photos, EVA Report. EVA request.
Support Requested: None.

Sol Summary – December 15th

Crew 305 Sol Summary Report 15-12-2024
Sol: 7
Summary Title: Let’s Carpe Some Diem
Author’s name: Peter Zoss
Mission Status: Active
Sol Activity Summary:
Ian, Peter, and Hunter left on an EVA in the morning. Spruha, Monish, and Rashi monitored comms from the HAB during the day. Spruha and Monish spent a lot of time in the RAM working on their research projects. Rashi helped make some dishes for lunch to go with the leftover spaghetti. Ian put together a nice pasta dinner in the evening then. The VR headset used for Peter’s research was a big hit with Beat Saber, so it was set up for some post-dinner fun once again.
Look Ahead Plan:
The next EVA will be tomorrow, Sol 8. Ian will lead Spruha and Hunter on a walking mission to test out Spruha’s rover and collect some paleosol samples for Hunter around the HAB. Monish, Rashi, and Peter will monitor comms from the HAB. After some strong collaborative work from the team today, all the wiring for the rover has been completed and it is in the final stages of assembly now for tomorrow’s EVA.
Anomalies in work:
None.
Weather:
Today was the warmest yet by the end of the EVA, with no clouds blocking the sun. Winds peaked at 10 MPH during the EVA.
Crew Physical Status:
Everyone appears in good health.
EVA:
EVA 07 saw a semi-successful trek south of Kissing Camel Ridge for dry stream channel measurements and paleosol sample collection led by Ian who had Peter and Hunter accompanying him. The morning started off cold but quickly heated up under the sun for a hot trip.
Reports to be filed: Sol Summary, Journalist Report, Greenhab Report, Operations Report, Crew Photos, EVA Report, and EVA Request
Support Requested:
None

Sol Summary – December 16th

Crew 305 Sol Summary Report 16-12-2024
Sol: 8
Summary Title: These Boots Were Made for Walking
Author’s name: Peter Zoss
Mission Status: Active
Sol Activity Summary:
Ian, Spruha, and Hunter left on an EVA in the afternoon today, a large portion of which was conducted on foot. Peter, Monish, and Rashi monitored comms from the HAB. Hunter was able to spend more time in the morning working on his project in the GreenHab before the EVA. Spruha and Monish spent a lot of time working on their research projects and troubleshooting issues with Spruha’s rover, Hermes. Rashi has been writing a lot for her research as well. Ian made a quick lunch before the EVA. Rashi put together a nice dinner in the evening.
Look Ahead Plan:
The next EVA will be tomorrow, Sol 9. Ian will lead Spruha and Rashi on a walking mission to test out Spruha’s rover around the HAB. Monish, Hunter, and Peter will monitor comms from the HAB. After some more collaborative work from the team today, the rover software, wiring, and power issues have been overcome and it is in the final stages of assembly now for tomorrow’s EVA!
Anomalies in work:
None.
Weather:
Today was another warm one. Lots of cloud cover as well.
Crew Physical Status:
Everyone appears in good health.
EVA:
EVA 08 saw a semi-successful trek up to HAB Ridge on foot for the first portion of the EVA, and then a quick drive south of Kissing Camel Ridge for dry stream channel measurements and paleosol sample collection. Ian led the EVA and had Spruha and Hunter accompanying him.
Reports to be filed: Sol Summary, Journalist Report, Greenhab Report, Operations Report, Crew Photos, EVA Report, and EVA Request
Support Requested:
None

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