Category: Sol Summary

Crew 274 Sol Summary Report 02-04-2023

Sol: 6

Summary Title: Cache Assessment, Green Beans, and Alien Spaceships?

Author’s name: Sarah E. Guthrie (“Ceres”), Commander

Mission Status: Nominal

Sol Activity Summary: The crew completed EVA #6 which was an assessment of the logistics cache performance overnight. The cache box (EEVAC-1) was able to maintain power and temperature successfully. The crew also took measurements of the oranges which was a community submission from a 2nd grader to explore the effects of fruit on Mars. The fruit seems unphased by the Martian elements through the protection of the cache. The crew enjoyed a “feast” of greenhouse harvest at dinner which brought a pleasant tone to the meal with fresh green beans (approx. 67) and cherry tomatoes (29). Tonight is the first day of the mediation and focused breathing study, which will be after reports are filed. The astronomy team captured several massive prominences, sun spots, granules, and solar flares. While reviewing the footage, the crew noticed a small speck flying across the Sun’s image. While it is not known yet what the fast moving object was, it was exciting and captured the crew’s imagination. Aliens?

Look Ahead Plan: The crew looks forward to the emergency scenario exercise of the cache system (pending approval).

Anomalies in work: None

Weather: Sunny, 1C High, -5C Low; Sunny, evening clouds

Crew Physical Status: Excellent

EVA: EVA #6 completed for logistics cache assessment – successful

Reports to be filed: Sol Summary, Operations, EVA Request, EVA Report, GHO Report, and Astronomy Report.

Support Requested: None

Crew 274 Sol Summary Report 02-03-2023

Sol: 5

Summary Title: Logistics Cache Placement, Movie Magic, and Solar Sky

Author’s name: Sarah E. Guthrie (“Ceres”), Commander

Mission Status: Nominal

Sol Activity Summary: The crew was able to finally execute an EVA today. The EVA’s purpose was to place the logistics cache in a strategic location for future EVA studies. Navigating the terrain, range placement, and ensuring safety played a large part in preparing for this specific study. Tomorrow, the crew will inspect the cache’s performance overnight which is powered by solar and a small battery. Throughout the mission, the crew journalist has been heavily photographing and documenting the many science projects performed by Crew 274. Each morning the crew wakes up to a personal message left by a loved one or a member of the university and a song to start the day. Journalist DiBernardo tirelessly serves the crew not just as a member but meticulously captures little moments, smiles, laughs, and success. We thank Tony “Ironman” for all his efforts. The astronomy team successfully captured over 10,000 solar images and 180 night sky images after a series of technical issues.

Look Ahead Plan: The crew looks forward to possible cache EVA deployment and new solar images from the astronomy crew (fingers crossed).

Anomalies in work: None

Weather: Sunny, 0C High, -5C Low; Sunny, evening clouds

Crew Physical Status: Energetic

EVA: EVA #5 completed for logistics cache placement – successful

Reports to be filed: Sol Summary, Operations, EVA Request, HSO, GHO Report, and Astronomy Report.

Support Requested: None

Crew 274 Sol Summary Report 02-02-2023

Sol: 4

Summary Title: Holding Pattern

Author’s name: Sarah E. Guthrie (“Ceres”), Commander

Mission Status: Nominal

Sol Activity Summary: The day was spent in a holding pattern. Before the crew was able to egress the habitat for EVA today, it was terminated by Mission Control. Therefore the crew spent the day rewriting their EVA proposal for the logistics cache research project, which is an intense study that requires meticulous efforts to plan and prepare for in order to execute. The MDRS Robotic Telescope is still malfunctioning and (again) did not take any photos despite following the troubleshooting guidance provided. The Greenhouse is lush and full of life, it’s a peaceful oasis for those who want to take in sunshine and smell the greenery. As a large crew of eight members (seven men, two women) living in close quarters has been an enjoyable experience and despite being unable to complete several science projects morale is still HIGH, and the crew is full of laughs.

Look Ahead Plan: The crew looks forward to possible cache EVA deployment and new solar images from the astronomy crew (fingers crossed).

Anomalies in work: None

Weather: Sunny, -4C High, -7C Low

Crew Physical Status: Average

EVA: None

Reports to be filed: Sol Summary, Operations, EVA Request, HSO, GHO Report, and Astronomy Report.

Support Requested: None

Crew 274 Sol Summary Report 02-01-2023

Sol: 3

Summary Title: Solar Phenomena

Author’s name: Sarah E. Guthrie (“Ceres”), Commander

Mission Status: Nominal

Sol Activity Summary: The crew did not perform any EVAs today. The day was used to plan out the logistics cache study, opening the solar telescope, harvesting green beans, tomatoes, and herbs. The crew also used the day to clean the mud from the lower deck, vacuum the crew quarters, and clean the bathroom. The solar study was a massive success. Crew Astronomers Loy and Pena captured 70,000 images. The images showed sunspots, prominences, and granules.

Look Ahead Plan: The crew looks forward to possible cache EVA deployment and new solar images from the astronomy crew.

Anomalies in work: None

Weather: Sunny, -2C High, -9C Low

Crew Physical Status: Satisfactory

EVA: None

Reports to be filed: Sol Summary, Operations, EVA Request, HSO, GHO Report, and Astronomy Report.

Support Requested: None

 

 

Sol: 2

Summary Title: Research EVA Phase 1 Completed

Author’s name: Sarah E. Guthrie “Ceres”, Commander

Mission Status: Nominal

Sol Activity Summary: Two crews completed two separate baseline logistics EVAs. Both crews traversed on foot from the Habitat to Kissing Camel Ridge. EVA #3 departed at 10:00am and returned at 11:30pm. EVA #4 departed at 2:00pm and returned at 3:30pm. Habitat bathroom required Mission Support assistance at 5:00pm when the waste overfilled. Mission Support serviced the toilet and provide remedial training to the crew. The solar dome shutter is unoperational currently, Mission Support has been contacted and providing guidance to troubleshoot the problem manually. The crew completed personal research and reports for the rest of the evening. GHO assisted planting dandelion seeds in Lunar and Martian regolith for a community submission study from a 2nd grader in Millersville, Maryland.

Look Ahead Plan: EVA #5 plans to place the first logistic cache which will be a part of a larger logistics study to continue the rest of the mission. The crew also plans to use the solar telescope to facilitate a study for Delta 2, USSF and 557th Space Weather Wing, USAF.

Anomalies in work: None

Weather: Sunny, highs -6C, low -11C

Crew Physical Status: Optimal

EVA: EVA 3 and EVA 4 completed logistic cache baseline study on foot at Kissing Camel Ridge successfully.

Reports to be filed: Sol Summary, Operations Report, Green Hab Report, Journalist Report, and Astronomer Report.

Support Requested: None

 

Crew 274 Sol Summary Report 01-31-2023

Sol: 1

Summary Title: Training Day – Extra-vehicular activities (EVA)and Martian Land Rovers

Author’s name: Sarah E. Guthrie “Ceres”, Commander

Mission Status: Possible weather impact for two requested EVAs on 1-31-2023, standing by for MCC approval.

Sol Activity Summary: Crew completed required EVA and rover training at Marble Ritual. EVA 1 departed habitat at 10:25am which was 25 minutes past the requested deployment time. Complications with EVA suits caused delays (see Anomalies in work and Operations Report). EVA 1 consisted of crew members: CDR – Guthrie (EVA 1 Lead), O’Hara, Pender (HSO) and DiBernardo on rovers Spirit and Perseverance. EVA 1 returned to habitat at 10:59am to meet the approved EVA request. EVA 2 deployed on time at 1:00pm with crew members Lojek (EVA 2 Lead), Loy, Pena and Hines on rovers Curiosity and Opportunity. EVA 2 returned to habitat at 1:55pm. The Solar Observatory was unveiled and inspected per MDRS Staff guidance and will be activated tomorrow. Crew experienced a small kitchen fire when the stovetop knob ceased to operate properly, MDRS Support guidance advised using pliers to turn the burner off. There was no damage to personnel or habitat. Additionally, Engineer Lojek evaluated the 500 gal water reservoir, it is estimated the crew has used approximately 45 gals of water in 24 hours. The crew is discussing water conservation efforts to extend the life of the reservoir to EOM.

Look Ahead Plan: Rain received this afternoon may impact EVA 3 and 4 requests due to muddy conditions. Should this occur, Crew 274 will shift mission schedule to habitat maintenance (cleaning), individual research projects, and mission planning for Sol 3 EVA requests.

Anomalies in work: EVA Suit #1 fan is inop. Engineer Lojek and Hab Specialist are investigating the issue. Oven light inop (noted in Operations Report).

Weather: Sunny, highs -0.5C, low -7C

Crew Physical Status: Optimal

EVA: EVA 1 and EVA 2 completed for training at Marble Ritual.

Reports to be filed: Sol Summary, Operations Report, Green Hab Report, Journalist Report, and Astronomer Report.

Support Requested: Food inventory complete, separate request to follow.

 

Crew 274 Sol Summary Report 01-29-2023

Sol: 0

Summary Title: ARG-1M successful landing at Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS)

Author’s name: Sarah E. Guthrie (“Ceres”), Commander

Mission Status: Possible weather impact for requested EVAs, standing by for MCC approval.

Sol Activity Summary: ARG-1M arrived at MDRS 11:48am and downloaded equipment. At 3:00pm, ARG-1M received habitat (including RAM, Science Dome and Greenhouse), rover, communications, extra-vehicular activity, and safety training. Training was completed at 6:40pm.

Look Ahead Plan: Current projected weather conditions may impact Sol 1 EVA training. Two EVAs are required to complete the training, however possible snow may eliminate second (mid-day) EVA requests. Should this occur, ARG-1M will shift mission schedule to habitat maintenance (cleaning), individual research projects, and mission planning for Sol 2 EVA requests.

Anomalies in work: None

Weather: Sunny, highs 6.1C, low -22.2C; partially cloudy, winds 3 mph (windy)

Crew Physical Status: Optimal

EVA: None

Reports to be filed: Sol Summary, Operations, HSO, Mission Plan, Crew Bios, Crew Pictures, and Crew Mission Patch.

Support Requested: None

 

 

Crew 272 Sol Summary Report 13-01-2023

Sol: 12

Summary Title: Rescuing the BTS: The Grand Finale

Author’s name: Kshitij Mall

Mission Status: All nominal

Sol Activity Summary: The grand finale of our Martian crew ensued with a brief morning warm up exercise session, yoga, and meditation led by me. The latter were needed to get the crew calm, composed, and focused as a lot of tasks were on our plate. But before anything else, there was something else that was on our morning breakfast plate: the biscuits purely prepared from Martian resources and hot coffee to wake up the crew and partially fill their veins with the necessary caffeine to keep the crew running. The breakfast for the sol was prepared by Crew Geologist Adriana and supported by Crew Journalist Kenneth. The humongous mission of this sol was to retrieve my electrical baby named the Boiler Transmission Station (BTS) and we named this mission Dynamite. The dynamic EVA crew for the Dynamite mission comprised Crew Engineer (and Pilot-in-Command) Mason, XO Arly, Kenneth, and HSO Megan. Kenneth was a last-minute entry as I had to delegate some other important tasks to myself at the Hab. A huge shoutout to the Purdue Mission Control back at Earth (especially Rachana and Alex) for providing us with the METAR data just in time to help Mason with decision making regarding the drone flight.

Upon leaving the front airlock of the Hab Sweet Hab, the EVA crew was in mission mode to find the BTS. Within 10 minutes they parked their Martian horses, Spirit and Oppie, next to the Gateway to Candor, and then started the transmitter hunt. Mason then launched his flying baby, Garud the drone, and started looking for the BTS. He used visual clues to locate the Boiler Ledge at first because that’s where we last saw BTS. The whole EVA crew slowly started marching up the hill next to the Galileo Road and toward the Boiler Ledge. Garud the drone had brief connectivity issues as encountered previously possibly due to terrain issues. The EVA crew spotted some aliens from a high point but ignored them as the aliens were departing Mars. Mason couldn’t see clearly on the live feed from Garud but thought of checking the video generated post-processing. The last-minute entry to the EVA crew, Kenneth spotted the transmitter eventually in association with Garud and proved to be the hero that I expected him to be while swapping spots with him for this mission. He performed well in the Geologist versus Non-Geologist experiments too as per Adriana and has seen BTS from a close proximity. The EVA crew then also found the BTS box halfway down the cliff, north of the Campus rock, which was expected due to strong winds 2 sols back. Since it was not safe to rescue the box, the crew settled for taking back just the transmitter. After the successful retrieval of the BTS (sans the box) and completion of Mission Dynamite, the crew took some drone media footage to celebrate the successful search and rescue operation. The EVA crew also took group pictures including some with the Purdue flag, which were apt for a place like the Boiler Ledge. Arly and Kenneth also recorded some videos for our Outreach activity with Space Kidz India, which we will be sending back in once we are out of sim and back to Earth. These questions were relayed to Space Kidz India team by several school students hailing from different parts of India. Our plan is to answer remaining outreach questions at the Hab and surrounding units. Even though I couldn’t go to rescue my electrical baby, I’m glad my fellow Martian crew mates rescued it and brought it back to the Hab. BTS was reunited with his sibling transmitter at the Hab, and it was an electrically emotional moment.

As per traditions, the crew completed all the cognitive performance tests and daily questionnaires requested by Arly and Andres. At the Greenhab, Madelyn watered the plants and will fertilize the soil in the afternoon after which she plans to clean this unit. The Science Dome will be deprived of the Martian rocks we collected so far as those rocks are being packed by Adriana in a big box to be taken back to Purdue for further analysis. We plan to clean the Hab and surrounding units and then to pack our Earthly and Martian belongings with a Divide and Conquer policy aimed at dividing the cleanup work among the 7 of us. Of course, we stay united while we do all these cleanup activities. The final mopping and vacuuming of the lower deck will be carried out tomorrow morning to keep the Hab cleanest possible when we depart for our journey back to the Earth. As I submit this final sol summary report for our rotation, we are already out of sim and ready to launch to our other sweet home (a Hab away from Hab). We will surely miss the Martian times but will be ready to savor back the Earthly flavors before we return back to Mars. We thank the Mission support team for an outstanding support to keep us safe, sound, and healthy during the rotation with replenishments and shipments via interplanetary cargo ships.

Look Ahead Plan: Sending the final research and daily (sol-ly) reports, packing our stuff, cleaning the Hab and surrounding units, and then relaxing a bit at MDRS

Anomalies in work: None

Weather: Overcast with Calm Winds

Crew Physical Status: Good

EVA: One

Reports to be filed: Sol Summary, Operations Report, Journalist Report, EVA Report, Greenhab Report, Mission Summary

Support Requested: None

 

 

Crew 272 Sol Summary Report 12-01-2023

Sol: 11

Summary Title: The Cowboy Trip

Author’s name: Kshitij Mall

Mission Status: All nominal

Sol Activity Summary: After successfully playing Monikers, the team got a good-sol sleep and started the day energized except Crew Engineer Mason. A filled-up toilet served as the alarm clock for Mason, who was quick to act. After a brief morning exercise led by HSO Megan, the crew had a sweeter breakfast: cinnamon rolls prepared by Mason. I shared with the crew some rehydrated fruits and some cookies from Earth. After a quick briefing, the crew suited up to finally explore the Cowboy corner. The EVA crew comprised Crew Geologist Adriana, Megan, XO Arly, and Crew Journalist Kenneth and departed the Hab by 11 AM.

The EVA crew went to the Cowboy corner, walked west and collected samples at that spot. Megan tested the tools she 3D printed at the Hab and found that the smaller rock hammer was more useful for the EVAs. Adriana found that Cowboy Corner has great similarities with the Kissing Camel Ridge, and this matched with her intuition based on her previous EVA. The EVA crew was back by 2:15 PM. As per the traditions, the EVA crew completed the daily human-factors based cognitive performance tests and personal surveys for Arly and Andres. Mason also sent some important information about the oven light that needs some repairs. Our crew also received some outreach questions from Earth, which we will be answering through an offline video tomorrow.

At the Science Dome, for a change, the Greenhab Officer, Madelyn, was busy with the Great Harvest: The Martian Reaping. Madelyn collected over 700 data points regarding volume, mass, leaf length and sprout length of all the different Martian plans grown during our rotation. Kenneth and Mason helped her with the data collection as they are apparently good with rulers. I also went through the Hab and got some raw videos to share about the (amazing) MDRS facility and the grand goals of the Mars Society. Madelyn then asked us to do a survey after eating two samples: a normal micro green and a special fertilized micro green. Almost all the crew members chose the fertilized sample based on different features like color, taste, crispiness, vibrance, etc. The crew was not aware of the answer and was only disclosed about it after completing the survey. The crew indeed was surprised at the result. Dinner for tonight was an Indian dish called Aloo Gobhi (potato and cauliflower) prepared by me and assisted by Arly. We might again play Monikers card game tonight, which we have been procrastinating for several sols. Tomorrow we will retrieve (my electrical baby) the BTS from around the Gateway to Candor. Tomorrow we also launch back to Earth and end this rotation. I bet the crew members will be with mixed feelings of leaving Mars and going back to Earth, but we will aim at making the best of what we can do at Mars while we are here!

Look Ahead Plan: Conduct a geological EVA at the Cowboy corner and complete the Great Harvest at the Greenhab

Anomalies in work: None

Weather: Sunny, Calm Winds

Crew Physical Status: Good

EVA: One

Reports to be filed: Sol Summary, Operations Report, Journalist Report, EVA Report, EVA Request, Greenhab Report.

Support Requested: None

 

 

Hello Mission Support,

Following is the Sol Summary Report.

Crew 272 Sol Summary Report 11-01-2023

Sol: 10

Summary Title: Hab Ridge: The New Frontier

Author’s name: Kshitij Mall

Mission Status: All nominal

Sol Activity Summary: After successfully completing watching the movie Lakshya (Objective), the crew got pumped up to achieve their Lakshya, which is to retrieve BTS possibly displaced by the heavy wind past night. We also planned to traverse the Hab Ridge and identify places of interest for geological experiments for Crew Geologist Adriana. To calm the team down from the sim-death experience last sol with the outer Hab door opening up by a wind blast, I shared Yog comprising some breathing exercises like Pranayama, Anulom, Vilom, some warmup exercises and some asans (poses) with the crew. As per the crew, it did benefit them after being on a streak of EVAs and living in their new isolated Hab Sweet Hab for quite some time. The breakfast for the sol included egg casserole, which was prepared by our Greenhab Officer Madelyn and supported by HSO Megan. A mistake on my part to not plug the chargers back into two of the rovers thinking that overcast conditions will drain the limited solar power we had followed by bad weather in the night made conditions not congenial for carrying out any EVA. But Mission Support recommended us for an exploratory mission to the Hab Ridge, which we were originally planning to be just a geological EVA instead of retrieving my electrical-Martian-baby, BTS. He will have to wait another day for the rescue, but I’m confident he is strong enough to handle more Martian winds for a few sols. The advice from the Mission Support indeed was handy as the sol unfolded. For exploratory missions we didn’t require extensive Earth Mission Support.

After getting an approval from the Mission Support, an exploratory EVA to the Hab Ridge was then conducted at 2 PM by Adriana and me as the primaries for the geology and exploration part, respectively, with Madelyn and Megan as the supporting EVA crew. Good map reading skills were the need of the hour for this EVA. Our EVA crew had great success in reaching the newly established Repeater Station by Crew 271. We also took some great pictures of the EVA crew at the Hab Ridge with Hab Sweet Hab and our rovers in the backdrop. The remaining boilermaker engineers and scientists were busy doing their rock souvenir shopping on Mars while I was taking pictures and videos that could be used by future EVA crews, who plan to visit the Hab Ridge. I too collected some Gryphaea or the Devil’s toenails as Martian omiyage (souvenirs) for my Earth-based families including my 10-month-old son, Hiro.

After coming back from the EVA at 4:15 PM, Adriana and I debriefed the EVA to Arly. In the meantime, Crew Engineer Mason attempted fixing suit #7 that had connection issues and had a great success in fixing suit #7. We also completed the daily human-factors based cognitive performance tests and personal surveys for Arly and Andres. Dinner duties for the sol are handled by Arly and Mason, who are preparing TikTok Pasta. We might play Monikers card game tonight, which we have been procrastinating for several sols. Tomorrow, we plan to conduct a geological EVA to the Cowboy corner to study the paleo flow indictors and do some tool test of 3D printed hammers. Madelyn would be helped tomorrow during her Great Harvest at the Greenhab by the rest of the crew based on their availabilities during the sol.

Look Ahead Plan: Conduct a geological EVA at the Cowboy corner and complete the Great Harvest at the Greenhab

Anomalies in work: None

Weather: Very Sunny, Calm Winds

Crew Physical Status: Good

EVA: One

Reports to be filed: Sol Summary, Operations Report, Journalist Report, EVA Report, EVA Request, Greenhab Report.

Support Requested: None

Thanks
Kshitij