Category: Sol Summary

Sol 2 – Anywhere is walking distance if you’ve got the time

Before departing MDRS for a day of botanical sampling, crew 210 spent the morning working on social media outreach and (importantly), fueling up on coffee. While team members emptied the hab car water tank (filled last night in Hanksville), other crew members continued to repair the hab tunnels. The full team (five humans and two space dogs) left the station at 11:30.

After refueling the hab car in Hanksville, we drove to the Factory Butte access road and sampled plants and lichens at the Valley of the Stars and at Salt Creek. We returned to Cow Dung Road and went to continue our plant sampling outside of the Burpee Dinosaur Quarry

When we went to return to MDRS the hab car did not initially start, so Mike Irvine and myself hiked back to the hab from the quarry to retrieve the crew car. However, just as we returned to the hab we heard from the rest of the team over the radio that they were able to restart the car and they made their way back to MDRS.

Tomorrow the team will travel to Loa in the morning to retrieve parts for the ATVs, and plan on sampling around the hab (time-permitting) in the afternoon.

Sol 1 – Entry, Descent, and Landing

Crew 210 arrived at the Mars Desert Research Station mid-afternoon today. Consisting of biologists and outreach specialists from across North America, crew 210 will spend the next week conducting a biodiversity survey and ecological inventory of the MDRS area outside of sim. Our team includes:

· Dr. Shannon Rupert, director of the Mars Desert Research station, and desert ecologist.

· David Murray, crew 210 co-lead, MDRS GreenHab director, and desert ecologist.

· Paul Sokoloff, crew 2010 co-lead and botanist at the Canadian Museum of Nature.

· Samantha McBeth, polar biologist, expedition guide, and outreach coordinator.

· Mike Irvine, co-founder of Live It and outreach coordinator.

We spent this afternoon addressing logistical needs around the station, including some repairs of the hab tunnels, two water runs into Hanksville, and repairs to ATVs. We will likely need to run additional errands on Monday, so tomorrow we will begin our sampling program by surveying the vegetation and sampling around Salt Creek, on the Factory Butte road.

This spring has been very lush around MDRS and the “Martian” hills are green with peppergrass and evening primrose, so we are eager to begin our science program in the hopes of finding new plant records for MDRS, and to contribute to long-term ecological monitoring at the station.

You can follow our "Martian" adventures on Twitter (@LiveItearth, @Lady_McBeth_, @paul_sokoloff, @pillowdavid17), and by following #MDRS210 and #MarsBio

Until tomorrow,

Paul S, on behalf of crew 210

Crew 208 Sol Summary Report 05-APR-2019

Sol: 8

Summary Title: Preparing for the Trip Home! (out of sim)

Author’s name: Julielynn Wong

Mission Status: Nominal

Sol Activity Summary:

Crew 208 continued 3D printing in the Hab and completed the data collection for our bike-powered 3D printing project.

XO is packing up most of our equipment tonight in his vehicle for the return trip home.

Look Ahead Plan: Continue data collection for the thoracentesis study this PM. Prepare for post-mission inspection on Sol 9. Plan to depart Hab on Sol 10 at 0800.

Anomalies in work: None

Weather: Sunny with winds

Crew Physical Status: Nominal

EVA: n/a

Reports to be filed: Operations, Greenhab, Journalist

Support Requested: None

Sol: 7

Summary Title: Godspeed, little taters! (in sim)

Author’s name: Julielynn Wong

Mission Status: Nominal

Sol Activity Summary:

Last PM, Crew 208 used our bike-charged battery to power our 3D printer to use biodegradable, food-safe plastic to make a customized mallet finger splint design that was originally printed on the ISS.

Today, Crew 208 continued 3D printing in the Hab, including making a wonderful 3D printed drone map of MDRS prepared by GHO!

ENG + HSO observed many fossil specimens during their walking EVA this AM.

Crew ENG + HSO each exercised for 1 hour to generate power for our bike-powered 3D printing study.

Crew 208 broke sim this PM to charge our electric vehicle for the return journey home.

Look Ahead Plan: Continue 3D printing in Hab and data collection for the bike-powered and thoracentesis studies this PM.

Anomalies in work: None

Weather: Sunny with winds

Crew Physical Status: Nominal

EVA: #6 – walking; #7 – Opportunity + Curiousity rovers

Reports to be filed: Operations, Greenhab, Journalist, EVA Report

Support Requested: None

Crew 208 Sol Summary Report 03-APR-2019

Sol: 6

Summary Title: Geology Rocks! (in sim)

Author’s name: Julielynn Wong

Mission Status: Nominal

Sol Activity Summary:

Crew 208 continued 3D printing in the Hab and worked on their research manuscripts.

Useful things to 3D print at MDRS:

Ice cube tray

ENG + HSO + GHO used the Curiosity and Spirit rovers during their EVA to search for fossils.

Crew XO + HSO tried out our Space VR goggles.

Crew XO + GHO each exercised for 1 hour to generate power for our bike-powered 3D printing study.

Look Ahead Plan: Continue 3D printing in Hab and data collection for thoracentesis study in Science Dome. Plan to break sim on Sol 8.

Anomalies in work: None

Weather: Sunny

Crew Physical Status: Nominal

EVA: #5 to Grey Moon and Beige Moon

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

Support Requested: None

Crew 208 Sol Summary Report 02-APR-2019

Sol: 5

Summary Title: A Day of Data Collection (in sim)

Author’s name: Julielynn Wong

Mission Status: Nominal

Sol Activity Summary:

David delivered additional water and food for Crew 208 this AM. Crew 208 enacted strict water conservation measures. To conserve water, we cooked our lunch in our Insta-Pot.

Crew 208 continued 3D printing in the Hab. One printer is not operational.

We compared the performance of standard and new drone controllers in flight tests during one walking EVA today. We cancelled our second EVA due to high winds.

Crew GHO exercised for 1 hour for our bike study.

Look Ahead Plan: Continue 3D printing in Hab and data collection for thoracentesis study in Science Dome.

Anomalies in work: None

Weather: Cloudy with high winds

Crew Physical Status: Nominal

EVA: #3: Hab; #4: Hab (cancelled)

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

Support Requested: None

Cheers,

Julielynn Wong, MD, MPH, FACPM

Crew 208 Sol Summary Report 01-APR-2019

Sol: 4

Summary Title: A Day of 3D Printing, Drones, and Biking (in sim)

Author’s name: Julielynn Wong

Mission Status: Nominal

Sol Activity Summary:

Crew 208 finished 3D printing our first drone map of MDRS! This map shows the MDRS structures in 3D, including the Hab, Greenhab, Science Dome, connecting tunnels, solar panel array, two observatories, repair access module, and rovers!

Useful things to 3D print at MDRS:
Tripod plate

We compared the performance of standard and new drone controllers in flight tests during our two EVAs today.

Crew HSO + ENG exercised for 1 hour on our bike study.

Crew 208 received their food rations this PM for our mission.

Our Astronomer is now cleared to use the MDRS Robotic Observatory

Look Ahead Plan: Continue bike study data collection in the Hab. Start data collection for thoracentesis study.

Anomalies in work: None

Weather: Sunny

Crew Physical Status: Nominal

EVA: #1: Hab; #2: Hab

Reports to be filed: Operations, Greenhab, Journalist, EVA Report, EVA Request, Mission Plan

Support Requested: Opportunity rover awaiting repair.

Crew 208 Sol Summary Report 31-MAR-2019

Sol: 3

Summary Title: Welcome to MDRS, NAU!

Author’s name: Julielynn Wong

Mission Status: Nominal

Sol Activity Summary:

Crew 208 continued to 3D print our drone map.

Crew 208 completed MDRS orientation, rover and spacesuit training today.

Our Crew 208 team photo was a group selfie taken via drone (i.e., a “dronie”).

GHO used Crew 208’s Insta-Pot to prepare a vegetarian lunch meal.

COM gave a tour of MDRS to NAU graduate students from 1400-1600.

XO + ENG + GHO + HSO drove rovers towards Candor Chasma for drone flights today.

XO + David traveled to Hanksville to refill the Greenhab water tank.

Look Ahead Plan: Continue 3D printing maps of MDRS in Hab. Start data collection for thoracentesis study. Begin sim this PM. David to deliver Crew’s 208 food supply on Sol 4.

Anomalies in work: Internet was offline all-day until 2040; Opportunity rover experienced battery overheating on Cactus Road 1104 requiring ATV towing by David.

Weather: Sunny

Crew Physical Status: Nominal

EVA: n/a

Reports to be filed: Operations, Greenhab, HSO Safety Checklist, Journalist, EVA Request

Support Requested: Please repair Opportunity rover

Crew 208 Sol Summary Report 30-MAR-2019

Sol: 2

Summary Title: Welcome to MDRS, Crew 208!

Author’s name: Julielynn Wong

Mission Status: Nominal

Sol Activity Summary:

GHO arrived yesterday PM.

COM trained GHO on filling out 3D print logs.

Crew 208 completed 3D printing in the Hab today for the thoracentesis training study.

XO continued to process MDRS maps from drone images. GHO prepared 3D print files of our drone maps and started printing our 1st 3D map of MDRS. XO + GHO conducted several drone flights today.

XO + David traveled to Hanksville to refill our water resources at MDRS.

COM trained incoming GHO on GreenHab duties and reports. XO trained incoming ENG on reporting duties.

David drove CrewCar to GJT to meet Crew 208 ENG + HSO + transport to MDRS.

Crew 208 will drive into Hanksville tonight for dinner after reports have been submitted to CAPCOM.

Look Ahead Plan: Continue 3D printing maps of MDRS in Hab. MDRS orientation and training to commence on Sol 2 and finish on Sol 3. COM to give a tour to PS students from 1400-1600 on Sol 3. Begin sim in PM of Sol 3.

Anomalies in work: None

Weather: Sunny

Crew Physical Status: Nominal

EVA: n/a

Reports to be filed: Operations, Greenhab

Support Requested: None

[category sol-summary

Crew 208 Sol Summary Report 29-MAR-2019

Sol: 1

Summary Title: Welcoming Crew 208 GHO to MDRS!

Author’s name: Julielynn Wong

Mission Status: Nominal

Sol Activity Summary:

COM completed the end of mission food survey for Crew 207 and submitted the Crew 207 Mission Summary to Mission Support.

Crew 208 used one 3D printer in the Hab to prepare for our thoracentesis training study.

XO continues to fulfill ENG duties. COM continues to fulfill GHO duties.

XO travelled to GJT today to bring GHO to MDRS this PM.

Look Ahead Plan: David to drive CrewCar to GJT on Sol 2 to meet Crew 208 ENG + HSO for transport to Bull Mountain Market + MDRS. MDRS orientation and training to commence on Sol 2 and finish on Sol 3. Begin sim in PM of Sol 3.

Anomalies in work: None

Weather: Sunny with high winds

Crew Physical Status: Nominal

EVA: n/a

Reports to be filed: Operations, Greenhab

Support Requested: None

Cheers,

Julielynn Wong, MD, MPH, FACPM