Category: Sol Summary

Crew 293 Sol Summary Report 23-02-2024

Sol: 5

Summary Title: Science is our AMI*

Author’s name: Marie Delaroche, Crew Commander

Mission Status: Nominal

Sol Activity Summary:

Today was a rather quiet Sol; most of the long-running experiments are starting to be a part of our routine, from cognitive tests to daily questionnaires. The Science Dome was put to good use this afternoon, housing EchoFinder, Orbital Architecture and the TILT experiment.

Tests were also conducted on all EVA suits to determine which are safe to use for future EVAs, as our EVAs dedicated to our photogrammetry study will be longer and take us farther away from the Hab.

The AMI interface was tested again this morning and presented to the Crew, who will be tasked with making suggestions for potential edits. The objective is to collect as much feedback as possible for the developers, to prepare the interface for the next crew, and to eventually correlate our reaction times to the data from the physiological sensors we wear at all times.

Look Ahead Plan:

During the previous atmospheric instruments EVA, there was an issue with the Field Mill, and measurements have not started. The instrument must be retrieved for repairs in the RAM, therefore it will be retrieved during an EVA scheduled on Sol 6.

Sol 7 has been declared a rest day, during which we will clean the Hab, treat ourselves to some pancakes, and have a longer sports session than our daily workout.

Next week, we will begin working on the Photogrammerty experiment at a first location (to be determined). The study will require 3 EVAs over the course of Week 2.

Anomalies in work: Suits 3, 4, 6 (see Operations Report for details)

Weather: Some clouds, low 5°C, high 20°C

Crew Physical Status: Nominal

EVA: None

Reports to be filed: Sol Summary, Journalist’s Report, GreenHab Report, Operations Report, Photos (6-8 pics)

Support Requested: NA

* "Ami" means friend in French

Crew 292 Sol Summary Report 16-02-2024
Sol: Sol 12
Summary Title: Mangalyatri Crew 292 finishes its rotation at MDRS
Author’s name: Annalea Beattie
Mission Status: Nominal
Sol Summary Activity: We finish our simulation today so we are very busy. Clare cooked pancakes and we all were up early(ish). This morning we cleaned and cleaned every corner of the station. We scrubbed everything even under the cupboards in the kitchen. The Science Dome and The Green Hab are spotless. Downstairs the equipment and the area are sparkling. It is incredible really what teamwork can do. Again, we debated where to put biodegradable wipes. Should they be burnt or ? In the end that decision belongs to our engineer who says biodegradable wipes are not paper and are No Burn. That word ‘biodegradable’ is deceptive. Further research and more action needed on this. This morning (after midnight) I also finished our End of Mission Report. We all worked so hard for days to write this and my bad as I missed seeing the word limit on the mission support email. In fact, our actual report with everyone’s research in it is more than twenty pages. So I had to summarise to the short report. We are all happy with the long report however. We decided to turn it into a conference paper as we have really nailed in writing the conceptual breadth and depth of our research here, as well as a real sense of our time together in a simulated Mars environment. What a stunning crew and brilliant work. After lunch we will drive past Skyline Rim to the Valley of the Stars and to the box canyon quarry at White Cliffs, to see at close range authigenic gypsum in the Sommerville.
Look Ahead Plan: Across disciplines we have lots of plans for the Ladakh station to process and a conference paper to submit. We will meet in a few weeks. Mangalyatri Crew 292 will continue to work together. On to Mars Mangalyatri!
Anomalies in work: None
Weather: Early, 51% cloud cover, 30F and high humidity. There was a 5% chance of precipitation. This afternoon the maximum is 51F with 39% humidity.
Crew Physical Status: Nominal
EVA: none
Reports to be filed: Sol Summary, Journalist Report, Green Hab Report, Operations Report, End-of-Mission Report.
Support Requested: None

Crew 293 Sol Summary Report 18-02-2024

Sol: 0

Summary Title: Into Familiar Unknowns

Author’s name: Marie Delaroche, Crew Commander

Mission Status: Nominal

Sol Activity Summary:

Crew 293 has safely arrived on site ! After more than a year of careful preparation and training, we arrived at midday on campus and were trained by Ben Stanley, the site manager. Great care was taken as we unpacked all scientific equipment brought to MDRS all the way from France; we are ready as of tomorrow to start setting up our experiments in the different modules.

Look Ahead Plan: After receiving training from Ben Stanley, we are ready to complete the two training EVAs on Sol 1, after which we will be cleared to program additional EVAs if all goes well.

Anomalies in work: Both observatories offline

Weather: Sunny, low 0°C, high 15°Cs

Crew Physical Status: Nominal

EVA: None

Reports to be filed: Crew biographies, photos, and mission patch, Mission plan, HSO Pre-Mission Checklist, EVA Requests, Journalist report (supplementary)

Support Requested:

-> We would need a small table and chair to put in the GreenHab for an experiment (taking cognitive tests in different areas of the station); would that be something that could be provided?

-> We would like to request authorization to start the Seeds of Mars experiment (as part of our scientific outreach initiative in middle schools) in the GreenHab; it consists in planting seeds in soil sampled during EVAs, and comparing the plants’ growth to that of other seeds planted in regular soil.

-> Maps and 24-hour network information has been received.

Crew 293 Sol Summary Report 19-02-2024

Sol: 1

Summary Title: Crew 293’s first steps on Mars : Welcome to the magnificent Red Planet

Author’s name: Marie Delaroche, Crew Commander

Mission Status: Nominal

Sol Activity Summary:

On this first Sol, we’ve officially entered the simulation; after some crew pictures taken by Ben in front of the Hab, and a last run around the station, Léa, our Crew Astronomer, closed the Main Airlock door to signify the beginning of the sim. With no time to lose, the crew got ready for the first training EVA involving four crew members, which was a success: communication between HabCom and the EVA crew is good, rules and guidelines are clear. As a result, the additional objectives of scouting a location for the atmospheric instruments and collecting sample for the “Seed of Mars” outreach experiment were also reached! The second training EVA, involving the remaining crewmembers in the afternoon, was also successful. A formal debrief time after each training EVA ensured all questions were answered and issues addressed. Other successes : Léa was able to turn on the 3D printer, which will be useful in case of breakage of parts from the atmospheric instruments. She and Mathurin, the GreenHab Officer, are also mapping the GreenHab to keep track of the plants left by the previous crew. Leo, our Crew Engineer, has successfully deployed a local network for all crewmembers to have access to central files vital to the mission. All inventories have been successfully completed, and the building of atmospheric instruments is well underway.

It’s great to see how dedicated and focused the crew is, showcasing flawless performance thus far!

Look Ahead Plan:

Sol 2 will be dedicated to ongoing studies and experiments deployment, most notably Orbital Architecture, EchoFinder and the atmospheric instruments. The latter are being built in the RAM and are scheduled to collect measurements until Sol 2. Our plan is to deploy the LOAC and a weather station during an EVA on Sol 3, then to deploy MegaAres and the field mill on Sol 4. We will be watching the weather closely during the next 48 hours.

Anomalies in work: Solar observatory offline

Weather: Sunny, high 15°C, low 5°C

Crew Physical Status: Nominal

EVA: Training EVAs : EVA #1 and #2

Reports to be filed: Sol Summary, Journalist’s Report, GreenHab Report, Operations Report, Photos (6-8 pics), EVA Reports (2).

Support Requested: None

Crew 292 Sol Summary Report 14-02-2024

Sol: Sol 10

Summary Title: Charismatic Candor Chasma

Author’s name: Annalea Beattie

Mission Status: Nominal

Sol Summary Activity: Our crew began the day with breakfast together and then split up to write up their research results and prepare for the EVA to Candor Chasma. I stayed upstairs in the kitchen and as I began cooking dahl and coconut rice for our lunch, the high standard of cooking set by the rest of our crew was what was on my mind. I might have mentioned the Indian food on this crew has been brilliant to date. And we are 100 per cent vegetarian, not even eating eggs! Good food will be important when we leave this planet to live off-Earth.

The EVA crew left at 1.30 pm for Candor Chasma with instructions about driving on the bumpy road, the rover batteries, the cliffs, where to go, what to do, be careful, be careful. Candor Chasma is almost out of the hab radio range, not quite, and it is a different kind of environment to anything some of our team have experienced on EVA’s so far. The Chasma is spectacular and has pink, rippled sand and high cliffs. Especially charismatic is the Sommerville formation with its strange, thin, multi-coloured parallel bedding. Overall it’s an amazing place to visit. While our EVA team was away, Clare sorted her rock samples into the different locations so that they will be returned to their homes tomorrow. I wrote reports all afternoon, no time for drawing and Bharti wrote up her results. Our EVA crew returned on time at 4.30, elated. They completed their science objectives and had time to walk along the base of the canyon before coming home. Mehnaz and Daniel left for the Science Dome after a short rest to do a targeted PCR and DNA extraction. Clare gave Rajvi a comprehensive lesson on gypsum at the kitchen table. Aditya had a rest and is now working on his images from the robotic observatory. Bharti and I continued report writing. And soon, more good Indian cooking for dinner.

Look Ahead Plan: Two EVA’s requested tomorrow- #12 EVA to the left and right of the road at Marble Ritual and Pooh’s Corner and #13 EVA in the afternoon to Cowboy Corner and Cow Dung Rd.

Anomalies in work: None

Weather: Cloudy day with winds SSE of 12mph. Fairly warm this afternoon, in comparison to last week’s daily temperatures, with a maximum today of 50F. 1% chance of precipitation.

Crew Physical Status: Nominal

EVA: EVA #11 to Candor Chasma.

Reports to be filed: Sol Summary, Journalist Report, Green Hab Report, Operations Report, EVA report, EVA request.

Support Requested: None

Crew 292 Sol Summary Report 15-02-2024

Sol: Sol 11

Summary Title: Our rock samples have been returned to the desert floor

Author’s name: Annalea Beattie

Mission Status: Nominal

Sol Summary Activity: We began our day early and Clare, Mehnaz and I left for our EVA at 9.30 am, (#12 EVA to the left and right of the road at Marble Ritual and Pooh’s Corner). As part of Clare’s geoconservation research strategies (and because it is the right thing to do) we returned rock samples from the hab to three of their original sampling sites. This involved a bit of walking but we did complete this EVA well ahead of time. The weather was shaky, turned cold and looking like rain. As we had completed our goals we came home early to the smell of baking, to Dan’s tri-colour Mars Flag cake and Aditya’s French bread. Tough for us. In the afternoon the second EVA (# 13 EVA to the Dry Creek and Cowboy Corner) consisting of Rajvi, Aditya, Clare and Bharti, efficiently deposited all samples back to their original locations. After their return, our crew mostly wrote about their research. We are nearing the end of our time here and, as always when you are leaving somewhere great, there is work that you would still like to do. Late afternoon Daniel, Clare and I extracted DNA from a soil sample and some kind of uncertain yellow goo found in a puddle at Kissing Camel Ridge. As Crew Biologist, Daniel has freely shared his knowledge and his experience with all of us. He has included us in his work extracting DNA. Mehnaz and Rajvi completed their usual routine chores around the station and the Green Hab. Then Mehnaz interviewed both Rajvi and Aditya about their work. Report writing tonight, some cards maybe if we have time, pasta Napoli with fresh basil, Aditya’s French bread and a tomato and herb salad from the Green Hab for dinner.

Look Ahead Plan: We finish our simulation tomorrow at midday. In the morning we will complete all documentation, the End-of-Mission Report and then thoroughly clean the Science Dome. After lunch we will drive to the Valley of the Stars and to the box canyon at White Cliffs, to see at close range authigenic gypsum in the Sommerville.

Anomalies in work: None

Weather: 54F maximum today with blue skies then cloud cover then blue skies again, with wind gusts to 14 mph. There was a 1% chance of rain this afternoon, but this came to nothing. A mild dry day in the desert.

Crew Physical Status: Nominal

EVA: none

Reports to be filed: Sol Summary, Journalist Report, Green Hab Report, Operations Report, EVA report, EVA request.

Support Requested: None

Crew 292 Sol Summary Report 12-02-2024

Sol: Sol #8

Summary Title: Business on Mars as usual

Author’s name: Annalea Beattie

Mission Status: Nominal

Sol Activity Summary: Even after great excitement, a late night and a terrific outreach interview run by Sakshi Sharma in India, we completed two successful EVA’s today to Kissing Camel Ridge using Spirit and Perseverance rovers. In our two groups we covered 800 metres of Kissing Camel Ridge, up and down. There is still ice on the Morrison even though it was a beautiful day. I kept an eye out for terrestrial mountain lions and saw nothing even though paw prints have been spotted near the road. EVA’s #9 and # 10 focused on inverted river channels and different types of weathering including cross-bedded sandstone. These complex signs of ancient fluvio-lacustrine dunes are very similar to large scale outcrops photographed by Curiosity on Mars (and they are amazing to draw). Both EVA’s today ran like clockwork and we continue to achieve our science goals.

The last couple of days especially, our joint Australian Indian crew is in its full stride. Morale is great. This crew is a considerate crew and we are enjoying being a team. Every day the group at home cares for the group away, ensuring jobs are done and food is on the table when the others return and this is what happened today. In the hab there is a rhythm to our day as if this is the way we have always lived. We have really learnt in the last week to pull together to conserve our resources. This includes, for instance, portioning food so there is no waste. This is a challenge when cooking a meal for seven hearty vegetarians but we are getting the hang of it. Today during EVA# 9 the home group cleaned and cooked and discussed our crew plans for analogue research and astrobiology in India. We decided that it’s time we reinvigorated Mars Society India and our geologist Bharti Sharma has taken the lead. In the afternoon while our second crew were out on EVA #10, Clare assisted Daniel with DNA extractions in the Science Dome, Aditya worked on his image of a spiral galaxy and Mehnaz worked on her experiments in the Green Hab checking plants for rates of evapotranspiration. Chocolate orange peanut butter brownies were cooked by Dan and a sabji dinner with chapattis is now ready for us after Comms.

Look Ahead Plan: One EVA requested tomorrow to Candor Chasma and Compass Rock

Anomalies in work: None

Weather: Cold but sunny all day with clear skies.

Crew Physical Status: Nominal

EVA: All crew in two groups (EVA #9 and EVA #10) to the east and then west of Kissing Camel Ridge.

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

Support Requested: None

Crew 292 Sol Summary Report 13-02-2024

Sol: Sol # 9

Summary Title: Another remarkable day for Mangalyatri Crew 292

Author’s name: Annalea Beattie

Mission Status: Nominal

Sol Summary Activity: This morning all crew ate blueberry pancakes together and over breakfast we talked again about the future Indian Mars Desert Research Station. This time we discussed how we conserve resources here and then, our waste here, what happens to it and how other remote facilities everywhere manage their refuse. We decided to create a combined research project for Ladakh that focuses on waste disposal and see if we can create some interest and support from engineers and scientists and students in India. And each of our crew will contribute from their own position. For instance, Rajvi Patel, our engineer, works on Boeing aircrafts so she can investigate best practice for how they dispose of lithium in their batteries.

After breakfast some of us worked in the Science Dome. Clare demonstrated for Rajvi how to test rocks for carbonates. Daniel carried out another PCR and gel visualisation for ID of the DNA that was extracted from a second soil sample, which Rajvi assisted with. This found Archaea and Fungi in sample. More media dilutions of the brought 5 different media were prepared and inoculated with the soil and “yellow goo” collected yesterday. A non-targeted PCR was run to identify if there was any DNA present in the “yellow goo” and soil put into media in the morning. Meanwhile I tried to draw a sample of honeycomb weathering. Bharti planned her base geology map and wrote the introduction to her paper on the geology of the area. She is currently working on methodology. Aditya continued analysis of a new image of the Crab Nebula. Mehnaz gardened and worked on data cleaning and her codes. This afternoon Clare, Bharti and I left in Curiosity and Opportunity for EVA #11 to Candor Chasma. Our EVA was three and a half hours long and we left the rovers parked and walked about a kilometre to the canyon. At the chasma we climbed down, noticing the bedding plane, the contact between Salt Wash and the Sommerville formations and the geomorphology of the canyon. Then we traced the pathway of the dry riverbed from the ridge. We were home in time for a late afternoon cup of tea. Before dinner Aditya and Mehnaz did drawings in the science lab, exploring ideas about their research. This evening we are still busy, extracting DNA from rocks, all working on our research and reports (as this is our last week here) and drawing the dark sky. Pizza for dinner.

Look Ahead Plan: One EVA requested tomorrow to Candor Chasma and Compass Rock.

Anomalies in work: None

Weather: Cold but sunny all day 39F average with clouds early on and clear skies all afternoon.

Crew Physical Status: Nominal

EVA: EVA #11 to Candor Chasma.

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

Support Requested: None

Sol: Sol #5
Summary Title: Snow at MDRS
Author’s name: Annalea Beattie
Mission Status: Nominal
Sol Activity Summary: All field work is postponed today due to a layer of snow covering the desert. We regrouped after breakfast and met to set the goals for the day. Because of the weather forecast, Bharti and Clare spent some time planning the minimum schedule of EVAs necessary to complete everyone’s goals for field work in the following week. Bharti also read and took notes on the geomorphology of this area. She then prepared a base map. Aditya helped Mehnaz with evapotranspiration calculations for her research and then he had his scheduled shower. Later he continued his analysis of star images, specifically in response to the feedback given by Director of Observatories, Peter Detterline, and in relation to his image of NGC5904. Rajvi performed her engineer jobs and then discussed and examined variations of concretions with Clare. To minimize tools and save time, she is learning how to use her watch to mark points and trace her steps in the field. She also cooked a delicious lunch. Daniel spent much of the day in the Science Dome. In the morning he made two 5ml dilutions of the 5 different types of liquid media he brought with him. These were inoculated with 0.25g of the two different soil samples collected yesterday on EVA 4 and placed in the incubator which is set at 37C/99F to see if anything will grow. After lunch Daniel baked bread with Bharti and then extracted DNA from yesterday’s samples from EVA 4 in the Science Dome. I reorganized my notes for our upcoming outreach event with Women in Space, South Asia, did yoga and baked more bread. After two pm, I used the table and the magnification lamp in the Science dome to do several hours drawing and painting of concretion samples. Mehnaz gardened in the Green Hab, harvested greens for dinner and worked on the equations for her research.
Look Ahead Plan: Today while the snow melted we discussed our postponed EVAS and what might be possible for tomorrow, considering the forecast for snow, rain, thunderstorms and other hazardous weather predicted in the next few days. The forecast is not good for our fieldwork but we are trying to think about what is do-able and whether we can work close to the hab, weather permitting. Meanwhile we will ensure all our research is ready to go, as soon as the weather clears.
Anomalies in work: None
Weather: Snow covering the desert and sunny during the day with a high of 41F. Rain and cold with a wind chill factor of 30F and 22F overnight tonight with a chance of new snow accumulation of half an inch.
Crew Physical Status: Nominal. The crew are working well together as a team, everyone is healthy and morale is good.
EVA: None
Reports to be filed: Sol Summary, Journalist Report, Greenhab Report, Operations Report, EVA report, Astronomy Report, EVA request.
Support Requested: None

Sol: Sol #6
Summary Title: The sun came out for our EVA #7
Author’s name: Annalea Beattie
Mission Status: Nominal
Sol Activity Summary: It snowed overnight but dried off quickly around the hab and the sun came out. We all did yoga led by Rajvi. After breakfast we spent the morning discussing the Mid-Mission Report. We waited for Mission Support to confirm our proposed EVA #7 (which was pending, weather permitting). An hour before we were due to leave, we were given the go ahead. Good news for our crew. EVA #7 headed off by foot east of the hab after a quick lunch. This afternoon I compiled the Mid-Mission report and made a fruit crumble. We kept in close communication with our away team. Later Daniel worked in the Science Dome on his samples successfully extracting DNA. More cooking and more work on the Mid-Mission Report followed. We are still busy now with our routine chores, checking the plants, the suits, the systems, all the things we need to do to keep our hab running smoothly.
Look Ahead Plan: Yesterday’s postponed EVA to the south of Cowboy Corner is requested for tomorrow for Clare, Bharti and me with the goals of slope measurements and drawing samples in situ the field.
Anomalies in work: None
Weather: 40F with 58% humidity. Sunny with a High UV for most of the day. Sunset at 5.59pm in the minuses overnight.
Crew Physical Status: Nominal
EVA: EVA #7 to east of the hab to collect water samples for Daniel, concretions, for gypsum for Rajvi and for Clare to monitor different types of weathering.
Reports to be filed: Sol Summary, Journalist Report, Greenhab Report, Operations Report, EVA report, Astronomy Report, EVA request.
Support Requested: None