Category: Sol Summary

Sol: Sol #7
Summary Title: Good weather for field work
Author’s name: Annalea Beattie
Mission Status: Nominal
Sol Summary: Sunday is our scheduled day off so we slept in until after nine had a breakfast of leftovers and then went back to our work. Daniel spent time in the Science Dome successfully extracting DNA with his mobile Bento Lab. Rajvi and Mehnaz continued their usual chores caring for all the systems and the Green Hab. Aditya worked on his star imagery and on his research project. That was the story for the home crew for the rest of the day. Clare, Bharti and I prepared our gear for our EVA #8 south of Cowboy Corner. With Rajvi, we adjusted our suits and checked batteries. For the first time I chose to wear the all-in-one suit with the built-in helmet and I am converted. It was super comfortable, a little bit noisy sometimes but the weight is distributed evenly on the shoulders and the hips. It felt easy to move about the field in spacesuit number eight and I barely noticed wearing it. Our EVA was successful with samples gathered for Daniel from two locations. On a large scale we examined the rubble falling down the grey, greenish grey and red slopes of the Morrison. Their spectacular sinuous and cross-bedded features have been deposited by ancient river systems over millions of years. It was both sunny and chilly today and there was still snow settled in the shadows. As we walked around the base of the ridge we found elongated cross-bedding, micro-folding and varieties of small concretions. It was a successful EVA and we were all really happy to be out working in the field. We arrived home at four and after a cup of tea now our crew are cooking and writing reports for the day to be submitted tonight to Mission Support. After Comms this evening we have a special outreach event organized by our terrific media person on the ground in India, Sakshi Sharma. Our crew will meet with her, with the members of Women in Space South Asia, and all the other invited guests from all over the world to talk about our work and our experiences living here in simulation at the Mars Desert Research Station.
Look Ahead Plan: Two EVAS requested tomorrow to east and then to west Kissing Camel Ridge.
Anomalies in work: None
Weather: Cold but dry in the morning and sunny this afternoon at 41F. There is little chance of rain and the wind tonight is at 4mph. There is a waxing crescent moon and clear skies.
Crew Physical Status: Nominal
EVA: EVA #8 to south of Cowboy Corner.
Reports to be filed: Sol Summary, Journalist Report, Greenhab Report, Operations Report, EVA report, Astronomy Report, EVA request.
Support Requested: None

Sol: Sol #4
Summary Title: What a remarkable day – a significant capture of NGC5904!
Author’s name: Annalea Beattie
Mission Status: Nominal
Sol Activity Summary: On this morning’s EVA to Cowboy Corner our away team was Bharti, Daniel, Rajvi and Aditya. Our science lead Bharti collected images of geomorphology and saw for the first time the paleo-channels and cross-bedding. She will return to do the slope analysis. Daniel navigated everyone to the EVA site, initially following the GPS then using old school methods – a map and compass. He looked for gypsum but couldn’t find the needed samples. Engineer Rajvi kept the time. Her objective was also to find gypsum and to understand the geological context for gypsum bearing sites since they are water carrying minerals and water will be an essential thing for the astronauts and as well it could be utilized for the propellant production on Mars. Aditya saw two large life forms (deer simultaneously jumping, we think) as well as many different kinds of lichens. Back at the hab, Mehnaz and I cleaned the floors, upstairs and downstairs and then we cooked lunch. I did yoga. Clare lent a hand to everyone. Her experience here is an asset. This afternoon we planned science directions, talked about gypsum, Jezero and discussed future EVAS and the inclement weather. Later, I continued with my gypsum sample watercolours in the science dome and Mehnaz and Daniel planted new seeds for her research. Daniel also cooked chocolate chip banana bread.
After the EVA this afternoon, Aditya continued his analysis of NGC5904, a globular cluster of stars twenty-four thousand light years away. And then, amazingly, he captured the image of the star cluster using the robotic telescope at MDRS. Congratulations Aditya Karigiri Krishna Madhusudhan! We are all thrilled with your work (see photos).
Look Ahead Plan: Two EVAS tomorrow weather permitting.
Anomalies in work: None
Weather: Cold but dry in the morning and only a small amount of rain this afternoon. Cloud cover was high all day with minor wind SSW with gusts up to 11mph. Average temperature 38F. Now pouring.
Crew Physical Status: Nominal
EVA: EVA to Cowboy Corner to search for gypsum samples and to examine igneous intrusions in sedimentary bedding, onion skin weathering the stratigraphy of the area. Crew consisted of Bharti, Daniel, Rajvi and Aditya.
Reports to be filed: Sol Summary, Journalist Report, Greenhab Report, Operations Report, EVA report, Astronomy Report, EVA request.
Support Requested: None

Summary title : Mangalyatri, Crew 292 Begins Simulation After Training.
Author’s name: Annalea Beattie
Mission Status: Nominal
Sol Activity Summary: Despite delays and snowy stormy weather Mars Society Australia Crew 292 Mangalyatri (Mars Explorers) all finally arrived at the Mars Desert Research Station, joining crew member Clare Fletcher who was also a member of MSA Crew 291. This morning we trained for simulation and learnt about all the systems of the Mars hab. We spent time in the engineering bay (RAM – the repair and maintenance module), in the fruiting and plentiful Green Hab and in the extraordinary Science Dome. Later, outside, MDRS Director Sergii Lakymov taught us how to charge and drive the electric rovers and we all went for a practice drive. For our crew geologist Bharti Sharma, it was her first experience ever behind the wheel of a vehicle. In the afternoon we were trained in comms with radios and headsets and then we tried on space suits. This was great and congratulations, North California Mars Society – the suits you have made for the station are excellent, so comfortable and easy to wear. At 3.30 pm everyone sat down for a cup of tea and a quick planning meeting. We discussed tomorrow’s two training EVA’s, and our dinner roster for this evening. We examined our water use and thought about how we can conserve our resources. We scheduled a research discussion meeting for tomorrow and decided that we would begin simulation at six pm today. With two hours to go of fresh air outside, we all went for a walk up to Hab Ridge. The Henry Mountains are snow-covered and beautiful and we wandered along the top of the Dakota sandstone. We came back to the hab via spectacular North Ridge with its deco colours – creamy pinks, chocolate browns and ochres, rusts and black. The desert was quiet and still, the ground soft from the rain and we walked home on pink mud like Mars. We came inside, shut the doors and began simulation.
Look Ahead Plan: Two training EVA’s and a research project meeting to roster in field work.
Anomolies in work: Nothing to report
Weather: Light cloud cover today with mild wind, NNE 8-17 mph. Daily temperature 51-54F.
Crew Physical Status: Nominal
EVA: No
Reports to be filed: Sol Summary, Journalist Report, Greenhab Report, Operations Report, EVA report, EVA Request(s)
Support requested: Nothing to request.

Sol: Sol #2
Summary Title: Training and raining – the rain, the rain, (and we have only just begun our work).
Author’s name: Annalea Beattie
Mission Status: Nominal
Sol Activity Summary: Today we ate breakfast together and were ready for our training EVA’S well ahead of time. We were all there to help each other with the necessary preparation tasks of the EVA – to dress efficiently and comfortably in the space suits, to be completely at ease with the communication equipment as well as to be able to drive the electric rovers to our destination and move about in the field whilst wearing the space suits. We split into two groups and two separate EVAS to Marble Ritual. Both excursions were very successful and well time-managed despite a costume malfunction (mine) and drizzling rain which has now become intense. The rain is cramping our EVA ambitions. After the second training EVA, today we met at four to discuss and share our research goals and to determine the science directions for the next few days. We discussed everyone’s research and talked about what each of us needs next, and what we can do to assist. We talked about the future, about Ladakh and plans to build an analogue research station, an observatory and a green hab there. We talked about our initial impressions of MDRS. Our microbiologist Daniel Loy and geologist Bharti Sharma contacted Science Director and MSA president geologist Dr. Jon Clarke for more advice about where to go for gypsum sites within the range of the rovers. My feeling is that overall the crew is working well together. Our health is good. We are fit and sleeping and eating well. Fingers crossed that the rain will cease and we can go out in the field.
Look Ahead Plan: An EVA tomorrow for four crew to do slope analysis and find gypsum samples. A day at home in the hab for the rest of the crew with work here to do.
Anomalies in work: Nothing to report.
Weather: Cool start to the morning with 30 degrees F at seven am and humidity at 81%. High cloud cover all day and a slight wind with the temperature rising to 49F. Rain began at about 2.30 pm with drizzle then pouring, temperatures dropping quickly and high winds expected.
Crew Physical Status: Nominal
EVA: Training EVA #1 today to Marble Ritual at 10.30am with Mehanz, Rajvi, Clare and Aditya. Training EVA # 2 to Marble Ritual at 1.45 with Bharti, Daniel and me, Annalea.
Reports to be filed: Sol Summary, Journalist Report, Greenhab Report, Operations Report, EVA report, Astronomy Report
EVA Request(s): EVA with Bharti, Daniel, Aditya and Rajvi. Leaving at 2pm to Cowboy Corner in search of gypsum samples as well as slope analysis.
Support Requested: None

Sol: Sol #3
Summary Title: A windy but productive day for Mangalyatri Crew 292.
Author’s name: Annalea Beattie
Mission Status: Nominal
Sol Activity Summary: The weather was extreme today. Even though the desert looked still, we could hear the wind howling around the hab when we woke. We correctly anticipated a delay in our fieldwork. Most of us spent the morning organizing field materials and doing research. Mid-morning Bharti and I assisted our engineer Rajvi to check the covers for the tunnels, directly addressing any issues. We made sure all our doors are well-secured and that we are keeping good radio contact in the different working zones of the hab. Mehnaz did her Green Hab chores early and then cooked aloo sandwiches (spicy potato) with Bharti. We made some yoghurt in the breadmaker, which is fantastic, and we cooked chick-peas in the slow cooker for tonight’s dinner. Late morning, yoga and we all had a late lunch. Straight after lunch, in a quick group meeting, Bharti demonstrated her idea for saving water while washing our dishes and we all agreed to change dish washing practices. Because of the high winds, as predicted, our EVA this afternoon was postponed. However, we made the best of our time inside. This afternoon everyone worked on their own projects. Aditya set up an observation in the robotic telescope and then did his analysis. Clare and I spent time in the science dome and set up a working table for drawing and painting samples, in this case, gypsum. Daniel extracted 0.3 grams of salt from a gypsum crystal to put into different media for his samples. Mehanz had a useful discussion with Rajvi and Aditya about her research and returned to the Green Hab to harvest radish, coriander and basil and check the moisture levels of the plants. Bharti read papers sent by Dr. Jon Clarke on slope analysis and basic planetary geology. Dinner tonight is chana masala cooked by me (chickpeas with tomatoes and onions) and paratha, (flat bread) freshly made by Clare. (BTW the Indian food cooked by everyone on this crew is excellent). Maybe another game of cards after Comms and fingers crossed again for good weather tomorrow. We are ready for fieldwork.
Look Ahead Plan: Today’s postponed EVA to Cowboy Corner requested for tomorrow.
Anomalies in work: None
Weather: Very windy with SSW gusts of 25mph. The forecast today was cool with high cloud cover, maximum temperature 50F, now dropping.
Crew Physical Status: Nominal
EVA: none
Reports to be filed: Sol Summary, Journalist Report, Greenhab Report, Operations Report, EVA report, Astronomy Report, EVA request.
Support Requested: None

Sol: 11
Summary Title: The penultimate day
Author’s name: Andrew Wheeler
Mission Status: Nominal
Sol Activity Summary: Overcast, above freezing and potential for rain greeted us this morning. A complete contrast to the previous day. Two EVAs were planned to extend previous knowledge at Candor Chasma and White Moon. Prior to that, however, at 9:00am, we observed a minute silence in memoriam for the crew of Columbia on the 21st anniversary of their loss. Whilst the EVA team was away to Candor Chasma, concretion samples were processed and sorted for analysis. Lunch was the other half of the Hunza pie and very welcome indeed. The afternoon EVA to White Moon never got close due to the cold conditions. The turn around point for the rovers ended at a previous visited site past Cowboy Corner and so we expanded our investigations here. By good fortune, we were able to identify another concretion layer in the strata and located endoliths in a new setting. The EVA was wrapped up a little early as the distant snow capped mountains started disappearing behind misty cloud. Minutes after return, a sprinkling of rain pattered the roof. Burgers and chips were our last meal in simulation in the hab.
Look Ahead Plan: Tidying up the accrued data and the last analyses before leaving sim.
Anomalies in work: Nothing to report.
Weather: Overcast and warm under the clouds at 1C and 60% humidity. Temperature only rose to the low teens throughout the day. Snow appeared to be coating the distant mountains but only a sprinkling of rain was encountered at MDRS. The wind was faint to gentle during the day.
Crew Physical Status: Nominal.
EVA: EVA 19 with Steve, Scott and Alex to Candor Chasma. EVA 20 with Clare. Andrew and Rob to Cowboy Corner.
Reports to be filed: Sol Summary, Journalist’s Report, Greenhab Report, Operations Report, EVA report, EVA Request(s), Astronomer’s report (not needed)..
Support Requested: Nothing to request.

Sol: 12
Summary Title: The return to Earth
Author’s name: Andrew Wheeler
Mission Status: Nominal
Sol Activity Summary: Overcast with rain showers clearing. No outside activities and so the time was spent finalising reports, archiving data and culling samples to be returned to their points of origin. One final series of analyses was carried out with the carbonate (CO3) concretions to determine whether the particles or the matrix are the CO3 material. Having crushed and sieved the material down to -63 microns, the relative levels of effervescence suggests that the matrix is the source of the CO3 that released CO2 in the presence of vinegar. Mind you n=2. When these analyses were completed, there was no more to be done. After lunch, our simulation was completed at 2:00pm local and we were on our way home to Earth.
Look Ahead Plan: Cleaning, tidying and packing for departure from MDRS and arrival home.
Anomalies in work: Nothing to report.
Weather: Overnight rain of 3.0 mm with temperatures ranging from 5C to 13C. Winds were light to variable.
Crew Physical Status: Nominal.
EVA: No EVAs for this morning.
Reports to be filed: Sol Summary, Journalist’s Report, Greenhab Report, Operations Report, Crew 291 Mission Summary.
Support Requested: Nothing to request.

Sol: 8
Summary Title: Extending the search
Author’s name: Andrew Wheeler
Mission Status: Nominal
Sol Activity Summary: Day dawned clear and cold (-5C) and augured well for the crew’s plans. Rob finally had both clear skies and a fully operational telescope to observe the sun. The resultant images are being processed and the astronomer’s report will have the details. The illnesses of yesterday are where they belong – yesterday. A localised morning EVA around the hab further tested the robot rover’s mobility and its ability to gather spectra whilst being remotely operated. After lunch, an EVA to the furthest north reached by the rovers at Tharsis Montes had a team searching for evaporites, concretions and petrified wood. Serendipitously, as the team was looking for rock markers on the top of Hab ridge, signs of live were discovered. Endoliths were observed beneath the surface of quartz cobbles. Three samples were selected for spectroscopic analysis and comparison to the vegetation spectra from the increasing MDRS-derived spectral library. The evening meal provided an opportunity to clear the shelves of opened foodstuffs with a simple meat and seven vegetables spread.
Look Ahead Plan: As the forecast predicts more clear and slightly warmer days, we intend to push as far north as the rovers’ limit will allow in our attempts to reach the white moon gypsum deposit to collect samples. A second EVA will examine anhydrite yardangs in an environmental degradation study.
Anomalies in work: Nothing to report.
Weather: Clear morning at -5 Celsius rising to mid to high teens during the day. No clouds and no precipitation. Humidity continuously dropping from near 60% to 30%. The wind was faint to gentle during the day.
Crew Physical Status: Nothing to report.
EVA: EVA 13 with Steve and Scott with robot rover trials at the Hab.
EVA 14 with Andrew, Clare and Alex to Tharsis Montes in search of evaporites, concretions and petrified wood.
Reports to be filed: Sol Summary, Commander’s Report, Greenhab Report, Operations Report (including an HSO report), EVA report, EVA Request(s), Astronomer report.
Support Requested: Nothing to request.

Sol: 9
Summary Title: Pushing the limits
Author’s name: Andrew Wheeler
Mission Status: Nominal
Sol Activity Summary: Another clear and cold (-4C) morning. Perfect for the solar observatory and EVAs. A morning EVA to Pooh’s Corner allowed a team to revisit a site last observed 18 years ago to gauge arid land degradation with a view to develop a geoheritage strategy. Concurrent with this, more robot rover traction trials were conducted over the different terrain. This EVA was most successful. The afternoon EVA sought to push the rovers to the maximum of their endurance under the current conditions, in an attempt to reach White Moon at the junction of Cow Dung Road and Brahe Highway. Here, gypsum crystals are exposed at the surface and these provide excellent targets for spectral analysis. Under the conditions, the rovers made it to approximately 800m short of the target. This distance was easily walked and 20 minutes later the team were there. Spectra were taken, samples collected and, in too short a time, the team headed back to the MDRS. However, the journey was interrupted by the appearance of a pair of (juvenile?) pronghorn antelope who crossed our path. What are they doing on Mars?. During all of this, the sun was continuously imaged in the observatory and an enhanced composite produced. Cheesy garlic scones for lunch and jambalaya for dinner was greatly enjoyed by all.
Look Ahead Plan: A day of consolidation. With no EVAs planned (except for a short one to redeploy the solar logger), we will use the time to crunch data, process samples and collect laboratory spectra for comparison to field data.
Anomalies in work: Nothing to report.
Weather: Clear morning at -4 Celsius rising to mid teens during the day. No clouds and no precipitation. Humidity continuously dropping from near 70% at sunrise to 30% in the afternoon. The wind was faint to gentle during the day.
Crew Physical Status: Nothing to report.
EVA: EVA 15 with Clare, Steve and Alex in search of anhydrite yardangs near Pooh’s Corner complimented with robot rover trials.
EVA 17 with Andrew, Steve and Scott to White Moon to push the rovers to their limits and collect spectra and samples for analyses.
Reports to be filed: Sol Summary, Journalist’s Report, Greenhab Report, Operations Report (including an HSO report), EVA report, EVA Request(s), Astronomer’s report.
Support Requested: Nothing to request.

Sol: 10
Summary Title: Crunching the numbers
Author’s name: Andrew Wheeler
Mission Status: Nominal
Sol Activity Summary: The mornings are on repeat; clear and cold (-4C) morning and perfect for the solar observatory. A very short duration, early morning EVA to in front of the science dome’s panorama windows saw the final re-deploy of the solar logger. Despite the longer nights, the battery has been keeping the sensors working longer than anticipated. The performance data is eagerly awaited. The remainder of the morning was spent cleaning, cataloging, photographing and identifying samples and then preparing some for both non-destructive and destructive analysis. Lunch was a repeat of the scones and soup mostly because we’re getting good at this. After lunch, some of the gypsum collected the day before from the White Moon locale that had been subjected to spectral analysis, was shown to be completely different to other gypsum spectra. The repeat analyses and comparisons will be interesting. Dinner, a layered meat, vegetable and potato bake based on Hunza pie awaits.
Look Ahead Plan: Final EVAs to locate points of geological interest for GPS recording and a continuation of data analysis from spectral and physical samples.
Anomalies in work: Back pack batteries – see operations report.
Weather: Clear morning at -4 Celsius rising to mid teens during the day. Altostratus clouds with cumulus clouds on the southern horizon building in the afternoon with no precipitation. Humidity continuously dropping from near 70% at sunrise to 30% in the afternoon. The wind was faint to gentle during the day.
Crew Physical Status: Head bump in the observatory – see operations report.
EVA: EVA 18 with Andrew and Steve to re-deploy the solar logger.
Reports to be filed: Sol Summary, Journalist’s Report, Greenhab Report, Operations Report (including an HSO report), EVA report, EVA Request(s), Astronomer’s report.
Support Requested: Nothing to request.