Category: Sol Summary

Sol: 5
Summary Title: Data acquisition
Author’s name: Andrew Wheeler
Mission Status: Nominal
Sol Activity Summary: Sol 5 dawned bright clear and cold, perfect weather for EVAs. It was also Australia Day back on Earth and an opportunity for some Aussie delights. For us it was vegemite on toast with a tropical fruit platter as that was all we had. (The toast was actually bread and the fruit platter was dehydrated bananas, mango, apple and blueberries and the blueberries were actually in pancakes). Morning tea saw the unveiling of the TimTams® and, for afternoon tea, lamingtons. The hab received some tender loving care on both levels with sweeping up and vacuuming away the evidence of our external activities. The EVA for the day saw a return, along Cow Dung Road past Cowboy Corner, to the location of the spectral recordings of the previous day to collect further data and test the robot rover’s mobility on additional different slopes and surfaces. The evening meal was burgers and lamingtons. A productive day by all.
Look Ahead Plan: Weather dependent as always, tomorrow will see an EVA return to the Kissing Camel Ridge for investigation of the geological boundary between that and the Hab Ridge. This will be followed by an EVA to the Galileo Road in search of access into the Candor Chasma for geological samples and spectral targets.
Anomalies in work: Nothing to report.
Weather: Clear crisp morning at 0 Celcius rising to low teens during the day. Some minor clouds forming over the mountains during the day. No precipitation. Humidity dropping from near 80% to below 50%. The wind strengthened from gentle during the day.
Crew Physical Status: nominal
EVA: EVA 9 with Steve, Clare, and Rob to the Tharsis Montes area north of Cowboy Corner for robot rover testing.
Reports to be filed: Sol Summary, Journalist Report, Greenhab Report, Operations Report, EVA report, EVA Request(s). No Astronomer report as yet.
Support Requested: Nothing to request.

Sol: 6
Summary Title: The search continues
Author’s name: Andrew Wheeler
Mission Status: Nominal
Sol Activity Summary: A repeat of yesterday, Sol 6 dawned bright, clear and cold; perfect weather for EVAs. It also allowed the solar observatory to be utilised for the first time. The morning EVA saw a return to Kissing Camel Ridge in search of access to Hab ridge and the locations of fossil beds, concretions and petrified wood. The return to the parked rovers during this EVA was via a different route that pushed the EVA into the reserve time. A lesson learned. The afternoon EVA chartered new territory into Candor Chasma (via Galileo Road) in the search for fossil beds and spectral targets. A location for fossil beds was identified as well as more green and red mudstone lithologies. Interestingly, purple mudstone beds and salt coated rocks were located and will be potential targets for spectral analysis on later EVAs. Pizza and fresh salad greeted all for the evening meal and very welcome it was.
Look Ahead Plan: A day of rest and consolidation. However, in expectation of clear weather again, the solar observatory will continue to have the idiosyncrasies worked through to allow clear observations of the solar surface. With no EVAs scheduled, the crew will be able to catch up on interpretations and conclusions as well as personal time.
Anomalies in work: An incursion by curious visitors in to the campus In the afternoon.
Weather: Clear crisp morning at -6 Celcius rising to low teens during the day. No precipitation. Humidity continuously dropping from near 60% to below 40%. The wind was faint to gentle during the day.
Crew Physical Status: nominal
EVA: EVA 10 with Clare and Scott to Kissing Camel Ridge en route to Hab Ridge in search of fossil beds, concretions and petrified wood.
EVA 11 to Candor Chasma via Galileo Road reconnoitering for spectral targets, fossil beds and concretions.
Reports to be filed: Sol Summary, Journalist Report, Greenhab Report, Operations Report, EVA report, EVA Request(s), Astronomer report and mid-Mission report.
Support Requested: Nothing to request.

Sol: 7
Summary Title: A day of rest
Author’s name: Andrew Wheeler
Mission Status: Nominal
Sol Activity Summary: Today was scheduled to be a day of rest and personal time. However, it didn’t quite turn out that way. One crew member awoke to a severe migraine and another to a stomach upset and their wellbeing was our main concern. Nevertheless, washing and cleaning was able to be done and a very short EVA to return the solar logger it’s recording point was carried out in the early morning. The Mars jigsaw puzzle was completed and signed and an issue with the lower level gas heater was remedied.
Look Ahead Plan: We will return to robot rover testing on the ground around the hab in the morning and an EVA to the stream draining from Tharsis Montes in search of concretions in the afternoon. If the weather holds, the solar observatory will also be operated.
Anomalies in work: Lower level gas heater anomaly – see operations report.
Weather: Clear crisp morning at -5 Celsius rising to low teens during the day. High cirrus cloud later in the day. No precipitation. Humidity continuously dropping from near 60% to below 40%. The wind was faint to gentle during the day.
Crew Physical Status: Severe migraine headache as well as stomach upset – see HSO report.
EVA: EVA 12 with Andrew and Clare to return the solar logger to it’s recording position and an external inspection of the hab tunnels.
Reports to be filed: Sol Summary, Commander’s Report, Greenhab Report, Operations Report (including an HSO report), EVA report, EVA Request(s). There is no Astronomer report for today.
Support Requested: Nothing to request.

Sol: 2
Summary Title: First Sol of Operations
Author’s name: Andrew Wheeler
Mission Status: Nominal
Sol Activity Summary: Our first full sol on Mars saw an overcast day breaking to let the sun shine through – at least for a moment – before returning to complete overcast. Following breakfast of oatmeal, toast, juice and coffee, preparations for the day of EVAs commenced. These involved the deployment of environmental sensors outside the science dome and testing of traction at various slope angles of a robotic rover also outside the main hab. Inside the hab, the plants in the greenhab were regularly tended and experiments in baking bread and combining varieties of freeze dried foods were undertaken. The regular monitoring of systems within the hab is becoming a routine for all crew under the responsibility of Scott the engineer and resultant time pressures appear to be easing.
Look Ahead Plan: Weather dependent, tomorrow will see an EVA to test the physical endurance of astronauts whilst walking fully suited and continued testing of the robot rover along with a stand alone rover wheel outside the hab.
Anomalies in work: Nothing to report.
Weather: Low cloud and early showers clearing later with clouds thinning during the afternoon. Temperature increasing from low to high single digits Celsius and humidity decreasing from 80% to 60% during the day. Faint to no wind.
Crew Physical Status: nominal
EVA: EVA 3 with Andrew and Steve to deploy a suite of sensors outside the science dome was cut short when the software failed to link to the system. A rehearsal to set out the equipment was undertaken in it’s stead, whilst the standalone solar logger was successfully deployed. EVA 4 with Steve and Rob (external) and Alex and Scott (internal) saw the operation of the robot rover outside the hab, testing traction on different surfaces at different slope angles.
Reports to be filed: Sol Summary, Journalist Report, Greenhab Report, Operations Report, EVA report, EVA Request(s)
Support Requested: Nothing to request.

Sol: 3
Summary Title: Testing the limits
Author’s name: Andrew Wheeler
Mission Status: Nominal
Sol Activity Summary: Sol 3 saw us preparing to see how far Martians are able to push themselves encumbered with the means of our survival on the red planet. Traverses to a number of distinctive topographic features were made both for navigation and endurance testing. Results are pending though the EVA members were very pleased with their efforts. The second EVA saw continued traction testing of the robot rover and deployment of a wheel mounted regolith sampler for evaluation. Within the hab, maintenance inspections of the backpack and helmet combinations were undertaken and further troubleshooting of the recalcitrant environmental sensor system proved fruitless. Finally, an invitation to join a livestream event for Igniting The Space Down Under was previewed and has been set for Australia Day 26th January, which is of course, Thursday 25th January at MDRS here on Mars.
Look Ahead Plan: Weather dependent, tomorrow will see an EVA to the Kissing Camel Ridge in search of carbonate concretions and an EVA north to the gully draining west from the Tharsis Montes in search of spectrometric targets.
Anomalies in work: Nothing to report.
Weather: Clear morning clouding over during the morning. Temperature increasing from -2 Celsius in the morning to double digits in the afternoon. Humidity fluctuated between 80% and 50%. No precipitation. Faint to no wind.
Crew Physical Status: nominal
EVA: EVA 5 with Scott, Clare and Alex . EVA 6 with Steve, Alex and Scott
Reports to be filed: Sol Summary, Journalist Report, Greenhab Report, Operations Report, EVA report, EVA Request(s). No Astronomer report (too cloudy for telescopic observations).
Support Requested: See operations report.

Sol: 4
Summary Title: Expanding the Search
Author’s name: Andrew Wheeler
Mission Status: Nominal
Sol Activity Summary: Sol 4 had the potential of denying us EVAs based on the weather forecast. Fortunately, the rain held off and we were able to get away on time. Clare had us at Kissing Camel Ridge West in search of concretions (a source of carbonates) and petrified wood (an analogue of organic remains). Previous crews had reported this location and, after some climbing around outcrops and mudstone domes, we located the stratigraphic layer that contains the concretions. GPS coordinates were taken and samples collected. The petrified wood remained elusive as only fragments in the stream wash were observed. The second EVA saw an excursion towards the north along Cow Dung Road past Cowboy Corner en route to the largest stream draining the Tharsis Montes. Operational constraints (Point of No Return is rover power levels at 55%) pulled the team up short of the proposed destination. Nevertheless, Steve was able to have the push broom spectrometer up and recording the many and varied lithologies of the nearby geology. Finally, the commander joined a livestream event for Igniting The Space Down Under timed for transmission for Australia Day 26th January back on Earth.
Look Ahead Plan: Weather dependent as always, tomorrow will see an EVA return to the Tharsis Montes area for the next stage in collecting spectroscopic data. The remaining time will be spent continuing the troubleshooting of the stubborn sensor station and collating previously collected data.
Anomalies in work: Nothing to report.
Weather: Overcast morning and remained so during the day. No precipitation. Temperature increasing from 0 Celsius in the morning to high single digits in the afternoon. Humidity fluctuated between 80% and 50%. Faint to no wind.
Crew Physical Status: nominal
EVA: EVA 7 with Clare, Andrew and Scott to Kissing Camel Ridge West. EVA 8 with Steve, Alex and Rob to the Tharsis Montes area north of Cowboy Corner.
Reports to be filed: Sol Summary, Journalist Report, Greenhab Report, Operations Report, EVA report, EVA Request(s). No Astronomer report (too cloudy for telescopic observations).
Support Requested: Nothing to request.

Crew 290 Sol Summary Report 18-01-2024

Sol: 12

Summary Title: Peanut butter for breakfast and dinner

Author’s name: Madelyn Hoying

Mission Status: Nominal

Sol Activity Summary:

Today is the last day of sim for Crew 290. We had a luxury breakfast of pancakes and Funk (Ben)’s dalgona coffee, prepared some science write ups, and reminisced on our time in sim. At 3:00, sim officially came to an end and the crew ventured outside for the first time without EVA gear in two weeks. While Melon (Madelyn) drove to a nearby town with Mission Support (shoutout to Ben Stanley again), the crew enjoyed the afternoon out of sim exploring the area around Hab Ridge. The last-minute cleaning and packing has begun after dinner, with the crew on schedule for a 10am departure tomorrow and a handover to Crew 291!

Look Ahead Plan: Packing up

Anomalies in work: none

Weather: Cloudy

Crew Physical Status: nominal

EVA: 11

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

Support Requested:

Trash pickup in the rear airlock

Sol: 1
Summary Title: Arrival on Mars
Author’s name: Andrew Wheeler
Mission Status: Nominal
Sol Activity Summary: Training for sim was all but complete. Instruction for operating rovers was given by mid morning and, after a final crew expedition to the top of Hab Ridge to identify Devil’s Toenails, Crew 291 entered sim at midday and prepared for life on Mars for the next two weeks. Utilizing the skills just learned, Alex, Clare and Rob headed off to Marble Ritual in Spirit and Opportunity to familiarize themselves with the constrictions of space suits in field operations. After an hour and a half, it was Scott, Steve and Andrew’s turn in Curiosity and Perseverance, to experience the joys of EVA with a backpack and helmet. All agreed it was the most fun they had all day.
Look Ahead Plan: Weather dependent, tomorrow will see the deployment of various sensors and initial testing of the rover outside the hab.
Anomalies in work: Nothing to report.
Weather: Low heavy cloud but not threatening rain or snow. Temperature increasing to high single digits Celsius and humidity dropping from 90% to 75% during the day. Faint to no wind.
Crew Physical Status: nominal
EVA 1 with Alex, Clare and Rob to Marble Ritual in Spirit and Opportunity, then EVA 2 with Scott, Steve and Andrew to Marble Ritual in Curiosity and Perseverance.
Reports to be filed: Sol Summary, Journalist Report, Greenhab Report, Operations Report, EVA report, EVA Request(s)
Support Requested: Nothing to request.

Crew 290 Sol Summary Report 15-01-2024

Sol: 8

Summary Title: Patches, Presentations, and Potatoes

Author’s name: Madelyn Hoying

Mission Status: Nominal

Sol Activity Summary:

Chopper (Rebecca) kicked off the day with a trip to the Science Dome to prepare our pH setup for the afternoon’s EVA. Roots (Anna) spent the day continuing glove dexterity experiments and working as CAPCOM for Melon (Madelyn), Funk (Ben), and Freebee (Anja)’s EVA. The afternoon EVA was a success, with one MADMEN sample site fully processed in the field and 12 REMI collections completed. During EVA, PODO (Nicole) did a deep clean of the Hab to keep the living spaces tidy. Funk made a dinner of black bean burgers, biscuits, and mashed potatoes while Roots and Chopper processed samples, Melon evaluated today’s geology, and Freebee worked on post-EVA data logging and reporting. The crew had fun with team bonding yesterday and are looking forward to continued success, both in our scientific endeavors and in creating memories together!

Look Ahead Plan: Continued sample collection and analysis

Anomalies in work: none

Weather: Warm and windy

Crew Physical Status: nominal

EVA: none

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

Support Requested:

Perseverance rearview mirror was broken prior to our arrival, noted in the Engineering EVA (EVA 05) report. The broken glass fell out of the mirror on today’s EVA. We want to note that between the broken parking brake and now a lack of ability to see behind us, we likely will not request use of Perseverance and will distribute our rover requests among the remaining 3.

We are particularly interested in an EVA to Skyline Rim. Are we able to attempt an EVA plan to drive the 1103 footpath with the rovers, to connect to the Sagan Street 1103 rover road that leads directly to Skyline Rim?

Our furnace reset works, but we are having to do it regularly whenever it is windy.

Crew 290 Sol Summary Report 16-01-2024

Sol: 9

Summary Title: pHunctional pHamily

Author’s name: Madelyn Hoying

Mission Status: Nominal

Sol Activity Summary:

Chocolate chip pancakes were such a hit that we had to revisit them for a late pre-EVA breakfast today. With Melon (Madelyn) on CAPCOM, the crew of Chopper (Rebecca), Freebee (Anja), and PODO (Nicole) ventured to the site identified on yesterday’s EVA for another round of MADMEN and REMI collection. During the EVA, Funk (Ben) baked bread and autoclaved water, and Roots (Anna) imaged all of our previous MADMEN samples. For dinner, Funk made taco bowls for Taco Tuesday and taught PODO to chop cilantro. Tonight, the crew will make ISRU clay items courtesy of Roots (who took the initiative to collect smectite and experiment with methods to make it into moldable clay). The crew is in good spirits as we head into our final targeted MADMEN EVA tomorrow.

Look Ahead Plan: A long hike in EVA gear, off of rover roads, for MADMEN’s (hopefully) final sample site

Anomalies in work: none

Weather: Warm and windy

Crew Physical Status: nominal

EVA: none

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

Support Requested:

Perseverance rearview mirror – broken glass has been disposed of in the RAM as instructed.
Water filter beeping, per previous communications