2022-2023 Field Season (#22)

Crew 299 Sol Summary 05-24-2024
Sol: 12
Summary Title: The End
Author’s Name: Prakruti Raghunarayan
Mission Status: Complete
Sol Activity Summary:

Avery and Kristina:
For Sol 12, the last sol, it was a productive day! Avery and Kristina used the morning to get final imaging done at the Musk Observatory, which yielded two sets of images. Afterwards, they closed the observatory for the final time. Following this, everyone got to work cleaning the Hab before their journey back to Earth. For example, Avery, Rishabh, Pari, and Kristina helped take inventory of the food and cleaning items of the Hab. Avery also helped sort and take out the trash, as well as put away dishes and vacuum.

Rishabh:
For the last day here, Rishabh assisted in cleaning the lower level of the hab as well as cleaning up the RAM. He finished his project up and the videos are done processing. After this, he worked to film a thank you video for donors with Pari. He later did food inventory with Avery, Kristina, and Pari. Now he is doing his research summary.

Noah, Aravind, and Pari:
Today, Pari, Noah, and Aravind cleaned out the science dome and finished up their experiments there. They’ve picked out some samples to send out for spectroscopy analysis–including 3 materials found at MDRS during EVAs. They cleaned out the radishes and cleared out the entire area. Then, they finished their research analysis for the samples. Lastly, they also filmed a thank you video for donors. Pari worked with Avery, Kristina and Rishabh to do food inventory as well.

To MDRS: thank you so much for having us.

Best,
Prakruti "Pari" Raghunarayan
Mission Commander

Crew 299 Sol Summary 05-23-2024
Sol: 11
Summary Title: The Martian
Author’s Name: Prakruti Raghunarayan
Mission Status: Active
Sol Activity Summary:

Aravind, Avery, and Noah went on a walking EVA across Hab Ridge. Rishabh and I were on comms. They were in the area behind the hab eventually able to see the Hab and me and Rishabh. They took a lot of cool pictures of the ridge and valleys across it. They were also able to take a picture of us on the Hab Ridge from the Hab.

Then, we took a short break before preparing for mine, Kristina, and Rishabh’s EVA. During this break, the astronomy team (Avery & Kristina) assembled and were working through their code. And the science dome team (me, Aravind, and Noah) were classifying samples and deciding what I would bring back from the next EVA.

Avery was on comms while me, Rishabh, and Kristina went on our EVA. We drove to Marble Ritual and walked some areas there. Rishabh taught Kristina how to use the drone and they got more footage. We also got one last soil sample from the area that I needed to confirm certain results we were working on! Then, we decided to get some content for our socials and donors and drove back. Rishabh was able to film us with the drone while driving back.

Then Noah, Aravind, and I went back to the science dome and prepared the new sample in the jar and started working on our analysis. We finished the volcanic activity analysis and impact. Now we are working on the sustainability samples and the PDMS ones.

The astronomy team processed four sets of solar images!