Crew 314 Sol Summary Report 16-04-2025
Sol: 10
Summary Title: Martian Simulation, Human Reality.
Author’s name: Arnaud de Wergifosse (Crew executive officer)
Mission Status : ongoing
Sol Activity Summary: Today, two EVAs were conducted.
The first EVA took place in Condor Chasma and was primarily aimed at collecting soil samples for Bérengère (GreenHab Officer) as part of her ongoing microbiological experiment. The mission went smoothly under favorable weather conditions.
The second EVA, conducted at Skyline Rim, proved to be more challenging due to strong winds which significantly hindered movement and visibility. Despite the adverse conditions, the crew managed to achieve the primary objective: exploring and assessing new terrain that could be suitable for future EVAs.
Meanwhile, in the Science Dome, Batoul (Journalist) analyzed the results of the Bacillus thuringiensis experiment. The initial outcomes appear promising and will undergo further analysis for interpretation. In addition, several other experiments reached completion today, with samples either archived or disposed of in accordance with the established protocols.
In the main habitat, the end of the mission is beginning to be felt. Louis (Astronomer) has started analyzing the data from his observations, and several crew members have begun working on their End of Mission Reports.
In the lab, Bérengère carried out a staining procedure on fungal samples using violet dye to assess germination. The dye improved visibility of the spores under the microscope, and preliminary observations indicate successful germination in some samples.
Despite the difficult weather conditions encountered during the second EVA, the day was productive both in the field and in the laboratory.
Look Ahead Plan : One final EVA is scheduled for the morning to both take down Antoine’s experiment, due to strong winds and rain expected from tomorrow afternoon through Friday, and to visit Green Mars View. With only two days left at the station, the rest of the crew will focus on wrapping up and finalizing their experiments.
Anomalies in work: None was notified.
Weather: Partly cloudy during the morning and the afternoon. Temperatures varied between 51°F and 80°F during the entire day
Crew Physical Status: Everyone was in good health today, with no issues reported.
EVA: There were two EVA today.
The first EVA began at 9:34 AM with the standard five-minute decompression. The team departed the MDRS at 9:43 AM in two rovers—Spirit (driven by Bérengère with Odile) and Opportunity (driven by Batoul with Louis). After briefly overshooting their target by 500 meters, they corrected course and arrived at the designated site at 10:08 AM. The crew proceeded on foot into the canyon at 10:11 AM, reaching it by 10:23 AM. A short communication loss occurred around 10:54 AM. The team began their return at 11:02 AM, reaching the rovers by 11:28 AM and arriving back at the MDRS at 11:42 AM. The EVA concluded with decompression ending at 11:49 AM. The mission was completed successfully.
The second EVA began decompression at 1:57 PM and exited the station at 2:03 PM, heading north around the Science Dome to inspect Antoine’s field equipment. They reached the site at 2:05 PM and departed two minutes later, continuing toward Skyline. Although communication was disrupted due to poor signal, contact was restored at 2:53 PM.
Weather conditions included sustained winds of 8 mph with gusts up to 18 mph. As conditions worsened around 3:35 PM, the team decided to end the EVA. The terrain, while mostly flat, poses access challenges due to undefined paths and elevation changes, making rover use difficult.
The EVA concluded with repressurization from 4:12 to 4:17 PM. Despite the wind, the area remains suitable for future EVAs in better weather.
Reports to be filed: Sol Summary, Journalist Report, Crew Photos, GreenHab Report, Operations Report, EVA Report, EVA Request, Astronomy Report.
Support Requested: None