CREW 315 SOL SUMMARY REPORT 26-04-2025
Sol: 5
Summary Title: What We Have Lost, Found, and Dared to Imagine on the Red Planet
Author’s Name: Urban Koi, HSO
Mission Status: Nominal. All systems operational.
Sol Activity Summary:
Sol 5 began under a pristine, cloudless sky, the vast Martian expanse stretching endlessly, bathed in the soft clarity of early morning light. Crew Phoenix rose super early, a choice that proved wise, for soon after, the winds began their relentless ascent-gusts that would have made any subsequent EVA a no-go. In those quiet, cool hours before the tempest, the day’s great journey unfolded.
The Millennial EVA team—Crew Engineer, Journalist, and HSO—set forth with purpose, their rovers carving a path across the burnt orange dust and shadowed dunes. The goals were clear: to test the Crew Engineer’s Starlink connection at the edge of the Moon Overlook and conduct 3D scanning for his project, visit one of the HSO’s favorite locations which she unofficially calls the “Red Peaks” area, and push the HSO’s drone to its limits, seeking the distant Monolith that the Commander holds dear. The wind, however, had its own agenda. As the drone soared in “Sport Mode,” it drank greedily from its battery, the gusts tugging at its wings and draining its power with every meter gained.
Suddenly, the drone’s journey ended with a forced landing—approximately 650 meters from its launch site, lost amidst thousands of indistinguishable hills in the Moon Overlook. Only a single, black and white image remained: a landscape of gray dunes, as anonymous as the Martian silence itself. Yet adversity breeds resolve. The crew fanned out, boots pressing new stories into the dust, eyes scanning the endless sameness. Guided by GPS, persistence, and a measure of hope, the HSO pressed on. At last, she found her drone—its return a small hard-won victory, a testament to determination and the courage of not giving up.
The wind howled as the team returned, thirty minutes ahead of schedule—a mark of their growing efficiency and unity. Inside the habitat, warmth and welcome awaited. The Crew Artist, ever the alchemist of comfort, had conjured a circle of chocolate chip oatmeal bars, their aroma a balm against the Martian chill. The Journalist also spiced up some savory tuna melts, a growing comfort food for many crew members. The crew gathered, laughter and gratitude mingling with crumbs and stories.
As they indulged, the Commander led a Show & Tell, a journey through the relics of his career as a microelectronics engineer. Circuit boards, transistors, a stack of floppy discs and punch cards were passed around—artifacts from his college days, now illuminated by the pink-tinged light of a distant world. Reflection deepened. Module 5 of the 100cameras Curriculum invited each crew member to look inward, to consider how they see themselves, now, in the future, and within their community. The exercise and journaling were noted to be not easy tasks for some; self-portraiture through nature and our otherworldly environment taps into our psyche and imagination in profound ways. The Commander, pensive, admitted he had never considered these questions or perspectives through the lens of photography before.
We concluded our day with a satisfying plate of spaghetti and biscuits, while watching an episode of Moonbase 8. The day’s wind may have scattered dust and challenged machines, but it also carried something intangible: the memory of perseverance, the sweetness of union, and the quiet, ongoing work of self-discovery. As the Martian night settles, we rest changed, if only a little, by what we have lost, found, and dared to imagine on the Red Planet.
LOOK AHEAD PLAN:
Anomalies in Work: Drone fighting the tempest.
Weather: Temperature: 71º, 0930; Sky: Clear Sky, 0930; Gust: 23 mph; 0930; Wind: 12 mph, 0930
Crew Physical Status: All in Good Health + Spirits
EVAs to Be Completed:
EVA 12: 0930-1230
Purpose: Explore Lith Canyon area to access higher vantage point on ridge to view the Monolith as seen by Commander in previous missions. This is needed as a final compass reading for triangulation of it.
Destination: Lith Canyon
Coordinates (UTM WSG 84): Lith Canyon: 4257000N, 519000W
EVA Participants: David Laude (Commander), Michael Andrews (Engineer)
EVA 13: 1400-1730
Purpose: Gather rock samples at the Skyline Rim for 3D scanning and attempt to find new views of the Monolith to take compass headings.
Destination: Skyline Rim
Coordinates (UTM WSG 84): 515400E, 4251500N
EVA Participants: Michael Andrews (Engineer), Urban Koi (HSO)
Reports to Be Filed: Sol Summary, Journalist Report, Crew Photos, GreenHab Report, Operations Report, EVA reports, EVA Request(s)
Support Requested: None at this time.
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