Month: May 2025

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Operations Report – April 26th

Crew 315 Operations Report 26-04-2025

SOL: 6

Name of person filing report: Michael Andrews

Non-nominal systems: Suit Charger #7, Catalytic Heater, ScienceDome Radio Charger

Notes on non-nominal systems:

· (Unresolved from yesterday) It was noted that Suit #7 wasn’t charging, but further diagnosis from the Commander has isolated the issue to the #7 charger. I was able to observe that all chargers appear to work, so more formal diagnoses are required. (Note: this one has been on here a while, but we don’t any issues with chargers anymore, so this is low priority to work.)

· (Bonus project) The catalytic heater near the exercise bike in the habitat does not work. It’s an engineering project to see if this can get properly started during this mission.

· (Unresolved from yesterday) The ScienceDome radio chargers do not work. Mission support mentioned how this is a known issue. Radios will be swapped between the two structures, and I will disassemble the charger tomorrow.

ROVERS

Spirit rover used: No

Hours: N/A

Beginning charge: N/A

Ending charge: N/A

Currently charging: No

Opportunity rover used: No

Hours: N/A

Beginning charge: N/A

Ending charge: N/A

Currently charging: No

Curiosity rover used: Yes

Hours: 314.9 hours (1.1 hours used)

Beginning charge: 100%

Ending charge: 48%

Currently charging: Yes

Perseverance rover used: Yes

Hours: 329.9 hours (1.4 hours used)

Beginning charge: 100%

Ending charge: 56%

Currently charging: No

General notes on rovers: None

Summary of Hab operations: The team took this as a day of rest, performing only one EVA and working on other projects and personal time. The 5th (of 8) 100cameras project was held, and the team made cookies and spaghetti throughout the day. We also enjoyed Commander Laude’s show-and-tell of electronic hardware over the decades and an episode of Moonbase 8.

Water Use

Time of measurements: 1930
1) Per formula: 24.51 gallons
2) Smart Home Dashboard (see notes): 23.75 gallons

Water (static tank, remaining gallons): 303.3 gallons

Static tank pipe heater: Off

Static tank heater: Off

Toilet tank emptied: No

Summary of internet: Used to complete reports, learn languages, share team photos via Google drive, researching projects

Summary of suits and radios:

· EVA 11: Suits 8, 9, 10 and Radios 1, 4, 5

Summary of GreenHab operations: Watered plants and fungal project, kept the door open for most of the day to drive down temperature. Also harvested a small amount of basil for dinner.

WATER USE: 10.0 gallons

Heater: Yes

Supplemental light: 1900-2200

Harvest: 7g of basil

Summary of ScienceDome operations: I attempted to 3D scan the sample collected from EVA #10, but had difficulties with computer storage and had to abort the activity to be attempted later tonight.

Dual split (Heat or AC, On or Off): Off

Summary of RAM operations: No notable RAM activity today besides receiving a resupply of duct tape, flour, and raisin bran cereal. I also did want to report a broken plastic clamp that cracked when I was attempting to prototype the 3D scanning shroud earlier. I have tossed it in the RAM trash, and there are still 2 metal (and more resilient) clamps in inventory.

Summary of any observatory issues: None

Summary of health and safety issues: None

Questions, concerns and requests to Mission Support: None

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EVA Report – April 26th

Crew 315 EVA Report 26-04-2025

EVA # 11

Author: Michael Andrews

Purpose of EVA: We plan to accomplish several objectives on this morning’s EVA before high winds arrive in the afternoon:

· The Engineer will return shells collected from EVA #7 to the Sea of Shells.

· The Engineer will attempt to set up the en situ 3D shroud for future en situ scanning.

· The HSO will operate the drone at various destinations listed below in an attempt to photograph and measure the heading of the monolith from these destinations.

· The Engineer will take several analog compass readings of the Monolith’s location.

· The Journalist may take additional desiccated soils samples at one of the locations below.

Start time: 0840

End time: 1135

Narrative: The EVA crew departed MDRS at 0840 and took two Rovers to Sea of Shells. They stopped at the Red Peaks location that the HSO had seen on a previous EVA and took some photos. Next we traveled to the Sea of Shells to return the shell specimens from our 3D scanning project. After being there only a few minutes, we then proceeded to the Overlook for our remaining objectives.

We stopped about 0.5 kilometers north of Overlook and began to accomplish several objectives in parallel. Engineer Andrews set up Starlink and was able to assemble the 3D scanning shroud in 9 minutes, although it is susceptible to winds over 10 mph and may need weights to anchor it. He also took a manual compass heading of the Monolith’s location and captured the GPS coordinates of the rover location via smartphone. HSO Koi began her drone flight to document the Monolith.

This Overlook-adjacent spot was advantageous, as she was able to fly closer to the Monolith than before. On her first of three battery packs, she determined that reaching the Monolith would be possible with some modifications. However, on the second battery pack attempt, southerly winds provided too much drag against the drone, and it had to perform a forced landing approximately 0.6 kilometers north of our Overlook point. The team repositioned the rovers to the base of the Overlook and set out on a quick hike, spreading out and surveying the landscape for the downed drone. Fortunately, HSO Koi was able to locate the drone within 15 minutes and we returned to the rovers to proceed to our final destination.

The stop at Galileo Road was short: only taking 5 minutes to take a compass heading (which Journalist Saavedra-Buckley confirmed with a Starlink-connected smartphone) and GPS coordinates before returning to MDRS at approximately 1130.

Destination:

· Sea of Shells (and nearby Red Peaks area that HSO has taken photos of)

· Overlook

· Galileo Road (Monolith viewing location)

Coordinates (use UTM WSG 84):

· Sea of Shells: Easting: 516400, Northing: 4255250

· Overlook: Easting: 516000, Northing: 4254500

· Galileo Road: Easting: 519500, Northing: 4252200

Participants: Michael Andrews (EVA Lead and Crew Engineer), Urban Koi (HSO) and Elena Saavedra-Buckley (Crew Journalist)

Road(s) and routes per MDRS Map: Left MDRS and travel north along Cow Dung Road until Brahe Hwy. Took a left onto Brahe Hwy until the road ends, then took a right onto Copernicus Hwy. Proceeded along Copernicus Hwy until arriving at Sea of Shells. Once done at that location, headed back south along Copernicus until reaching the fork in the road to stop at Overlook. Once done at that location, traveled east along Brahe Hwy, then south along Cow Dung Road until reaching Galileo Road. Traveled east along Galileo Rd for 0.5 kilometers until reaching the final coordinate. Once done at that location, traveled west along Galileo Rd to Cow Dung Road, then south along Cow Dung Road until reaching MDRS.

Mode of travel: Rovers Perseverance and Curiosity were used to travel to the destinations above, and the EVA team will walk around each site on foot, never traveling more than 1 kilometer away from the rovers.

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Supplemental Operations Report – April 26th

Date: 4/26/2025
Name of person filing report: David Steinhour
Reason for Report: Routine
Non-Nominal Systems: Crew car. Power system battery, inverters, generator. Robotic observatory. HAB outer shell. Spirit. Director trailer furnace.

Power system: "Solar: The battery bank does not hold charge when sun is down and low on the horizon. Inverter Slave 1 and 2 went offline and do not restart, which limits us to 4kW when on solar.
Main generator has been monitored for oil leaks; minor leaks observed, Moreover, generator is consuming oil because of worn piston rings. Adding oil every day is necessary. Generator is limited to 8kW, see previous reports for details. Engine governor has been replaced, and the threads of one of the governer bolts was stripped and repaired with a heli-coil insert. A new gasket was installed and no further leaks have been observed.

1) Oil, oil filter and air filter changed on 04/11/2025. Hours: 9260.2
2) Current hours – 9400.6"

Propane Readings: "Refilled 4/24
Station Tank: 81%
Director Tank: 82%
Intern Tank: 86%
Generator Tank: 75%"

Water: "Hab Static Tank – 320 gallons
GreenHab – 138 gallons
Outpost tank – 550 gallons"

Rovers: "Sojourner rover used: Yes
Hours: 213.4
Beginning Charge: 100 %
Ending Charge: 100 %
Currently Charging: No
Notes on Rovers: Spirit is not charging. Perseverance’s parking brake was successfully adjusted, but will need new brake pads soon (no more adjustment to do). Curiosity’s battery meter is occasionally lagging behind / updating slowly. Both Perseverance and Curiosity had battery maintenance on 4/24. "

Cars: "Hab Car used and why, where: To Hanksville for supplies.
Crew Car used and why, where: By crew from Grand Junction.
General notes and comments: Crew car driver’s side front ball joint is bad. Low oil pressure is most likely caused by a bad sensor (it does not change due to RPM or temperature like it should)."

Summary of Internet: Nominal
EVA suits and radios: "Suits: Suit #7 is not charging, and it appears to be a problem with the suit itself.
Comms: Nominal.
T-Echo EVA-link: Nominal"
Campus wide inspection, if action taken, what and why: Nominal
Summary of Hab Operations: Small cracks in the wall of the Hab in the loft area are allowing cold air intrusion. Static tank and pipe heaters unplugged. Thermostat setup for 60F due to warm weather.
Summary of GreenHab Operations: Nominal
Summary of SciDome Operations: Dual split is being turned on during day time for cooling.
Summary of Observatories Operations: Robotic observatory offline.
Summary of RAM Operations: Nominal
Summary of Outpost Operations: Director trailer’s furnace not turning on. Will diagnose and update.
Summary of Health and Safety Issues: Nominal

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Journalist Report – April 27th

Journalist report sol 7

Each report brings more of the same nouns—rocks, drones, photos, bread, monolith—but even a day off of EVAs for the Journalist can’t prevent strange events from making their way into the report. An early EVA sent our Engineer and Commander out for another Monolith triangulation session with various compasses; beyond getting more information, they also found small Monolith-like rocks near their perch. Whether those were offerings, representations, or offspring, we’re not sure. Our Engineer went on a second EVA with our HSO in the afternoon. It was a journey in high winds during the traveling portions. The goal was to 3D scan some rocks and take photos, and once up at the Overlook things seemed to stagnate—no “new rocks,” per se, so no scanning—before becoming strange. A van of aliens parked some distance away eventually approached the crew, letting them know their back tire had been stuck in a hard-dirt divot. (This despite their rented van company being called "Escape Camper Vans.") They needed help; conveniently for simulation’s sake, the rovers weren’t enough to haul them out, so Mission Support was called and dispatched. Allegedly the van-life aliens are going to donate to the Mars Society out of gratitude for the haul—someone should keep an eye on this.

The crew Journalist finished some Terran work, set up her soil desiccation project’s lab stage, and prepared a dinner she admittedly was not confident would be good until it was complete: a simple congee with peas and corn, topped with soy-glazed Spam. (While she was worried Spam “Lite” would be inferior to regular Spam, she’s been pleasantly surprised at the dupe.) The HSO had also made our best loaf of bread yet with apples and spices.

After eating, the crew completed their sixth 100cameras module, which revealed more about the broad arcs of our lives. And, for the third day in a row since a kind but firm warning by our Commander, we’ve used a respectable amount of water and should be in the clear by the end of the mission, knock on wood.

We’re realizing that we need to start finishing projects, collecting results, executing final goals for dinners, and preparing to tear down the GreenHab.

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Sol Summary – April 27th

Crew 315 Sol Summary Report 27-04-2025

Sol: 7

Summary Title: A Sol In The Life

Author’s name: Michael Andrews, Crew Engineer

Mission Status: Nominal

Sol Activity Summary:

The Phoenix team is now in the second half of their mission on Mars. I have to admit: I am quite excited that the Crew Engineer has been assigned to write the Sol Summary for Crew 315 only on sols that are prime numbers so far. And yes, I will be writing sol 11’s summary as well!

We awoke to egg cups for breakfast. I normally am not a fan of mushrooms (apologies to HSO Koi and Journalist Saavedra-Buckley who have fungi-focused research both on Earth and Mars) but Artist Gagnon found a way to prepare them in a way that even I enjoyed.

The first EVA involved Commander Laude and I taking the off-road path to Lith Canyon and climbing various ridges to get a good view of the Monolith for his project. I had never started watching
2001: A Space Odyssey” until last night after much cajoling from the crew, so I didn’t understand the significance of this object until recently. This additional compass heading would allow us to better triangulate its position and find the best location on our Martian map to approach the Monolith via HSO Kois’ drone. At the end of our EVA, we noticed that several small stone towers had been constructed along the tallest Lith Canyon ridge, which Commander Laude explained as being tributes to the main Monolith to enrich his story. Now I am a man of science and don’t believe in any of that, but I do want to claim credit for their name: Miniliths™.

After a short nap, I geared up for EVA #13 with HSO Koi. We aimed to go to Skyline View, a relatively far area from the MDRS station. It didn’t provide many interesting views or progress on scientific objectives, but it made up for it with an interesting story. The MDRS region is surrounded by public land and we often encounter other humans on Mars that we refer to as “aliens”. At Skyline View, we noticed a van parked in the vicinity and later realized it was stuck in the Martian regolith. The drivers approached us looking for help, and although I knew we didn’t have enough torque to extract them, HSO Koi communicated the issue to CapComm who leveraged Mission Support to help. If I was an alien stranded on Mars, I don’t know if I’d be more relieved to see Crew 315’s Health and Safety Officer and Crew Engineer for rescue.

After another 100camera module, we began reflecting on the day and writing reports. A recent topic of conversation has become our water consumption, as we were originally consuming more than 40 gallons of water per day. Commander Laude gave us some good tips to conserve water, and we have been making significant strides ever since. I, for one, am excited that the crew eagerly awaits figures from my Operations Report.

Speaking of eagerly awaiting, the crew is excited to watch the finale of “2001: A Space Odyssey”. Good night Earth!

Look Ahead Plan: The team will resume their normal rhythm of two EVAs a day, with all crew members participating in the EVAs. We are beginning to close in on the final objectives of our individual projects. GreenHab maintenance tasks are beginning to subside as we prepare the area for teardown. The crew has an impressive collection of delicious leftovers and is starting to determine which meals should be repeated before the end of sim.

Anomalies in work: No serious anomalies, but the Crew Engineer has a collection of small repair projects that don’t impact mission viability that will be addressed in the coming days. These are further detailed in today’s Operations Report.

Weather: Today was our windiest day yet! Temperatures ranged from 56 to 64 F, and skies were consistently cloudy. Winds were southwesterly at 17 mph, gusting up to 32 mph at times. Winds never violated EVA abort criteria, but they were constantly monitored throughout the day.

Crew Physical Status: All members healthy

EVA:

· EVA 12: Commander Laude and Engineer Andrews scaled the ridges at Lith Canyon to take additional compass readings of the Monolith. We also observed multiple mini Monoliths on the ridge that were erected by humans.

· EVA 13: Engineer Andrews and HSO Koi traveled to Skyline View to take rock samples and photos for the Crew Artist. At our EVA location we were approached by tourists in a van that had gotten stuck in the soft sand. We radio’ed Mission Support to intervene.

Reports to be filed: 2 EVA Requests, 2 EVA Reports, GreenHab Report, Operations Report, Journalist Report, Crew Photos

Support Requested: None

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