Report title: Journalist Report
Crew #: 325
Position: Crew Journalist
Report prepared by: Saranya Ravva
Date: 26Dec2025
Sol: 11
Journalist Report Title (If Applicable) : T-0: Back to Earth
Mars Trivia Question, answer at the end of the report:
How many missions have been sent to Mars so far?
We woke up by 8:00 a.m., and today’s wake-up song was Way Back Home by Shaun, one of Ellenah’s favorites. It is a pleasant, grounding track that personally helped me ease into the day. We gathered around the dining table and were greeted by a fresh loaf of bread baked by Cesare the day before. We spread Nutella, peanut butter, and jelly, made warm breakfast sandwiches, and brewed coffee together.
It was the last sol in simulation, and we all felt it.
We immediately used the communications window to download checkout lists and focus on end-of-mission and research reports. Soon after, it was time to prepare for the final EVA. Cesare, Ellenah, Adrianna, and Isabella suited up while Morgan and I helped with preparations. This EVA had multiple objectives: collecting Garmin biometric data and seashell fossils, while also taking time to simply be present in the landscape. The team set out on foot to the Hab Rim, where they danced, took photos, and soaked in the serenity of the terrain.
Back inside the habitat, the tone shifted toward closure. I found comfort in cleaning, wiping tables, putting things away, sweeping, and mopping floors while listening to energetic music. Isabella helped clean the science dome, carefully storing her experiments, collecting final data, and disposing of trash. With time still available, I swept and mopped the RAM as well, which Ellenah had already organized beautifully.
When the EVA crew returned, everyone joined in. Adrianna took on the massive task of cleaning and inventorying the entire GreenHab on her own, doing a phenomenal job. Morgan handled rover shutdowns, engineering operations, and helped keep the habitat’s lower deck organized. Our Commander, Cesare, ensured that all rock samples collected for his in-situ geology project were packed properly, checked every station unit, and worked through the final checklist with the confidence that comes from many rotations at MDRS.
With about 15 minutes remaining in simulation, reality began to sink in. Adrianna, Isabella, and I challenged ourselves to quickly pack our personal belongings. At T-3 minutes to Earth, we gathered on the lower deck. Cesare gave us the honor of entering the airlock first.
At exactly 1300 MT, the main airlock hatch opened.
Sergii, mission support and MDRS director, welcomed us back with cheers, laughter, high-fives, and a video recording. It was cold, bright, and incredibly real. After 11 sols of simulation, stepping back onto Earth felt both surreal and deeply satisfying. Time flew by, but breathing Earth air again felt unmistakably different.
I still cannot believe it has been 11 sols.
Trivia Answer:
More than 50 missions have been sent to Mars so far by various space agencies, including orbiters, landers, and rovers. While many early missions failed, modern missions have dramatically improved success rates, providing detailed data about Mars’s surface, atmosphere, geology, and potential for past habitability.
Goodbye and sayonara, Mars. For now.