Day: February 6, 2026

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Sol Summary – January 28th

Report title: Sol Summary Report
Crew #: 328
Position: Commander
Report prepared by: Mariló Torres
Date: 28-01-2026
Sol: 3

Summary Title: Focused on the tasks.
Mission Status: Ongoing research.

Sol Activity Summary:
To achieve a good quality of life in a habitat, it’s important to maintain discipline and cleanliness. The feeling of confinement is reduced when everything is tidy. Therefore, we dedicated part of the morning to tidying and organizing the habitat.

The rest of the day revolved around the various experiments, which are finally underway, leading us to spend more time outside the habitat than inside, between the Green Hub, the laboratory, and the RAM.

The cultivation of tomatoes and radishes in Martian soil is progressing very well.
In short, it was very productive and allowed us to make progress on our projects.

Look Ahead Plan:
The first steps in the schedule for our research require a greater effort, so tomorrow we will repeat the pattern, working on the experiments again.

We have also planned our first movie night!

Anomalies in work:
None.

Weather:
Partly cloudy.

Crew Physical Status:
Healthy and fit.

EVA:
None.

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Operations Report – January 28th

Report title: Operations Report
Crew #: 328
Position: Crew Engineer/HSO
Report prepared by: Aaron Tenner
Date: 28-01-2026
Sol: 3

Non-nominal systems: N/A
Notes on non-nominal systems: N/A
ROVERS
Spirit rover used: N/A
Hours:
Beginning charge:
Ending charge:
Currently charging:
Opportunity rover used: N/A
Hours:
Beginning charge:
Ending charge:
Currently charging:
Curiosity rover used: N/A
Hours:
Beginning charge:
Ending charge:
Currently charging:
Perseverance rover used: N/A
Hours:
Beginning charge:
Ending charge:
Currently charging:
General notes on rovers: Rovers were charging all day today, no EVAs were conducted.
Summary of Hab operations:
Water Use (see notes): 19.95 gal/day
Main tank level (remaining gallons, see notes): 333.05 gal
Main water tank pipe heater (ON or OFF): ON
Main water tank heater (ON or OFF): ON
Toilet tank emptied (NO or YES): YES
Summary of internet: Downlink 195.30 mbit/s, uplink 12.20 mbit/s, ping 22ms
Summary of suits and radios: Suits and radios all nominal, not in use today, helmets were cleaned.
Summary of GreenHab operations: Crew Astrobiologist completed setup for NFT plant system with water pump and leveling and will be sowing seeds this evening. Crew Engineer completed setup of 3D printed NFT system, complete with both water and air pumps to test viability of 3D printed hydroponics.
Water use: 9 gallons
Heater (ON or OFF): ON
Supplemental light (hours of operation): 6pm-11:30pm
Harvest (name, weight in grams): N/A
Summary of ScienceDome operations: Crew Scientist completed initial setup of regolith brick building using mixture of Martian soil, distilled water, and 3D printed molds.
Dual split (Heat or AC, On or Off or Automatic): Automatic
Summary of RAM operations: RAM was used extensively for both NFT setups including x2 hand-held drills, several drill bits of varying sizes, x12 hex-bolt screws, hand-held saws, x1 wrench, all tools used were specifically for the designs of both NFT systems.
Summary of any observatory issues: N/A
Summary of health and safety issues: No new health and safety issues.
Questions, concerns and requests to Mission Support:
Requesting permission from Mission Support to increase Science Dome temperature to 70 degrees F to match the previous regolith study and support in hardening the regolith.
Crew also requests the addition of a humidifier to the Hab, the older one we found had water damage and is irreparable.
Crew Engineer is requesting the addition of a notes section to this template for any nominal notes.
Crew Journalist is requesting information on feasibility of EVA to clean habitat windows.
NOTES: Toilet tank was emptied by Crew Engineer for the first time today. First cleaning of habitat was thorough and necessary and we submitted our first burn bag to the back of the RAM for disposal.

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Journalist Report – January 28th

Journalist Report
Crew #: 328
Position: Crew Journalist, Comms Officer, & Astronomer
Report prepared by: Tom Bickmore
Date: 28-01-2026
Sol: 3
Journalist Report Title: Experiments at Home

Hello from the Hab on Sol 3. No EVAs today—just a relatively calm, productive inside day at the Mars Desert Research Station as we keep building momentum.

We woke up to the smell of fresh bread baking (another successful batch from the bread-maker), and I captured an amazing sunrise timelapse over the Martian desert landscape this morning—beautiful start to the day.

We spent time cleaning up the Hab and getting familiar with the cleaning tools and supplies available here. One quirky find: vacuum filters tucked in the back of a cupboard which was labeled "Christmas Grogu" for reasons unknown. (A previous crew’s inside joke?)

The bulk of the day went to personal experiments, but it was rarely solo work. We rotated help based on each person’s strengths, which made everything run smoothly and efficiently.

Engineer/Safety Officer Aaron Tenner got his materials testing experiment running: comparing the structural performance of 3D-printed hydroponics hardware made from different filaments. (I got to drill a bunch of the holes for it.)

Crew Scientist Jahnavi Dangeti made sample bricks from regolith sorted into different grain sizes, using molds 3D printed and assembled by Aaron. (I spent about an hour dancing around with a stack of screens in the science dome, sifting and sorting the collected sample into different sizes.)

GreenHab Officer Rebeca Gonçalves continued advancing her plant experiments, which are starting to fill up the GreenHab alongside Aaron’s hydroponics setups.

On the outreach side, I arranged an additional event and refined more details for our main Live From Mars session. More schools and individuals keep signing up—interest is growing steadily. We have a practice run scheduled for Friday with my co-hosts (some of my best space-loving students), and I’m personally very excited to introduce the crew to my students (and honestly, maybe even more excited to show off my students to the crew).

Commander Mariló Torres kept us going through the day with another great experimental Martian meal. Tasty and well received by the crew!

Daily routines feel more natural now, and the teamwork is stronger than ever.

We are also looking into an EVA to clean the exterior Hab windows for better pictures. With gravity on Mars reduced, ladders are safer, right?

More updates on Sol 4.

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GreenHab Report – January 28th

Report title: GreenHab ReportCrew #: 328
Position: Greenhab Officer
Report prepared by: Rebeca Goncalves
Date: 28/01/2026
Sol: 3

Environmental control (fan & heater): Fan max: 85F, Fan min: 80F, Heater: 70F
Average temperatures (last 24h): 77.8F
Maximum temperature (last 24h): 88.7F
Minimum temperature (last 24h): 66.8F

Hours of supplemental light: 5:30h (6pm to 11:30pm)

Daily water usage for crops: 3
Daily water usage for research and/or other purposes: 9
Water in the Tank (160 gal useful capacity): 146 gallons remaining
Time(s) of watering for crops: 7pm

Changes to crops: N/A

Narrative:
The 3 experiments are now fully set up in the greenhab.
The Greenhab Officer is responsible for Exp. 1 and 2 (Exp.1 studies tomato seeds sent to space planted in Mars regolith simulant; Exp. 2 studies microgreens planted in soil system and hydroponics system). All seeds have been sown.
The Crew Engineer is responsible for Exp. 3 (Exp.3 studies the viability of a 3D printed hydroponic system on mars using 2 different types of material). No plants are involved.

Harvest: (include which crop and mass in grams) N/A

Support/supplies needed: N/A

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Sol Summary – January 31st

Report title: Sol Summary Report
Crew #: 328
Position: Commander
Report prepared by: Mariló Torres
Date: 31-01-2026
Sol: 6

Summary Title: First "green shoots"

Mission Status: Halfway point of the mission

Sol Activity Summary:
It’s heartening to see the first sprouts of our experimental crops emerging in the Green Hub, and we’re excited to be making progress with the chemical tests that subject the sand and minerals to different conditions.

Today there was also time for culinary, spiritual, and linguistic cultural exchanges. We’re so lucky to have a crew that represents four different continents.

We’ve reached the halfway point of the mission, and we have the feeling that time is flying by. We’ve been here for a week, and we’ve barely noticed.

The camaraderie is excellent, and we already feel like a family. I think we’ve even developed a sense of group identity, of belonging to the same community.

Look Ahead Plan:
Tomorrow, we’ll initially be taking the day off. However, if any urgent situation or need arises related to the experiments, we will certainly work on it.

Anomalies in work:
None.

Weather:
Partly cloudy.

Crew Physical Status:
Healthy and fit.

EVA:
None.

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Journalist Report – January 31st

Journalist Report
Crew #: 328
Position: Crew Journalist, Comms Officer, & Astronomer
Report prepared by: Tom Bickmore
Date: 31-01-2026
Sol: 6
Journalist Report Title: Sol 6

Hello from the Hab on Sol 6.

Full crew collaboration today at the Mars Desert Research Station—everyone rotated through personal projects, helping where strengths aligned best.

We all took turns making small test bricks from local regolith sifted to uniform particle size and mixed with precise amounts of water, gum, and salt. Messy, sticky work, but fun. The mixture looked and felt temptingly chocolatey—we resisted tasting it.

In the GreenHab, Aaron’s materials testing project advanced with further observations. Hydroponic radishes showed continued growth, and radishes in lab-grade regolith produced their first germination. The other setups, including TomatoSphere tomatoes in lab-regolith with 10% organic amendment, progressed steadily.

I configured the main Hab iMac to display the best ever topographical map of Mars (created and donated by Casey Handmer of Terraform Industries). The dataset, which consists of hundreds of millions of files, providing 7-meter per pixel resolution in 3D of the Martian surface is in Linux ext4 format so that it only takes a few TB of space. But that requires further simulation workarounds since macOS and Windows don’t read ext4 natively and Google Earth Pro lacks full M1 support. After a couple hours of fiddly setup, I’m most of the way there. Top priority: keep the iMac stable and running smoothly—no risk to the smart home dashboard, EVA-Link map, or critical systems (like Life Support).

We discovered that everything is available for proper hamburgers tomorrow, with some creativity in our Freeze Dried pantry, including fresh lettuce from the GreenHab. The crew is already excited.

Tonight we continued cultural exchange (with five countries represented) by making pancakes from Krusteaz mix with chocolate chips. Some crew members tried them for the first time—they were a big hit. We have had many other cultural exchanges, including friendly conversations about histories, legends, and traditions, and other dishes from different parts of the world.

Daily routines flow naturally now, teamwork stays strong, and projects keep advancing. More on Sol 7.

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Operations Report – January 31st

Report title: Operations Report
Crew #: 328
Position: Crew Engineer / HSO
Report prepared by: Aaron Tenner
Date: 31-01-2026
Sol: 6

Non-nominal systems: N/A
Notes on non-nominal systems: N/A
ROVERS
Spirit rover used: N/A
Hours: (before EVA)
Beginning charge: (Before EVA)
Ending charge: (On return from EVA, before recharging)
Currently charging:
Opportunity rover used: N/A
Hours:
Beginning charge:
Ending charge:
Currently charging:
Curiosity rover used: N/A
Hours:
Beginning charge:
Ending charge:
Currently charging:
Perseverance rover used: N/A
Hours:
Beginning charge:
Ending charge:
Currently charging:
General notes on rovers: No Rovers used today.
Summary of Hab operations: Quiet day in the hab, mostly focused on experiments. Made chocolate chip pancakes last night and this morning, the crew was very intrigued about how to make American krusteaz pancakes.
Water Use (see notes): 20.89 gal/day
Main tank level (remaining gallons, see notes): 262.2
Main water tank pipe heater (ON or OFF): ON
Main water tank heater (ON or OFF): ON
Toilet tank emptied (NO or YES): NO
Summary of internet: downlink 396.93 mbit/s, uplink 22.5 mbit/s, ping 22ms
Summary of suits and radios: None used today.
Summary of GreenHab operations: Cleaned, hydroponics continue to germinate, first radish seeds in Martian regolith germinated.
Water use: 3 gallons
Heater (ON or OFF): ON
Supplemental light (hours of operation): 6:30-11pm
Harvest (name, weight in grams): N/A
Summary of ScienceDome operations: Made regolith and poured molds into 3D printed trays.
Dual split (Heat or AC, On or Off or Automatic): Automatic, 70 degrees F
Summary of RAM operations: None today, NB bag dropped off this morning.
Summary of any observatory issues: None
Summary of health and safety issues: Items from recent HSO reports are progressing well.
Questions, concerns and requests to Mission Support: NA

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GreenHab Report – January 31st

Report title: GreenHab Report
Crew #: 328
Position: Greenhab Officer
Report prepared by: Rebeca Goncalves
Date: 31/01/2026
Sol: 6

Environmental control (fan & heater): Fan max: 85F, Fan min: 80F, Heater: 70F
Average temperatures (last 24h): 76.4F
Maximum temperature (last 24h): 85.5F
Minimum temperature (last 24h): 67.3F

Hours of supplemental light: 5:30h (6pm to 11:30pm)

Daily water usage for crops: 2.7gal
Daily water usage for research and/or other purposes: 0.3gal
Water in the Tank (160 gal useful capacity): 140 gallons remaining
Time(s) of watering for crops: 7pm

Changes to crops: Exp 1: No changes. Exp 2: Hydroponics showed first photosynthetic cotyledons. First radish seeds germinated in Martian regolith.

Narrative: Greenhab was cleaned and tidied today. The seed cover for Exp 2 hydroponic was removed since cotyledons are now showing and need light to grow.

Harvest: (include which crop and mass in grams) N/A

Support/supplies needed: N/A

Pictures attached.

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Supplemental Operations Report – January 31st

Date: 1/31/2026
Name of person filing report: Brett Bennett
Reason for Report: Routine
Off-Nominal Systems: Hab outer shell. Perseverance e-brake. Hab static tank sensor.

Power system:
GENERAC 15 kW EcoGen operating nominally, including as part of the Sol Ark system.
Current generator hours: 1390.8.

Propane:
Station Tank: 72%
Director Tank: 75%
Intern Tank: 75%
Generator Tank: 80%
Propane was not refilled this week.

Water:
Hab Static Tank: ~280 gallons. Hab static tank sensor currently being replaced.
GreenHab: 142 gallons
Outpost tank: 450 gallons
Septic Tanks emptied: No

Rovers:
Sojourner rover used: No.
Hours: 222.5
Beginning Charge: 100%
Ending Charge: 100%
Currently Charging: Yes
Monthly rover servicing completed on 1/31/26. This service showed no damaged cables. Inspection of the Perseverance e-brake shows worn brake pads, suggested for replacement at the next servicing.

Cars:
Hab Car used and why, where: Two round trips to Loa for Crew car control rod and brake service.
Crew Car used and why, where: Round trip to Loa for control rod and brake service. Round trip to Grand Junction for crew and station supplies.
General notes and comments: Recent Crew car service has addressed important issues with the tires and drivetrain, and the car is now running well.

Internet: Nominal.
EVA suits and radios: Nominal. Comms kit 2 headset malfunction occurred on 01/27/2026, which may require replacement.
Suits: Nominal.
Comms: Nominal.
T-Echo EVA-link: Nominal.

Campus wide inspection, if action taken, what and why: None. Hab outer shell shows ongoing wear. New installation of camera feed for the outpost (facing south from the shed southeast corner) is ongoing.

Summary of Hab Operations: Nominal. New room humidifier delivered to crew on 01/30/2026.
Summary of GreenHab Operations: Nominal.
Summary of SciDome Operations: Nominal.
Summary of Observatories Operations: Nominal.
Summary of RAM Operations: Nominal.
Summary of Outpost Operations:
Director trailer: Nominal.
Intern trailer: Nominal.

Summary of Health and Safety Issues: Nominal.

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