Day: February 6, 2026

Journalist Report
Crew 321 November 5, 2025
Alexander Rowe
Sol 2:

Our day started at 0800 this morning with excited chatter and conversation around the day before’s adventures. We had a meal of cereal and dehydrated milk, followed by a briefing of the 2nd day’s EVA. Our EVA had an approved time window of 1000-1230. We were to collect 2 specific geological samples, from two different sites again. We agreed that we would have the same duties on the EVA today, as we had on the previous day. Parker was our ExO, Dianea was our HSO, Yishan was our geologist, Jake was our navigator and Alex was on Coms duty. At 0900, the crew cleaned up from breakfast and started preparing for getting into their suits. At around 0930, we had all assembled down on the main landing of the HAB, to get suited up. Yishan and Jake had decided that they would take the 2-piece suits today and the rest would try the 1-piece suits out. Since the 2-piece suits take more time, we got Yishan and Jake into their suits. Today was different, in that, our commander gave the crew the space to work together to get each other suited up, with no intervening. Our crew worked together gloriously. Yishan and Jake got into their suits with no hiccups. When they were in their suits (and after several photo opportunities), we sent them out into the airlock at 1000. The second crew of suits then started getting prepped. Parker was the first to suit up. This suit has significantly less work to get on, than the 2-piece suits. Parker got in, buckled up and fans on, in less than 5 minutes. Dianea and Alex followed next. The second crew was ready nearly by the time that the first crew was out of the airlock. Waiting in the airlock is a lovely and exciting moment. The anticipation of entering an experience like this is so unique. Once out into the outdoor environment, our crew found the three rovers that we would be using again. Jake and Alex took Spirit. Dianea and Yishan took Perseverance. Parker took Curiosity. Since Jake was the navigator for us, Spirit took the lead. The drive to our first site was a scenic 20 minute venture. Our first site was at the Road to Barranca Butte (519700, 4247300 (UTM NAD27 CONUS)). We successfully made it to the first site at 1030. We radioed to the HAB that we had made it to site #1. The team was to search for basalt samples here. The area was full of interesting samples and the crew was full of chatter for the updates as to what they had found. We all found more than enough samples and collected some interesting samples to explore back at the HAB too. At nearly 1100 Parker gave us an update on the time and we made the move to head to site #2. We all packed into our respective rovers and headed out to site #2 at 1100. Site #2 was Southwest of Kissing Camel Ridge (518200, 4249300 (UTM NAD27 CONUS)). The Kissing Camel Ridge has the name for it’s beautifully anthropomorphic and zoomorphic qualities. The colors in the surrounding area here were breathtaking. Vivid red bursts, followed by bright white lines, next to deep purple veins and auburn splashes all lit up the crews eyes. Our samples to collect at this site were to be an analog version of hematite. We were looking for either chert or petrified wood. This area was rife with these rocks and such a wide land to explore. The river bed proved a lovely place to find samples, as it had rained in the past week. Each crew member filled their pockets with samples and returned to their rovers. The sun was more direct today, which brought on the heat and exhaustion more quickly. By 1130, we had agreed to head back to the rovers. We ended up leaving site #2 and heading back to the HAB for the day. We let the HAB know that we were returning. We made it back to the HAB by 1145 and called to ask if we could use the airlock in the RAM this time. Our commander gave us the approval for the RAM airlock. Our team took a quick 360 video outside the HAB. We loaded ourselves into the RAM for the wait. This was a fun and different experience, as all 5 of us could be in the airlock at the same time. It was a nice way to enter the HAB for the last time in sim. We were cleared for entrance into the HAB by 1155. Once we made it into the HAB, our crew helped each other out of our suits and cleaned them thoroughly. We all were itching with excitement, at the opportunity to look at our samples. After putting all of our suits and accessories away, we were able to head up to the main deck and start looking at our samples. Our wonderful commander had started making us a delicious lunch of Mac and Cheese and fresh bread. All of us enjoyed the meal with minimal talking, as it was delicious. Once finished with cleaning lunch up, we all quickly started perusing our samples. Many “oohs” and “ahhs” were had. The samples from this area are so diverse and a visual buffet. From the clarity of the gypsum, to the vibrant colors in the petrified wood, to the rough edges and lines in our conglomerates, we just all poured over each others’ samples. Yishan was really in her element here, as she gave us all wonderful input on our questions. By 1400 we were all deep into putting together our Mars and Analogue sample packs, that we had set out to create. Our members went back to time on their own, of connecting to their students and taking a respite. We found that our water consumption has been a bit more than anticipated and we problem solved around ways that we could solve the issue. Our crew is looking forward to one last meal before heading back to earth tomorrow morning. See you all then!

Journalist Report
Crew 321 November 4th, 2025
Alexander Rowe
Sol 1:

The crew gathered for breakfast at 0800. Yishan made a lovely pot of oatmeal for us to share. Bananas, blueberries, strawberries, peanut butter and brown sugar were all lovely supplements to the our dishes. During breakfast and following, we had an overview of what our first EVA (Extra Vehicular Activity) was going to be. Parker volunteered to be our ExO (Executive Officer) on the mission. His job was to keep track of time, keep the crew focused on the tasks and manage rover battery life. Alex volunteered to be the Coms. His tasks were to radio back to the station and update them on our location and times leaving. Dianea volunteered to be our HSO (Health and Safety Officer). She was ready to help with any health or safety issues that might arise on the EVA. Jake volunteered to be our Navigator. He had our map and directed us to where the two spots we would be stopping at. Yishan volunteered to be our team geologist. As our mission was to look for specific geological samples, Yishan’s knowledge was so helpful for us all. After breakfast, crew 321 cleaned the dishes and moved onto getting ready for our EVA.

At 0915 the crew began to change into their EVA uniforms and gather the belongings that they would be using in the field. All crew members decided to take two piece suits. These suits need other members to help put them on, as they have many components that are out of reach. Jen, our Commander, helped all of the members get into their suits. The excitement in the room was palpable, as all members got into their suits, one by one. Once the members were in their suits, many photo opportunities presented themselves. The first grouping of the crew entered the airlock at 1000 and waited for the all clear to come from inside the HAB. Once they exited, the second group followed suit.

Once the team was outdoors, we found our three rovers. We took out the rovers named Curiosity, Perseverance and Spirit. Jake and Alex took Spirit. Parker took Curiosity. Yishan and Dianea took Perseverance. We unhooked the rovers, turned them on and reported their battery life and hours used to our Commander. Spirit took the lead and Jake directed us to our first destination at the intersection of Brahe HWY on Cow Dung Road (518000, 4254750). In tandem, we drove to the first site, passing countless gorgeous mounds of this alien landscape. We came to the sign for Brahe Hwy and parked our rovers. Our first geological samples to collect were gypsum. We all searched for sparkles in the surrounding area. At first, we didn’t know if we had found the correct spot. The sun finally allowed us the opportunity to start finding samples. We quickly found that we were surrounded by pockets of beautiful gypsum, which had floated to the surface of the red-orange sands. We became quickly spread out. After 30 minutes, Parker helped bring us back together and get ready to move onto the second location. We let the HAB know that we were on our way to the second location.

Our second location was the mounds near the balancing rock, south of dry creek wash (518000, 425400). We made it to our second location at around 1115. Our second geological samples to collect were sandstone blueberries. We were to look for these in the berms by the dried riverbed and near the balancing rock. The balancing rock was breathtaking to see. We quickly found ample amounts of blueberries and collected our samples. This area was rife with diverse geology. It was so much fun to look through what was on the surrounding ground. While there, we were approached by an alien life form. We just ignored them and moved on. Parker gave us the go ahead, to head back to the HAB.
We left at 1145, to return.

We arrived back to the HAB at 1200. All crew members docked their rovers, reported their battery life and hours used and gathered for a 360 degree photo. The first group returned to the airlock and waited for pressurization to happen. The second group followed after the first. All members successfully changed out of their suits and cleaned their helmets off. They brought their samples to the upper deck for inspection. All members debriefed as a team on the upper deck. The team was elated about their experience. We problem solved ahead of our next EVA. How to keep our headsets and head coverings more secured was a topic among us all. A few crew members mused about trying the one-piece suit out tomorrow. We will see.

Our fearless Commander made us a delicious lunch of fresh bread and potato cheddar broccoli soup. We all loved and needed the sustenance after such an adventure. After eating and debriefing, the crew had time to complete work in their non-sim lives. Some exhausted from the experience in the field, needed to rest. Some took time to send videos or materials to their students.

After a much needed moment of respite, our team came back together for some experimentation in the Science Dome. Each of us took two of our gypsum samples and noted the weight of them. After this, we put one sample in a pan of continually mixed water and one in an oven. We are leaving them until tomorrow, to note their outcome.

Report title: Journalist Report
Crew #: 322
Position: Scientist
Report prepared by: Anastasia G. Yanchilina
Date: 10-11-2025
Sol: 1

Journalist Report Title: Sol 1, Second day on mission.

Report:
Weather: sunny, calm, low wind.
Location: Reporting from the Hab

Activities and EVA Operations:
– Crew 322 completed setup and explored the MDRS surroundings.
– Three EVA’s were scheduled.
– EVA 1: Co-Commander A (EV1) and Scientist (EV2).
– EVA 2: Medic (EV1) and Engineer (EV2).
– EVA 3: Co-Commander B (EV1) and Green Hub Officer (EV2).
– Main challenges: habitat setup and troubleshooting software systems across all teams.

Technical and Science Notes:
– Issues encountered: digital compass malfunction, difficulties connecting fNIRS and eye-tracking glasses.
– Cross streamlining across teams, EVA 2 had a faster prep time than EVA 1 and EVA 3 had a faster prep time than EVA 2.

Meals and crew health:
– Subcrew 1 and 3 prepared soup and stem from freeze-dried food options, while subcrew 2 completed their EVA.
– Some crew members reported mild respiratory symptoms (stuffy / runny noses), but general health and morale remain good overall and across all crew members.