Day: February 6, 2026

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EVA Report – October 15th

Report title: EVA 1 Report
Crew #: 319
Position: Commander
Report prepared by: Rym Y. Chaid
Date: 15-10-2025
Sol: 3

EVA #: 1

Purpose of EVA: Training

Sol time: 1300
End time: 1400

Narrative:

The EVA 1 crew initiated operations with successful donning and doffing procedures for the analog suits, followed by standard pre-EVA checks and communication tests. Airlock depressurization was nominal, and all COMS were confirmed functional prior to egress.

Shortly after departure, the EVA team received a partial abort directive from Mission Support Center. In response, Commander Rym and Crew Engineer Ricardo executed an immediate safety and route reassessment, returning to RAM Station to adjust mission plan.

Following the directive, the crew transferred from two rovers to one, with Commander Rym parking Rover Curiosity and joining Crew Engineer Ricardo aboard Rover Perseverance. The crew ensured all vehicles were powered down and secured prior to consolidation.

After confirming mission parameters and receiving clearance from CapCom, EVA 1 proceeded nominally. The Perseverance rover departed RAM Station and navigated toward Marble Ritual, while maintaining full communication link with HabCom. Upon arrival, the EVA Crew parked the rover, confirmed vehicle stability, and explored on foot the Marble Ritual site.

The Crew Engineer Ricardo and Commander Rym then conducted short-distance traverses on stable terrain to assess suit mobility, visibility, and communication performance under field conditions. Environmental awareness was maintained at all times, with situational monitoring for non-simulation external activity. It was very windy!

Upon completion of surface exploration, the crew returned to Rover Perseverance and conducted a nominal return transit to MDRS Station. Airlock repressurization and post EVA safety checks were completed successfully, with all systems and personnel confirmed safe and in good condition.

Destination per MDRS Map: Marble Ritual
Destination Coordinates (use UTM WGS 84): 338.4092400, -110.7834478
EVA Participants: Rym Chaid + Ricardo Gonzales
Road(s) and routes per MDRS Map: Marble Ritual via Moon Walk Road and N Cow Dung Road
Mode of travel: Perseverance rover + exploration around the area by walk

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Operations Report – <date – October 19th>

Report title: Operations Report
Crew #: 319
Position: Crew Engineer
Report prepared by: Ricardo Javier Gonzalez
Date: 19-10-2025
Sol: 7

NON-NOMINAL SYSTEMS

Non-nominal systems:
Nothing to report

Notes on non-nominal systems:
Nothing to report

ROVERS

Spirit rover used: No
Hours: N/A
Beginning charge: N/A
Ending charge: N/A
Currently charging: Yes

Opportunity rover used: No
Hours: N/A
Beginning charge: N/A
Ending charge: N/A
Currently charging: Assumed yes

Curiosity rover used: No
Hours: N/A
Beginning charge: N/A
Ending charge: N/A
Currently charging: Yes

Perseverance rover used: No
Hours: N/A
Beginning charge: N/A
Ending charge: N/A
Currently charging: Yes

General notes on rovers:
All rovers nominal.

CAMPUS

Summary of Hab operations:
Water Use (see notes): 22.09 gal/d
Main tank level (remaining gallons, see notes): 263 gal (63.4%)
Static tank pipe heater (ON or OFF) (Orange cable): ON
Static tank heater (ON or OFF) (Black cable): ON
Toilet tank emptied (NO or YES): Yes

Summary of internet:
Nothing to report

Summary of suits and radios:
Suits – all suits are nominal.
Radios – all radios in the Main Hab have low battery. The crew can use them while they are charging, but when they are removed from the charger, the low battery indicator turns on and begins beeping. This is also true for one of the radios in the RAM. We will need 5 new Midland batteries if possible.
All other radios are nominal

Summary of GreenHab operations:
Water use: 0.1 gal
Heater (ON or OFF): ON
Supplemental light (hours of operation): 0 hrs
Harvest (name, weight in grams): N/A

Summary of ScienceDome operations:
Nothing to report
Dual split (Heat or AC, On or Off or Automatic): OFF

Summary of RAM operations:
Nothing to Report

Summary of any observatory issues:
Nothing to Report

Summary of health and safety issues:
HSO reported all crew safe and all Health Equipment to be intact

Questions, concerns and requests to Mission Support:
N/A

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Sol Summary – <date – October 19th>

Report title: Sol 7 Summary Report
Crew #: 319
Position: Mission Commander
Report prepared by: Rym Y. Chaid
Date: 19-10-2025
Sol: 7

Summary Title: Say Cheese!

Mission Status: Nominal. All systems nominal.

Sol Activity Summary:

This is Commander Rym Y. Chaid transmitting from Mars Desert Research Station.

Today was a day that reminded us how powerful creativity can be, even in a place as isolated and demanding as Mars.

Our crew spent the day doing something a little different from our usual operations: our professional crew photoshoot! It was a chance to pause, step back from the structure of mission checklists, and capture who we are in this moment: explorers, teammates, friends, and dreamers.

We suited up in our official flight suits, and if there’s one thing that our crew has brought to Mars, it’s a fashion sense! Upon arrival at the Station in our early mission days, we have been crowned the most fashionable crew, with the most flight suits ever brought to The Mars Desert Research Station. Our black crew suit is for official operations, the blue one for professional work and outreach, the white suit and gear for Extra Vehicular Activities, and the orange one our rescue suit. Each one represents a different side of our mission and the roles we take on together. Seeing them all lined up in the airlock felt like seeing the story of our team come to life, the colors, the purpose, the unity.

The photoshoot itself was full of laughter, small adjustments, and moments of focus. Crew Journalist Mackenzie Calle led the charge with her usual calm and artistic vision. She has a way of seeing beyond the surface, capturing not just what we look like, but who we are as a crew. Her passion for her craft shines through every shot, and through her lens, we could see ourselves the way we feel: confident, proud, and grateful to be here.

It’s strange how something as simple as taking photos can feel like an act of reflection. Today wasn’t about posing, it was about remembering why we’re here, the journey that brought us, and the team we’ve become.

Tomorrow, the work continues, but tonight, we’ll take a moment to look at the photos, smile, and be reminded of how far we’ve come.

End Transmission.

Commander Rym Y. Chaid

Anomalies in work: None.
Crew Physical Status: All Crew in Good Health.
EVA: None.
Reports to be filed: Sol Summary, Journalist Report, Crew Photos, Greenhab Report, Operations Report, Mission Plan.
Support Requested: None at this time.

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EVA Report – <date – October 18th>

Report title: EVA Report
Crew #: 319
Position: HSO / Crew Scientist
Report prepared by: Shriya Musuku; Reviewed by Engineer Ricardo Gonzalez
Date: (18-10-2025)
Sol: 6

EVA #: 5
Purpose of EVA: Geology
Start time: 0900
End time: 1109

Narrative:

EVA Crew Ricardo and Shriya left in high spirits and proceeded to their destination. The crew proceeded along the road where we took a first right to remain on the main road and off the campsite. As we reached the area, HabCom noticed that our comms were cutting out due to the gorges and had a short period of no response. During this time, HABCOM was also troubleshooting their communication systems which were having some failures.

As we were figuring out the landscape and trying to identify which road was Galileo Road and navigate where the next terrain led, we requested HABCOM permission to cross the road and proceed slightly further to scope out the area before we backtracked to our sample collection location. With permission from Mission Support, we proceeded to 518000/4254500 on Cow Dung Road and returned back to Pooh’s Corner after understanding that we were looking at Tharsis Montes ahead of us.

There, the crew collected pictures, Martian flowers, and geology samples as we walked around. The crew was able to successfully figure out where yesterday’s EVA crews had gone and to improve our navigation skills. We also found an abandoned kindle device and dropped a marble at Marble Ritual site after getting permission from HABCOM. We returned safely and happily, albeit a little tired at the end of the EVA. We are glad about our successful research outcomes and explorations.

Destination per MDRS Map:
Departure Point: MDRS Base
Rover Drop: The Peanut
Walk around the Peanut on route to Tharsis Montes
Furthest Exploration Point: Tharsis Montes

Destination Coordinates (use UTM WGS 84):
Departure Point: MDRS Base
Rover Drop: Pooh’s Corner
Furthest Exploration Point: Intersection of Cow Dung Road 0110 and Galileo Road 1104

EVA Participants:
Scientist – Shriya
Engineer – Ricardo
HABCOM: Journalist Mackenzie and Commander Rym

Road(s) and routes per MDRS Map:
Cow Dung Road 0110
Galileo Road 1104
Mode of travel:
Curiosity Rover + walking

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Operations Report – <date – October 18th>

Report title: Operations Report
Crew #: 319
Position: Crew Engineer
Report prepared by: Ricardo Javier Gonzalez
Date: 18-10-2025
Sol: 6

NON-NOMINAL SYSTEMS

Non-nominal systems:
Nothing to report

Notes on non-nominal systems:
Nothing to report

ROVERS

Spirit rover used: No
Hours: 284.4
Beginning charge: 100%
Ending charge: 100%
Currently charging: No

Opportunity rover used: No
Hours: 228.7
Beginning charge: 100%
Ending charge: 100%
Currently charging: No

Curiosity rover used: Yes
Hours:
Initial: 327.8
Final: 328.5
Beginning charge: 100%
Ending charge: 60%
Currently charging: No

Perseverance rover used: No
Hours: 372.3
Beginning charge: 100%
Ending charge: 100%
Currently charging: No

General notes on rovers:
All rovers nominal post EVA – nothing to report.

CAMPUS

Summary of Hab operations:
Water Use (see notes): 9.82 gal/d
Main tank level (remaining gallons, see notes): 282 gal (67.8%)
Static tank pipe heater (ON or OFF) (Orange cable): ON
Static tank heater (ON or OFF) (Black cable): ON
Toilet tank emptied (NO or YES): No

Summary of internet:
Nothing to report

Summary of suits and radios:
Suits – all suits are nominal post EVA.
Radios – Crew Engineer successfully re-attach the broken earpiece to head set #1 using glue and tape! It is now back in the EVA COMMS KIT #1
All other radios are nominal.

Summary of GreenHab operations:
Water use: 0.1 gal
Heater (ON or OFF): ON
Supplemental light (hours of operation): 0 hrs
Harvest (name, weight in grams): N/A

Summary of ScienceDome operations:
Nothing to report
Dual split (Heat or AC, On or Off or Automatic): OFF

Summary of RAM operations:
Nothing to Report

Summary of any observatory issues:
Nothing to Report

Summary of health and safety issues:
HSO reported all crew safe and all Health Equipment to be intact

Questions, concerns and requests to Mission Support:
N/A

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Sol Summary – <date – October 18th>

Report title: Sol 6 Summary Report
Crew #: 319
Position: Mission Commander
Report prepared by: Rym Y. Chaid
Date: 18-10-2025
Sol: 6

Summary Title: Spotted on Mars: Four Legged Friends!

Mission Status: Nominal. All systems nominal. We have actually reached the midpoint of our Mission so we are celebrating tonight!!

Sol Activity Summary:

This is Commander Rym Y. Chaid transmitting from Mars Desert Research Station.

Today was a good day on Mars, with a few unexpected discoveries!

We completed two EVAs, both smooth and nominal. During the morning EVA team, Crew Engineer Ricardo Gonzalez and Crew Scientist Shriya Musuku, conducted a navigation EVA, continuing our work on terrain mapping and rover handling. Their coordination and communication were excellent, a clear sign of how well our crew has settled into mission rhythm.

In the afternoon, myself and GreenHab Officer Mackenzie Calle headed out for our Mission’s very first walking-only EVA, focused on navigation and geology sampling. Without the rovers, the surface felt more alive beneath our boots. Every step was deliberate, the sun scorching hot and the time ticking to get back safely. The ridges around the habitat gave us spectacular views, with endless layers of red and white stretching into the distance. It is genuinely a sight that humbles you instantly.

I also took the opportunity to collect a few additional “Martian” soil samples, not for science this time, but for art. After the mission, I plan to transform these samples into paintings, using the same dust we’ve walked on as the medium. Even in simulation, Mars has a way of stirring creativity.

Today also marks the midpoint of our mission, and spirits are high! Tonight, we’re celebrating with a special dinner and dessert: fried plantain bananas, courtesy of our Chef Ricardo, followed by a screening of The Martian, because really, what else would the Martian crew watch on Mars? Popcorn is ready, and so are we.

In other exciting “discoveries,” we may have just made history: the first dog spotted on the surface of Mars, right outside the Hab! Call National Geographic and Discovery Channel, we’ve got groundbreaking footage. (Don’t worry, he appears to be a friendly Earth-based visitor who momentarily breached the simulation perimeter.)

And to top it off, we finally powered on our Station’s very own robotic cat today. The voice programming alone sent the whole crew into laughter, whoever programmed her personality was.. Let’s just say: unsupervised. She’s officially joined our manifest as the final crew member.

Tomorrow, we return to the field, rested, motivated, and ready to keep exploring this red world we now call home.

End Transmission.

Anomalies in work: None.
Crew Physical Status: All Crew in Good Health.
EVA: We had two successful EVAs today:
Morning: Navigation EVA with Crew Engineer Ricardo Gonzalez and Scientist Shriya Musuku – all systems nominal.
Afternoon: Geology EVA with Commander Rym Chaid and GreenHab Officer Mackenzie Calle – all systems nominal.
Reports to be filed: Sol Summary, Journalist Report, Crew Photos, Greenhab Report, Operations Report, Mission Plan, EVA Report 5 & 6.
Support Requested: None at this time.

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GreenHab Report – <date – October 18th>

Green Hab Report
Crew #319
Position: Crew Journalist & Green Hab Officer
Report prepared by: Mackenzie Calle
Date: 18-10-2025
Sol: 6

Environmental control (fan & heater): Fan min 75F, max 80F
Average temperatures (last 24h): 81.5F
Maximum temperature (last 24h): 103.3F
Minimum temperature (last 24h): 59.7
Hours of supplemental light: 0
Daily water usage for crops: 0.1 gallons
Daily water usage for research and/or other purposes: 0
Water in the Tank (160 gal useful capacity): _159____ gallons remaining (system says 160 but I used some last night and the last few days it has been at 159)
Time(s) of watering for crops: 5 minutes misting the microgreen seeds for Spaceseed and MDRS microgreens
Changes to crops: Seeds have begun to germinate and show leaves in Spaceseed and in the MDRS microgreens experiment
Soil Moisture Level: 9.4 (Average of five points, one on each corner and center)

Green Hab Officer checked on both Spaceseed and the microgreens experiments, both of which are currently in trays that are stacked and in dark locations with weight on top of them to encourage germination. Spaceseed has started to germinate evenly across the top tray with leaves starting to show but the bottom three trays germination has only begun in locations where the ridges of the tray on top does not press into the seeds as strongly.

The microgreens with moist paper towels are not germinating, I believe due to the high temperatures. They would require watering multiple times a day which has not been the case. The vermiculite trays are all germinating with leaves beginning to form. They have been covered with clear tops and places on the wood pallet in the Green Hab. The two trays that were soaked with water are showing stronger growth than the two that were moistened.

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Journalist Report – <date – October 18th>

Journalist Report
Crew 319
Position: Crew Journalist
Report prepared by: Mackenzie Calle
Date: 18-10-2025
Sol: 6

Report from Sol 6

Reporting from Sol 6 10.18.25 6:57PM. We are at the midpoint of our mission! The time flew by and we are planning to have a movie night tonight with popcorn and watch The Martian to celebrate, plus Ricardo is going to cook some plantains. The crew is also celebrating by having our first showers since mission start, much needed and much appreciated.

The theme of the day has again been two – two EVAs, with two crew, for 2.5 hours each. Crew Scientist Shriya Musuku and Crew Engineer Ricardo J. Gonzalez embarked on the first EVA this morning, departing in Curiosity Rover. The crew has experienced some navigation questions so we decided to explore up to Galileo Road and beyond to Cowboy Corner. They then returned closer to MDRS at Pooh’s Corner, collecting geological samples to bring back to the Science Dome for analysis. They experienced a few aliens along the way but did not make contact.

EVA Crew 2 today with Commander Rym Chaid and Crew Journalist Mackenzie Calle made their way on foot to Pooh’s Corner. Under the heat of the afternoon they proceeded from the station towards Pooh’s Corner, collecting geological samples along the way and capturing media needs. They also encountered what those on Earth would describe as an ant hill during their EVA. Crew then returned to the hab.

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