Day: February 6, 2026

Journalist Report
Crew 319
Position: Crew Journalist
Report prepared by: Mackenzie Calle
Date: 19-10-2025
Sol: 7

Report from Sol 7

Reporting from Sol 7 10.19.25 19:12PM. Crew had our most impactful night of the mission. Perhaps because it was mid-mission, or perhaps because we finally had showers, but we had a burst of energy to go stargazing by the Solar Observatory until the early hours of the morning. We gazed at the stars through Crew Engineer Ricardo J. Gonzalez’s binoculars and got a closer look at Jupiter, which at first appeared to be a campfire on the horizon. A few of us remarked that we had never seen that many stars and the Milky Way so clear. It formed a perfect half circle over our heads and we discussed everything from heliocentrism to pondering the edges of the universe.

We then had a ‘lazy’ Sunday and I only use that term in the sense that we did not have any EVAs. Instead, the crew caught up on some rest, position duties, and spent the afternoon participating in media for both the Crew Journalist Mackenzie Calle and the Commander Rym Chaid. Safe to say there has to be at least one good photo in the bunch.

We are planning EVAs for tomorrow and looking forward to Ricardo’s plantains and a postponed movie night from last night to watch The Martian.

Journalist Report
Crew 319
Position: Crew Journalist
Report prepared by: Mackenzie Calle
Date: 22-10-2025
Sol: 10

Report from Sol 10

Reporting from Sol 10 10.22.25 17:27

TODAY WAS OUR LAST DAY OF EVAs!! It’s also the first day that we’ve had clouds in over 1.5 weeks! Hard to believe that our mission is coming close to the end. It simultaneously feels like we just began and like we have lived here forever. I think I speak for the whole crew when I say we are going to miss the landscapes and the clarity of the Milky Way at night. But also I think a few of us are looking forward to regular showers and coffee again.

We saved our farthest EVA journeys for today. EVA Crew 1 with Commander Rym Chaid and Crew Engineer Ricardo J. Gonzalez ventured to Green Mars Overlook. They have now set the Crew 319 record for the farthest distance from the Hab. They were met there with a huge canyon and soaring vistas.

EVA Crew 2 with Crew Scientist Shriya Musuku and Crew Journalist Mackenzie Calle made their way to the Sea of Shells. After a few wrong turns on mismarked Mars pathways, they made it to their destination. Turns out there are no shells at the Sea of Shells but there are monumental plateaus, gray rolling hills, and a lot of sparkling crystal rock. Shriya also maneuvered some expert 3-point turns.

Last night, Shriya also showed the crew a few slide samples of local tiny creatures that made their way into the hab. Pretty cool to see some of the tiny aliens at 100x magnification.

Journalist Report
Crew 319
Position: Crew Journalist
Report prepared by: Mackenzie Calle
Date: 21-10-2025
Sol: 9
Report from Sol 9

Reporting from Sol 9 10.21.25 19:22PM

Crew 319 experienced their first three-person EVAs today. With one in the morning and one in the afternoon, both crews undertook emergency response training and were prepped by Crew Scientist Shriya Musuku and Commander Rym Chaid on procedures for splinting, assessing a scene, and ensuring crew safety while on an EVA in spacesuits.

On the first EVA, Crew Scientist Shriya, who is a trained first responder, guided Crew Journalist Mackenzie Calle through procedures and practice with prepping broken arms, the questions to ask at every stage, and how to make sure you do not cause any further damage. Following the training, the crew explored our own backyard. The hills behind MDRS are stunning with their sedimentary banding, valleys, and rocks. The crew felt the most tested with their endurance since beginning the mission.

For lunch, the crew tried our first freeze dried meat! But getting it out of the can was an adventure. With no can opener, Crew Engineer Ricardo J. Gonzalez headed to the RAM to explore what tools are available. In the end, a chisel with a hammer and then shears were able to open the dried can of chicken. Future crews, be careful when opening this can, the edges are now sharp. But turns out, the chicken was surprisingly worth it.

EVA crew two then headed out for more emergency response. Commander Rym was training Crew Engineer Ricardo and took him through multiple emergency scenarios and how to best prepare a broken limb while making it to a medical facility. The crew then headed to the top of the ridge above MDRS where we found some beautiful crystals and were surprised at how far the flat plateau stretched in front of us. We enjoyed the views from the top with full eyes on the station before heading back for an evening of surveys and reports.