Category: Journalist Report

CREW 315 SOL SUMMARY REPORT 22-04-2025

Sol: 2

Summary Title: Whispers of Stone & Wind—A Day of Discovery on the Red Planet

Author’s Name: Urban Koi, HSO

Mission Status: Nominal. All systems operational.

Sol Activity Summary:

Sol 2 dawned beneath a cloudy Martian sky, the horizon veiled in white and the air tinged with the restless promise of wind. Our crew awoke in good health and high spirits, buoyed by the sense of purpose that comes with exploration on this distant world. Today, our footsteps traced new stories across the red dust, each action a small defiance of the planet’s ancient silence.

The morning’s first EVA saw Crew Engineering and Crew Artist venture out to Robert’s Rock Garden, where the landscape is a gallery of Martian geology. With careful hands and attentive eyes, they gathered stone and rock samples—each a universe of color, texture, and form. These fragments will become the raw material for the Crew Engineer’s 3D scanning project, a bridge between engineering and art. Meanwhile, our Crew Artist’s camera captured the myriad of colors of the Martian environment and the quiet choreography of the EVA, images destined to inspire and inform long after the dust has settled.

As the sun arced higher, a second team—Commander, Crew GreenHab Officer/Journalist, and Health & Safety Officer (HSO)—set out toward the enigmatic reaches of Candor Chasma. Their purpose was twofold: to seek the desiccated soils that whisper of Mars’ vanished waters for the Crew Journalist’s research study, and to scout the land for future creative and scientific endeavors. Along the winding path of Cow Dung Road, they paused at several locations close to the Commander’s heart where he recalled seeing traces of ancient dryness, places within easy reach of the rovers yet untouched by human hand. Our Crew Journalist turned their attention to the mysteries held within desiccated Martian soil. With careful hands and a scientist’s curiosity, they sifted through samples, searching for stories written in dust and mineral. Each grain, stripped of water by the planet’s ancient breath, held secrets of vanished rivers and the silent endurance of stone. Camera in hand, our HSO sought to photograph not only the stark geometry of stone and sky, but also the quiet pulse of our EVA journey—bootprints pressed into ochre dust, helmets reflecting the muted light of a distant sun, the horizon unfurling in endless invitation. Their journey was a testament to curiosity and the enduring drive to see what lies beyond the next rise.

Throughout the day, the weather kept us vigilant—clouds cleared, temperatures hovered around 77ºF, and winds gathered strength, gusting to 18 mph by midafternoon. As Sol 2 draws to a close, in the heart of the habitat, the aroma of freshly baked banana bread mingled with the Martian air, offering a welcome reminder of home. Our Health & Safety Officer (HSO) crafted a loaf of banana bread sweetened with honey and crowned with a generous drizzle, then finished with a touch of crushed almonds for texture and nutty flavor. The bread, made with wholesome ingredients and naturally sweetened, was both a nourishing snack and a morale booster for the crew. As evening settled over the station, the Crew Artist stepped away from sketches and art to prepare dinner: a hearty pot of fresh chili. The wholesome meal, rich with beans, mixed vegetables, and spices, brought warmth to the crew after a day of exploration and troubleshooting. The chili’s robust flavors and communal nature made it the perfect dish to gather around, sharing stories and laughter as the winds howled outside.

The samples and images we bring back are the seeds of science and stories, of questions yet to be answered, and of art yet to be made. Reports will be filed, samples analyzed, and anomalies addressed, but tonight, we rest with the knowledge that we have added another verse to the ongoing poem of human presence on Mars.

EVAs Completed:

EVA 3: 0930-1130

Purpose: Collected 3-5 rock samples for the Crew Engineer’s 3D Scanning project, no larger than 250 mm in any dimension in a variety of shapes, textures, and colors to return to the Hab. Crew Artist took photos of the environment and EVA activities to convert into artwork or other mediums post-EVA.

Destination: Robert’s Rock Garden

Coordinates: 518250E, 4249000N

EVA Participants: Michael Andrews (Crew Engineer), Tim Gagnon (Crew Artist)

EVA 4: 1330-1630

Purpose: Traveled to Candor Chasma area to look for desiccated soil for Crew Journalist’s project, looked for easy entrance into the Chasma without entering and survey for HSO’s 100cameras potential project location. Traveled up Cow Dong Rd about 2 km further where the Commander has seen desiccated soil in two, within 1 km, walking distance locations from where rovers will park next to Cow Dung Rd.

Destination: Candor Chasma Area + Along Cow Dung Rd.

Coordinates: Candor Chasma: 4252000N, 520000W; Galileo Road: 4253500N, 518500W

EVA Participants: David Laude (Commander), Elena Saavedra Buckley (Journalist/GreenHab Officer), Urban Koi (Health & Safety Officer – HSO)

LOOK AHEAD PLAN:

Anomalies in Work: EVASuit #1 (Helmet mounting ring inverted, downside up, unusable). Crew Engineer investigated this issue and successfully restored the suit to full functionality.

Weather: Temperature: 77º, 1500; Sky: Cloudy, 1500; Gust: 18 mph; 1500; Wind: 11 mph, 2100

Crew Physical Status: All in Good Health + Spirits

EVAs to Be Completed:

EVA 5: Travel to Somerville Overlook, then back toward Candor Chasma, then return to Galileo Road, Cow Dung Road, and back to the Hab; possibly stop at the area specific Commander recommended about 2 km further north on Cow Dung Road if there’s time. Along the way: look for soil for Crew Journalist’s project, fly HSO’s drone and take some photographs; potentially do a short 100cameras module; and have some focused one-on-one talk for Journalist’s Harper’s piece.

EVA 6: Travel to Candor Chasma area to look for specimens for Crew Engineer’s project and scenery for Crew Artist followed by continuing on to Somerville Overlook for the same objective.

Reports to Be Filed: Sol Summary, Journalist Report, Crew Photos, Greenhab Report, Operations Report, EVA reports, EVA Request(s)

Support Requested: None at this time.

Journalist report Sol 3

We report to you having just consumed, among the five of us, 7.5 bean and beef burritos with tomatoes and herbs from the GreenHab. Spirits are fairly high in the Hab this evening, with light pouring in from the Commander’s room window and two fun EVAs accomplished. Our daily rhythms seem more customizable, and little problems seemed easy to solve via ingenuity.

Last night some crew members stayed up late working on projects while the GreenHab—erroneously—continuously glowed pink with supplemental light. In the groggy morning, we did another short 100cameras module for our HSO’s project over breakfast—we’re all now fully aware of how much our Engineer likes photos of cats. We then discussed lowering our paper towel consumption and the water we use to wash dishes, and our HSO and Journalist got ready for their EVA out to Somerville Overlook. While some human error on the Journalist’s part led to minor radio issues, the two made it over the bumpy road like Martian monster truckers. The view poured out in front of them when they arrived. HSO took some drone footage, and looking skyward toward the device returning, while wearing a one-piece suit, proved so awkward that she fell over a bush. Immediately after the drone landed back at HSO’s feet, five Martian pronghorn sprinted right past the EVA crew. The rest of the outing included some soil sampling and more drone practice on Cow Dung Road.

The second EVA took our Commander, Artist, and Engineer out to the same location, where our Engineer made some progress on his Starlink project and collected more rocks for 3D scanning. Our Commander made visual contact with one of his favorite geological formations on Mars—the Monolith—and took coordinates so he could get closer with either drone or foot on another EVA during our mission. Wind and dust devils shooed them back to the Hab.

Our Journalist prepared fresh tortillas for those burritos (which used leftover chili made by our Artist). She entered her first flow state on Mars while making them. She is realizing that she needs to do a second mission entirely devoted to Martian culinary arts.

Journalist report Sol 4

We’re celebrating the fact that our HSO won a grant from NASA today, announced just now on a Zoom (her background: the lower deck EVA suit formation). Before that finale, today was a functional, routine day on Mars, with only a few hiccups.

Our Commander made pancakes while our HSO and Artist caught the sunrise near the Observatory. The first EVA crew—HSO and Commander—set out to the Overlook to investigate a spectral, faraway geologic object of great interest to our Commander, the Monolith, which he first saw there years ago and has been trying to gain a greater understanding of ever since. He took a few compass readings this time, but he’ll be going back tomorrow, with the Journalist, to get more information in an attempt to triangulate its exact location on the map. Will it be accessible via rover? Will he be able to get closer to it via other means (drone)? Would touching it turn him into the dog that caught the car? Or would it change his life? The Journalist is very interested in the answer to this question. Their EVA was also dedicated to our HSO taking drone footage, especially new shots including the Commander driving in a rover.

The second EVA took our Engineer and Journalist out to Green Mars View so the Engineer could set up Starlink for his project, completing a Duolingo lesson in Spanish to test the connectivity. They trekked to a nearby ridge to search for, you guessed it, the Monolith, and they may have taken a zoomed in, blurry picture, but the Commander wasn’t sure. (Nothing is as it seems when it comes to this subject.) Otherwise, the two chatted for the Journalist’s magazine piece and took photos for the HSO’s 100cameras project. The two are also sorry that they came back a little late due to an erroneous 24hr time entered on the EVA request.

Meanwhile, our Artist prepared a fairly inspired pasta salad while the Journalist’s disappointingly bland loaf of cheddar and herb bread finished its boogie in the bread oven. After HSO’s NASA triumph—only interrupted by a tiny wifi outage—we gathered to appreciate his work. It’s worth noting, too, that our HSO’s funded project has to do with mushroom growth in space, while the Journalist (so far) can’t manage to grow a blue oyster mushroom in the GreenHab.

Journalist report sol 5

After a few days on Mars, people get comfortable, start to stare into the middle distance, and have interesting discussions over homemade Hab pizza. Today was productive and exploratory for the crew.

Wakeups are a bit more automatic now—this Crew Journalist rose and watched her phone clock turn from 6:59 to 7:00—and this morning flowed fairly seamlessly into our crew meeting, which had to do with lowering our water consumption along with planning EVAs and a few goal happenings for next week. Our Commander and Journalist left on the first EVA toward Green Mars View (which the Journalist realized she and the Engineer had not quite reached last time), where they took in the view at the canyon ridge for a meditative stretch before walking toward a nearby elevated area to look for the Monolith. A few things poked out of the distant rocks, but nothing definitive; on the drive back, the two stared at a column-like rock formation many miles away, waiting for the shifting light to reveal its identity, before deciding they had probably failed. Fortunately, this only makes things more interesting.

The wind picked up in the afternoon, so our Engineer and HSO went on a short, one-hour EVA to release the rocks the Engineer had 3D scan back into the wild, and to test the drone in windy conditions.

Of course, the food: from-scratch corn muffins with cheddar cheese and chives on top, and a couple pizzas using a variety of pantry and GreenHab ingredients (photos attached). The Journalist enjoyed listening to music from the Commander’s digitized ’60s tape collection while kneading the dough. Now that suiting up, report writing, and scaling the Hab’s steep stairs are familiar, we can spend our cognitive energy on other pursuits—our pre-report evening has ended with a varied discussion on bigger questions around Martian exploration.

Journalist report for the 04/07, Sol 1 :
Author – Batoul Tani

Our first Mars day was the day of our first EVA’s. Arnaud, Batoul, and Louis ventured out in the fresh morning air, while Antoine, Béatrice, Bérengère, and Odile explored the surroundings in the afternoon. The goal? Getting comfortable with the communication systems and starting to discover the landscape around us.
Back at the station, nearly everyone began working on their experiments. The scientists spent the first part of the day in the Science Dome! The Health and Safety Officer updated the first aid kit. She also prepared us to her experiment: non
And of course, no Martian day would be complete without our daily sports routine: cycling and strength training.
Lastly, the daily meeting was interesting after the first feedbacks of the simulation.

Report Crew journalist 04/08/2025
Batoul Tani

Today, everyone was busy on Mars!
During sol 2, we carried out two EVAs with different objectives:
Morning: We collected soil samples for our journalist’s Batoul experiment.

Afternoon: The goal was to find a suitable location to place our engineer’s, Antoine, equipment.

We also had our first medical emergency simulation, followed by a valuable learning debrief of our Health and Safety Officer and the impression of the crew.
In the lab, Bérengère put her fungi to the test by exposing them to microgravity and UV light, while Batoul received her bacteria and was able to perform her first inoculations.
Finally, 5 members of the crew did the same strength training. They had the opportunity to have a great time exercising.

Crew 314 Journalist Report 09Apr2025
Author: Batoul Tani

The day began with a breakfast prepared by Odile, the Health & Safety Officer. Several crew members then took part in an extravehicular activity (EVA) during which fossil searches were conducted. But they didn’t find The EVA also provided an opportunity to take photos of the crew and check the condition of the equipment deployed the previous day, which was still in place and fully operational.
Meanwhile, Arnaud was in charge of data collection for the experiment conducted with Béatrice. Antoine also confirmed the proper functioning of the dust collectors installed in the field.
On the scientific side:
Bérengère, the GreenHab Officer, checked the proper functioning of the equipment used to apply environmental stress to arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), prepared the culture pots for the long-term experiment starting today, and wrote the GreenHab report.
Batoul, the crew journalist, inoculated Bacillus thuringiensis (with and without soil) on Petri dishes, as well as Escherichia coli in a 96-well plate. Both were exposed to UV-C light as part of her experiment.
Our Executive Officer, Arnaud, also communicated with an academic collaborator to refine the research protocol and obtain essential labels for the continuation of the experiment. He contributed to outreach efforts by sending photos and videos to a sponsor of the project. Antoine, the Crew Engineer, fixed a toilet-related leak and repaired a bicycle handlebar. In the afternoon, several crew members participated in the medical emergency simulation led by Odile.
Physical activity was strongly present today: Louis & Arnaud completed an intense 1h20 bike session, while Béatrice, Odile, Antoine, Batoul and Bérengère also engaged in group sport.
Finally, everyone contributed to writing the daily reports, despite some fatigue felt at the end of the day. Notably, Bérengère completed the scoubidous she had been making for the entire crew.

Crew 314 – Journalist report – 10 apr 2025
Author: Batoul Tani

This morning, Béatrice (commandant), Antoine (engineer), and Arnaud (executive officer) headed out on an EVA. After a quick check of Antoine’s equipment, the crew took Galileo Road toward Candor Chasma, a stunning canyon with striking Martian-like scenery. Dressed in their space suits, they may have felt (just for a few moments) like true explorers on Mars. The EVA went smoothly and offered breathtaking views throughout.
Back at the MDRS, the afternoon was more relaxed, focused on scientific work. Arnaud and Béatrice continued data collection for their joint experiment, which tracks heart rate, heart rate variability, sleep quality and duration, as well as responses to a supplementation protocol (either a placebo or a combination of Lactobacillus helveticus and glycine). Each participant also carries out a daily five-minute cardiac coherence session, a breathing technique known to support stress management.
Meanwhile, our journalist, Batoul continued her research by placing bacterial cultures outside to observe how extreme temperature variations affect their growth, an experiment that may offer insights into the effects of climate change. Bérengère, the greenhab officer, spent the whole day sterilizing spores for her experiment.
To wrap up the day, some crew members took time to unwind or get active. Arnaud finished his afternoon with a high-intensity bike session, a powerful way to cap off a day of exploration, research, and physical challenge.

MDRS Journalist Log SOL 1
01 April 2025
By David Joy

Today Crew 313 woke to blustery but safe winds after a safe entry onto Mars to start Sol 1 and began to prepare for our first EVA. After a wonderful breakfast, we began to suit up and prepare to enter the airlock.

In this EVA five of the six crew members ventured out heading for two separate locations in order to collect samples of gypsum, sandstone, and if possible, sandstone “blueberries”. We made good time to the first location and were able to collect more than enough gypsum. The samples were high quality, and often contained trace colors of yellow, brown, or amber.

We then traveled to the second location, we struggled to find the location, even with the coordinates. We did find a location in which we were able to find the necessary sandstone and sandstone “blueberries”, along with numerous other amazing samples. There were a variety of sandstone samples of various colors, often layered, and the EVA team was successful at locating some of the sandstone “blueberries” which were dark in quality and of average quality.

We were so caught up in the marvel of the Martian geology that we nearly missed our time to return to the Hab. To make matters more interesting, we had a storm come up on us with stronger winds, and temperature drop, and even some precipitation.

We were able to make it back to the Hab only a minute or so late, without anyone getting impaled or left behind (Take that Mark Watney!!!).

We then ate lunch and had time to rest and recover for a bit, at which point we then suited up for our second EVA, in which we would be testing some new helmet designs made by our own crew member Riley Nuttycombe!

Our second EVA was a walking EVA in which we walked to the Marble Ritual site, in which we participated, and then did several things to test the new helmet designs, such as climbing to test maneuverability and sampling to test visibility and productivity, as well as overall comfort. It was a very successful and helpful test, and a safe and productive EVA.

To end the Sol we are preparing dinner, tying up loose ends, and resting in preparation for tomorrow and another amazing and productive Sol.

Crew 313 signing off.

Journalism Report
MDRS Crew 313
April 2, 2025
Sol 2
By Becca Hodgkinson

Crew 313 had two successful EVAs today. In the morning, the crew took rovers Curiosity, Perseverance, and Spirit to a site to the south to look for basalt and breccia analogs. They then traveled north to Kissing Camels to scout for petrified wood samples for their analog rock sample kits. All rovers worked well, and the crew was able to try out different helmet and backpack configurations.

In the afternoon, four members of the crew took a second walking EVA back to the Marble Ritual, gathering even more rock and mineral specimens to add to their collections. All EVA objectives were met, and EVAs were completed within the approved timeframe. Afterwards, the crew finished up their Martian geology experiments in the Science Dome.