Category: Sol Summary

Crew 314 Sol Summary Report 04-13-2025

Sol : 7

Summary Title : Whispers of a forgotten ocean.

Author’s name: Arnaud de Wergifosse (Crew Executive Officer)

Mission Status: ongoing

Sol Activity Summary: Sol after sol, the crew continues to push the boundaries of analog Martian exploration with resilience, focus, and scientific curiosity. The morning began with final EVA preparations and a weather check under clear skies and mild winds.

At 09:37, four crew members exited the airlock after standard decompression procedures to carry out a field mission in the Sea of Shells region. Among them was GreenHab Officer Bérengère Bastogne, who aimed to collect two soil samples from this geologically rich area for her fungi-based research. The site, thought to have once been covered by an ancient Martian ocean, offered both symbolic and scientific value. She was joined by Crew Engineer Antoine, tasked with inspecting his deployed equipment after it had been exposed to intense wind conditions the day prior.The EVA team was split between two rovers: Curiosity (Arnaud and Bérengère) and Opportunity (Antoine and Béatrice). Shortly after departure, Mission Support issued a reminder to reduce rover speed in order to conserve battery for the full route.

After checking in at several intersections, the team reached the vicinity of their target area around 10:20. While on site, they conducted geological sampling, explored the surrounding terrain, and deployed the drone to capture aerial imagery. Due to the local topography, radio contact with the Hab was lost after 09:57, though GPS tracking remained active throughout the EVA. The team began their return journey at 11:20 and successfully re-established communication at 11:40 upon reaching the Cow Dung Road and Galileo Road intersection. There, they performed a brief inspection of Antoine’s equipment and shared a status update with CapCom.

The EVA concluded with the crew safely returning to the MDRS at 11:55. Antoine and Béatrice alternated as drivers for Opportunity, while Arnaud continued as driver of Curiosity. All mission objectives were accomplished, marking another efficient and productive sol of surface operations.

Later in the day, the crew took time to unwind with a group workout session, helping to relieve both the physical fatigue and mental tension accumulated throughout the sol. This was followed by a communal cooking session, where the team shared a warm meal—an enjoyable and grounding end to a demanding but fulfilling day.

Look Ahead Plan : Tomorrow, we will carry out Louis’s experiment, which requires the entire crew to participate in an EVA, meaning there will be two EVAs : one in the morning and another in the afternoon. His experiment, which began on Sol 4 inside the MDRS and will continue in the field on Sol 8, focuses on the interaction between humans and technology. For this purpose, he needs the crew to perform a series of movements, which will be recorded by a wrist-mounted portable device.

Anomalies in work: None was notified.

Weather: The day began with clear, sunny conditions in the morning, followed by increasing cloud cover in the afternoon. Temperatures ranged from 38°F to 79°F over the course of the day.

Crew Physical Status: Everyone was in good health today, with no issues reported.

EVA: Four crew members took part in today’s EVA, including GreenHab Officer Bérengère Bastogne, who collected two soil samples from the Sea of Shells as part of her fungi-related experiment. This site, once covered by an ancient ocean, offered a poetic backdrop to the mission. She was joined by Crew Engineer Antoine, who needed to inspect his installation following strong winds the previous day. The team left the MDRS at 09:37 after standard decompression, splitting into two rovers: Béatrice and Antoine in Opportunity, and Bérengère with EVA leader Arnaud in Curiosity. Mission Support reminded the team early on to reduce speed to preserve rover battery life.

The crew almost reached their destination at 10:20 after checking in at key intersections. While on site, they explored the area, collected samples, and used the drone to capture aerial images. Radio contact was lost after 09:57 due to poor signal but GPS tracking remained active. At 11:20, the team began their return and re-established contact at 11:40, upon arriving at the Cow Dung Road and Galileo Road intersection. There, they checked Antoine’s equipment and briefly reported their activities. The EVA concluded with the team safely heading back, with Antoine and Béatrice alternating driving duties in Opportunity, and Arnaud remaining at the wheel of Curiosity.

Crew was back at the station at 11:55.

Reports to be filed: Sol Summary, Journalist Report, GreenHab Report, Operations Report, EVA Report, EVA Request, Crew Photos, Astronomy Report.

Support Requested: Food requested by the crew was provided by the mission support

Crew 314 Sol Summary Report 14-04-2025

Sol: 8

Summary Title: Sol by Sol, We Explore Further

Author’s name: Arnaud de Wergifosse (Crew executive officer)

Mission Status: ongoing

Sol Activity Summary: Today was marked by scientific advancement and teamwork. Bérengère observed early mycelium development in her fungal experiment, while Batoul obtained initial results from her microbiology study. Two EVAs supported Louis’s astronomy experiment, with Antoine scouting new sites and retrieving equipment. Odile worked on outreach content, and both Bérengère and Batoul conducted microscopic analyses in the Science Dome. The day concluded with a workout and a team meeting to plan upcoming tasks. Another productive day on Mars!

Look Ahead Plan: Tomorrow morning, we will go on EVA to put Antoine’s device back, since we weren’t able to install it during today’s EVA due to the area being unsuitable. We’ll also collect soil samples for Bérengère. Meanwhile, the rest of the crew will continue working on their respective experiments.

Anomalies in work : None was notified.

Weather: The weather was sunny in the morning and the afternoon. Temperatures varied between 39°F and 77°F during the entire day.

Crew Physical Status: Cf HSO report.

EVA:

Two EVAs were successfully conducted today under optimal weather and operational conditions. Both EVAs achieved their primary objectives and adhered strictly to safety and procedural standards.

EVA 1 #10 : The team began decompression at 9:32 AM and exited the habitat at 9:37 AM. Using Spirit and Curiosity, they arrived at the designated site by 9:47 AM. The primary objective was to collect individual movement data for an ongoing experiment on human motion in EVA suits. The team departed the site at 10:42 AM and re-entered the station by 10:55 AM. All procedures were followed without issue.

EVA #11 : The second EVA began at 2:09 PM. The crew used Opportunity and Perseverance, reaching the first stop at Galileo Road to conduct an experiment on human-technology interaction. Afterward, they proceeded to Cowboy Corner to scout a new location for a technical installation. Due to unsuitable soil conditions, the equipment was brought back to the station. The EVA concluded with airlock re-entry at 3:41 PM. Operations were smooth and safely executed.

Reports to be filed: Sol Summary, Journalist Report, GreenHab Report, Operations Report, EVA Report, EVA Request, Crew Photos, and, if applicable, the Astronomy Report.

Support Requested: Crew was wondering if Mission Support would be interested in having a stationary bike at the station for future crews, particularly for potential physical activity research. The bike can be disassembled and stored in its original box, along with the necessary tools for easy reassembly.

Crew 314 Sol Summary Report 15-04-2025

Sol: 9

Summary Title: Sound the Alarm: Emergency Simulation Protocols on Mars

Author’s name: Arnaud de Wergifosse (Executive Officer)

Mission Status: Ongoing

Sol Activity Summary: Today’s mission blended scientific work, routine duties, and a high-stress emergency drill. The day began with a successful EVA by Bérengère, the GreenHab Officer, who collected soil samples under favorable conditions. That night, the team underwent a surprise medical emergency simulation, testing their coordination and stress response in challenging conditions. Bérengère also managed greenhouse tasks and handled the team’s finances. The day’s events were captured in photos showing moments of action, fatigue, and camaraderie.

Look Ahead Plan: Tomorrow, two EVAs are scheduled. The first will take place in the morning, during which Bérengère will collect soil samples from both Candor Chasma and Green Mars View, as the samples gathered today were of poor quality. The second EVA is planned for the afternoon and will involve exploring the area around Skyline Rim to take photographs and document the terrain. The crew will also continue to work on their experiment.

Anomalies in work: None was notified today.

Weather: Partly cloudy in the morning and in the afternoon. Temperatures varied between 42°F and 77°F during the entire day

Crew Physical Status: Everyone was in good health today, with no issues reported.

EVA: The EVA team began decompression at 9:34 AM and exited the Hab by 9:39 AM. After a short walk north of the Science Dome, they identified a new site for Antoine’s experiment and completed equipment setup by 10:20 AM. The crew then resumed their journey using Curiosity (driven by Antoine with Odile) and Perseverance (driven by Béa with Bérengère). A brief communication stop was made at 10:46 AM before reaching Green View. The return trip began at 11:48 AM with a switch in drivers. The team safely arrived at the MDRS at 12:12 PM, and decompression was completed by 12:20 PM. The EVA was successfully conducted without incident.

Reports to be filed: Sol Summary, Journalist Report, GreenHab Report, Operations Report, EVA Report, EVA Request, Astronomy Report.

Support Requested: /

Crew 314 Sol Summary Report 16-04-2025

Sol: 10

Summary Title: Martian Simulation, Human Reality.

Author’s name: Arnaud de Wergifosse (Crew executive officer)

Mission Status : ongoing

Sol Activity Summary: Today, two EVAs were conducted.

The first EVA took place in Condor Chasma and was primarily aimed at collecting soil samples for Bérengère (GreenHab Officer) as part of her ongoing microbiological experiment. The mission went smoothly under favorable weather conditions.

The second EVA, conducted at Skyline Rim, proved to be more challenging due to strong winds which significantly hindered movement and visibility. Despite the adverse conditions, the crew managed to achieve the primary objective: exploring and assessing new terrain that could be suitable for future EVAs.

Meanwhile, in the Science Dome, Batoul (Journalist) analyzed the results of the Bacillus thuringiensis experiment. The initial outcomes appear promising and will undergo further analysis for interpretation. In addition, several other experiments reached completion today, with samples either archived or disposed of in accordance with the established protocols.

In the main habitat, the end of the mission is beginning to be felt. Louis (Astronomer) has started analyzing the data from his observations, and several crew members have begun working on their End of Mission Reports.

In the lab, Bérengère carried out a staining procedure on fungal samples using violet dye to assess germination. The dye improved visibility of the spores under the microscope, and preliminary observations indicate successful germination in some samples.

Despite the difficult weather conditions encountered during the second EVA, the day was productive both in the field and in the laboratory.

Look Ahead Plan : One final EVA is scheduled for the morning to both take down Antoine’s experiment, due to strong winds and rain expected from tomorrow afternoon through Friday, and to visit Green Mars View. With only two days left at the station, the rest of the crew will focus on wrapping up and finalizing their experiments.

Anomalies in work: None was notified.

Weather: Partly cloudy during the morning and the afternoon. Temperatures varied between 51°F and 80°F during the entire day

Crew Physical Status: Everyone was in good health today, with no issues reported.

EVA: There were two EVA today.

The first EVA began at 9:34 AM with the standard five-minute decompression. The team departed the MDRS at 9:43 AM in two rovers—Spirit (driven by Bérengère with Odile) and Opportunity (driven by Batoul with Louis). After briefly overshooting their target by 500 meters, they corrected course and arrived at the designated site at 10:08 AM. The crew proceeded on foot into the canyon at 10:11 AM, reaching it by 10:23 AM. A short communication loss occurred around 10:54 AM. The team began their return at 11:02 AM, reaching the rovers by 11:28 AM and arriving back at the MDRS at 11:42 AM. The EVA concluded with decompression ending at 11:49 AM. The mission was completed successfully.

The second EVA began decompression at 1:57 PM and exited the station at 2:03 PM, heading north around the Science Dome to inspect Antoine’s field equipment. They reached the site at 2:05 PM and departed two minutes later, continuing toward Skyline. Although communication was disrupted due to poor signal, contact was restored at 2:53 PM.

Weather conditions included sustained winds of 8 mph with gusts up to 18 mph. As conditions worsened around 3:35 PM, the team decided to end the EVA. The terrain, while mostly flat, poses access challenges due to undefined paths and elevation changes, making rover use difficult.

The EVA concluded with repressurization from 4:12 to 4:17 PM. Despite the wind, the area remains suitable for future EVAs in better weather.

Reports to be filed: Sol Summary, Journalist Report, Crew Photos, GreenHab Report, Operations Report, EVA Report, EVA Request, Astronomy Report.

Support Requested: None

Crew 314 Sol Summary Report 04-17-2025

Sol: 11

Summary Title: As the Mission Winds Down

Author’s name: Arnaud de Wergifosse

Mission Status: Ongoing

Sol Activity Summary: Despite extreme weather conditions, including rain and lightning, the crew managed to complete a morning EVA to retrieve Antoine’s equipment. All other outdoor activities were canceled, including tomorrow’s EVA. The crew used the downtime to focus on filming and finalizing scientific work. Batoul completed lab work for her microbiology experiment, and the final emergency simulation—a smoke-filled Greenhab drill—was led by Odile. Physical activity remained intense as Béa and Arnaud’s cognitive performance study nears completion. Bérengère continued advancing her Greenhab experiment as the mission enters its final days.

Look Ahead Plan: No EVAs are planned for tomorrow due to the weather conditions. The ground is expected to be wet, making it difficult for both rover travel and walking. Instead, we’ll focus on finalizing our experiments and beginning to pack up, as it will already be our last Sol at the station.

Anomalies in work: None was notified.

Weather: Sunny with a few clouds for the morning and the afternoon. Windy after 11am with wind gusts attaining 37mph and a constant wind between 16 and 21 mph. Temperatures varied between 35°F and 71°F during the entire day

Crew Physical Status: Everyone was in good health today, with no issues reported

EVA: The EVA team departed the MDRS at 9:11 AM, with Béatrice driving Curiosity (Antoine as passenger) and Louis driving Perseverance (Arnaud as passenger). After a brief stop in the Special Region at 9:25 AM, the crew arrived at Green Mars View at 9:48 AM, where they collected soil samples for Bérengère’s experiment.

At 10:20 AM, the team left the site with Arnaud now driving Perseverance and Antoine taking over Curiosity. They returned to the MDRS at 10:45 AM and reported rover battery usage to CapCom. At 10:49 AM, the crew proceeded on foot to dismantle Antoine’s experiment and bring the equipment back to the station.

Reports to be filed: Sol Summary, Journalist Report, Crew Photos, GreenHab Report, Operations Report, EVA Report, EVA Request, Astronomy Report (if applicable).

Support Requested: None

Crew 314 Sol Summary Report 18-04-2025

Sol: 12

Summary Title: The Final Sol: Closing a Chapter on Simulated Mars

Author’s name: Arnaud de Wergifosse (Crew executive officer)

Mission Status: Ending (04-19-2025 at 6 AM).

Sol Activity Summary: On the final day of the mission, the crew embraced their remaining tasks with a bittersweet mix of motivation and nostalgia. The day was spent organizing equipment, wrapping up experiments, and capturing final video footage—including a lighthearted segment on cooking with freeze-dried food that reflected their creativity and resilience. Though no EVA could take place due to poor weather, the team maintained their commitment to safety and routine, finishing strong with one last workout. In the Science Dome, Bérengère devoted the day to her research on spore germination and plant-fungus interactions under Martian conditions. As the simulation came to a close, the crew left with a sense of accomplishment, meaningful memories, and a trove of scientific data to bring back to Earth.

Look Ahead Plan: Cleaning, tidying up. Simulation ending tomorrow at 6 AM.

Anomalies in work: None was notified.

Weather: Sunny in the morning and cloudy in the afternoon. Temperatures varied during the entire day between 29°F and 52°F.

Crew Physical Status: Everyone was in good health today, with no issues reported

EVA: No EVA was programed today due to weather conditions

Reports to be filed: Journalist Report and Crew Photos, GreenHab Report, Operations Report, Astronomy Report, Mission summary report

Support Requested: None

Crew 315 Sol Summary Report 21-04-2025

Sol: 1

Summary title: First Day on Mars

Author: Tim Gagnon

Mission status: ongoing

Sol activity summary:

Our day welcomed the rising Sun over the Mars landscape.

As we gathered for breakfast we were saddened to learn that Pope Francis had died.

We enjoyed pancakes prepared by the Crew Artist and discussed our upcoming EVAs.

Anomalies in work: Main generator still does not work, suit 7 doesn’t charge, the greenhab scale doesn’t work

Weather: Sunny with highs in the mid-70s

Crew physical status: We are in good health

EVA: The Engineer, Journalist and HSO conducted the first EVA and we all gathered on the first floor to assist with

suit-up and comm checks.

As this first team completed the pre-breathe our Commander sent them off with him playing the theme from “2001 A Space Odyssey.”

They went to the Marble Ritual and explored that area.

When they returned at 1400 hrs,we conducted an informal debrief and the Commander and Artist prepared for the second EVA.

It was not as smooth and seamless as EVA1 because the Artist struggled with comms and getting into the Curiosity Rover. They traveled to the Marble offering and had less time to explore.

The Commander graciously took photos of the Artist as gifts for friends. The EVA concluded on time at 1600 hrs.

As a child of Apollo during my EVA I was able to imagine what it was like for childhood heroes to walk on the Moon. I even photographed my boot print as Buzz Aldrin did on Apollo 11. It was a glorious experience which I will turn into a fine art post mission.

After the EVAs were completed we met upstairs for a 100cameras photography module conducted by our HSO. The goal of which was to give us a better understanding about composition and help us tell a clearer story with our photography. The class was made up of instruction and then a photo exploration of our campus illustrating key words.

Our HSO and journalist prepared a delicious dinner of potato and vegetable soup and homemade bread. Using freeze dried potatoes, broccoli, corn, cheese and herbs harvested from the Green Hab they created a delicious chowder. The homemade bread was made with white and wheat flour and yeast. A bread making machine will be a highly desired appliance on future Mars missions.

After dinner while waiting for the comms window to open, we enjoyed fellowship and spoke of past experiences that we bring to this analog mission. We also consulted the map and discussed possible future EVAs farther away from the Hab.

At this time we are completing our reports, editing photos and preparing to end our day. It was full, it was exciting and we look forward to a good night’s sleep and an interesting day tomorrow.

Look ahead plan: Two EVAs are planned for tomorrow to conduct Michael’s 3D imaging project and other experiments.

Reports to be filed: Sol (filed), journalist report, greenhab report, operations report, crew photos, mission plan (filed)

Support requested: None

Crew 315 Sol Summary Report 23-04-2025

Sol: 3

Summary Title: Mars by the Numbers

Author’s name: Michael Andrews

Mission Status: Nominal

Sol Activity Summary:

Greetings from Mars! This is our third full day on the planet. As the crew engineer, I am normally not as skilled as my fellow crew members on written composition, so perhaps I can fill the day’s report with more quantitative information.

First off, the habitat. We are spending 12 sols in a habitat that is 8 meters in diameter. Coincidentally, this is 1 meter narrower than Starship’s fuselage. It’s nice to think that the first colonizers on Mars may live in quarters very similar to this one!

I was the last crew member to awaken today – which is normal as I was staying up late working on my 3D scanning project. However, with a Martian sol being 39 minutes longer than an Earth day, I would have actually woken up a few minutes early if it were the real thing! Breakfast was quick and informal… the crew tends to cook their more ambitious meals in the afternoon. We had a quick 100cameras module led by HSO Koi, which gave us the action to take photo later today on EVA that captured certain emotions. I will keep you posted as I learn what these emotions are and how they can be measured.

The morning EVA team traveled to Somerville Overlook to perform the first drone operations to view areas beyond what our rovers and feet could navigate. The afternoon EVA team returned to Somerville Overlook to collect rock samples and test Starlink connectivity. It was the first day where we really got to leave the area surrounding the station and feel far away from any other humans. It also gave me great data on rover usage and battery life performance, which is helping us determine which vehicles to use on future EVAs and which can be prioritized for maintenance by Mission Support.

On the afternoon EVA, we got our first glimpse of what Commander Laude calls the Monolith. It is a narrow and tall rock structure far from any of our approved routes. He has seen this Monolith from a distance on previous MDRS missions, and he intends to take various compass heading missions on upcoming EVAs to determine its true location so it can be visited with a drone. I have to admit: I felt the emotion of excitement when I saw this Monolith, our Commander’s white whale.

Meals were exceptionally good today. The team, with much encouragement and affirmation, helped me cook some basic white bread in our breadmaker to make PB&J sandwiches. And then Crew Journalist Saavedra-Buckley put me to shame with some homemade tortillas and burritos. We also kept hydrated, consuming about 40 gallons of water today between drinking, showers, and washing dishes. With a 500 gallon tank, we are on track to have this resource lasting the entire mission.

The comms window opened this evening at 7 PM, and the team dedicated the rest of the evening to daily reports and sharing photos amongst the crew. It’s interesting to know that the distance between Mars and Earth is only about 4 light minutes currently, so Earth seems much closer to us than normal (its distance ranges from 3 to 22 light minutes). However, as I drift off to sleep, it’s comforting to know Crew 315 is in a cozy habitat on another world, ready for Sol 4 after a few hours (and 39 minutes!) of sleep.

Look Ahead Plan: Tomorrow we will begin to perform more ambitious EVAs, traveling to Green Mars View and Sea of Shells. The Crew Artist will focus on sketches instead of participating in an EVA, and the HSO has a meeting with NASA in the afternoon for her projects outside of the analog. The soil desiccant and 3D scanning projects’ work will continue in the science dome, when those project owners are not out on EVA.

Anomalies in work: Rovers Perseverance and Curiosity needs work – detailed in the Operations report.

Weather: Weather has been similar all days so far, and today was no exception. Highs up to 80 degrees F, with lows in the 40s F. The morning is clear with low winds, and the afternoons become partly cloudy with winds around 15 mph and gusting up to 25 mph. The nights have been partly cloudy as well. This requires us to perform drone-based EVAs in the morning and other EVAs in the afternoon.

Crew Physical Status: All Crew Members Healthy

EVA:

· EVA 7: Commander Laude and HSO Koi will travel to Sea of Shells via Perseverance Rover to perform some drone tests and potentially take a measurement to determine the Monolith’s location.

· EVA 8: Engineer Andrews and Journalist Saavedra-Buckley will travel to Green Mars View via Opportunity Rover to test Starlink and take more soil samples.

Reports to be filed: 2 EVA Requests, 2 EVA Reports, GreenHab Report, Operations Report, Journalist Report, Crew Photos

Support Requested: We would like to have an earlier comms window tomorrow to support HSO Koi’s virtual meeting with NASA. Requesting to turn on station Starlink from 1500 to 2200 and keep the comms window at 1900 to 2200.

CREW 315 SOL SUMMARY REPORT 24-04-2025

Sol: 4

Summary Title: A Glorius Day on this Red Rock in the Earth’s Sky

Author’s Name: David Laude, Commander

Mission Status: Nominal. All systems operational.

Sol Activity Summary:

Sol 4 got an early start when the Commander woke up early and prepped pan cakes and started the coffee maker for the for 7AM crew awakening. Pan cakes were specially tailored for each crew member by size and choice of embedded fruit. This commander wants to serve the crew in multiple ways and appeasing the stomach by any crew member’s culinary ability is welcome by all. Our HSO and Artist appeared before sunrise to catch the Martian sunrise on camera. Once gathered around the table, the same enthusiasm for the day ahead was apparent in all the crew. It’s unusual here on Mars to have clouds, but the last few days had them, sometimes in abundance. We await a clear night to view the heavens from this part of the solar system from a few portals to the sky.

The morning’s first EVA was the longest thus far out to the Overlook (formally Moon Overlook) and to the Sea of Shells area. The main goal was to sight what the Commander call the Monolith. The Monolith was "discovered" by him while here on Mars with Crew 228 (the first after the pandemic’s peak). The Monolith appeared in the distance from the Overlook. It appears even other worldly by Mar’s standards and is nothing like anything else yet seen here. Imagine a tall obelisk shape (with no text), all black with fins off of each side not too unlike a rocket ship standing vertical with its fins starting from one third up and flaring at the bottom. Who would not be curious? Some think it is made by intelligent creatures, while most are bewildered. Today the first set of compass headings was taken from the Overlook (335 degrees magnetic, 347 true north). An old school compass was unfolded from its rest and aimed at the Monolith, helping the process of unlocking the Monolith’s enigmatic nature. But, like the Monolith in Tyco Crater back in "2001" there may be no answer and perhaps they are of the same origin! If only one could get close enough to touch it. On a near future EVA one or two more azimuth readings will be taken from widely separated locations and then the Monolith’s location can be triangulated on a map of the local area. From that location it will be determined if a crew can drive a rover close enough to deploy a few people walking and carrying a drone to an area close enough for the drone to circumnavigate and video the Monolith. Along the way the Sea of Shells was located and some shells collected for our Engineer’s 3D scanning project. Our HSO brought her drone and acquired a video of the Commander walking to a rim at the Overlook and later made a stunning video of the EVA crew driving back to the Hab while the Commander drove at a moderate pace. Once we were stopped, she brought the drone to in front of us and landed in a glorious emerging cloud of Martian red dust. When back home on good ole Earth she will edit the video for her YouTube channel.

Our Artist took the day off from his everyday of tedious EVAs since Sol 1 and manned the Hab radio as Capcom while also performing his "chef of the day" cooking, preparing lunch from left overs and readying dinner for after the last EVA team’s return.

Crew Engineer Andrews and Crew Journalist Saavedra-Buckley departed from the station via Opportunity Rover at 1415 and headed north along Cow Dung Road. The terrain became more remote as they approached Green Mars View. Andrews found the highest local point and set up Starlink at 1451 while Saavedra-Buckley searched for desiccated soil samples. The area was rather green and as a result, had no cracked and dried soil. Starlink connected after 2 minutes and began consuming power. After a quick speed test, the pair walked to the nearby overlook to take photos for the 100cameras project and to see if the Monolith is visible from here for Commander Laude’s project . It is. Throughout the walk, Saavedra-Buckley interviewed Andrews for her article.

After an hour of power consumption, the Starlink terminal had consumed 35% of the battery pack and the crew packed up and powered up opportunity at 1400. On the way back, the error of the incorrect EVA request end time was realized when communicating with CapComm, and the crew ensured no stops or delays were made in order to return to the Hab as soon as possible. The team returned and entered the airlock at 1425, ending the EVA at 1430.
HSO, Koi was awarded a NASA grant today after being interviewed on line! Her proposal is a research project to explore the myriad uses of fungi (mush rooms) for use in space and on other worlds.

LOOK AHEAD PLAN:

EVA in morning to Lith Canyon, Green Overlook area to get compass bearing reading on the Monolith for Commander and look for desiccated soils for Journalist. Request to be filed this evening.

Short EVA (windy) to acquire more rock samples for Engineers 3D scanner. Request to be filed this evening.

To windy for Commander’s drone operational testing in EVA suit.

Artist will contribute to daily Hab activities.

More delicious food making.

Anomalies in Work: None

Weather: Temperature: 72º, 1500; Sky: Partly Cloudy, 1500; Gust: 22 mph; 1500; Wind: 11 mph; 1500

Crew Physical Status: All in Good Health + Spirits

EVAs Completed:

EVA 7: 0930-1300

Purpose: Travel to Overlook and then Sea of Shells area to sight a particular and unusual object, seen there in the past by the commander, for a future remote object observation close up view via some walking and then using drone per his project goals. This EVA will be to get a compass heading along with one from another location (future EVA) to triangulate its position to find on a map and determine feasibility of flying drone to it for close up photos. We will likely need to hike up small hills to see it. We may use a drone for areal views of it from a distance with high res cameras. We may also pick an additional object of interest in case the first is too far.

Destination: Overlook and then Sea of Shells area.

Coordinates (use UTM WSG 84) :

• First stop : Overlook, at the intersection of Brahe Hwy 1572 and Copernic US Hwy 1575 (4254500N, 516000W).
• Second Stop: Sea of Shells (4255500N, 516500W)

EVA Participants : David Laude (Commander), Urban Koi (HSO)

EVA 8: 1400-1600

Purpose: We plan to accomplish three project objectives on this EVA.

Destination: Green Mars View

· The Crew Journalist will take several more desiccated soil samples in the area for her experiment.

· The Crew Engineer will set up the EVA Connectivity Kit and drain it fully during the mission, testing power draw and speed testing throughout.

· The Crew Journalist will also interview the Crew Engineer for her article during the EVA.

Coordinates (use UTM WSG 84): Easting 527500, Northing 4256750

EVA Participants: Michael Andrews (Crew Engineer and EVA Lead) and Elena Saavedra-Buckley (Crew Journalist)

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.

Crew 315 Sol Summary Report Date: 25 APRIL 2025

Sol: 5

Summary title: “Pizza is the reward for a job well done.”

Author: Tim Gagnon

Mission status: ongoing

As in previous days, it begins with the Commander who awakens first hydrating fruit and making coffee. As the saying goes, “The best part of waking up…”

He was soon joined by the Crew Artist who opened the book of recipes to plan our dinner tonight. Per the Commander’s request, it’s pizza night!

When everyone gathered around the table, the discussion turns to music and the Commander opens his laptop to play a concerto he wrote. It was said that during the Apollo Program NASA should have sent artists, poets, and musicians to the Moon. It is our consensus that on future Mars missions it should be a requirement.

After breakfast, the Commander and the Journalist prepared for their EVA to Lith Canyon Overlook. It has become custom for the EVA crew to pre-breathe and exit the airlock to various appropriate musical selections. Today the HSO played: Cave In by Owl City. Details of the EVA to come in the EVA report.

After they departed, the Artist and the HSO began cooking the spaghetti sauce for the pizza. (Note a good sauce needs to cook for five or more hours.) Our Engineer served as CapCom and also removed the weeks trash to the rear airlock. As a surprise for our intrepid Mars walkers, the HSO and Artist prepared corn muffins with cheddar cheese and green onions.

In the afternoon, the 10th EVA was crewed by the HSO and the Engineer. The goal was to return the rocks gathered on EVA 3 and flight test the drone in higher wind conditions. The flight test was successful in that the limits of the drone technology were defined. The Artist served as CapCom.

As a reward for two successful EVAs the Artist, Journalist and HSO prepared two delicious pizzas. Can an MDRS Pizza Shop be far behind? One pizza was with red sauce, and ½ beef and ½ cheese. The other was a white pizza with pesto sauce, ½ chicken and ½ mushroom.

As we finished dinner and waited for the comm window to open, the Journalist opened a discussion about the future of Mars exploration. Topics included the cost, the participants, the schedule, and the possibilities of crew makeup.

Once all the reports and EVA request(s) are submitted, we will again gather to share music that the others are unfamiliar with. The Commander and I want our younger crew mates to hear “Classical Gas” by Mason Williams. They in turn will share music from their favorite artists. We are really “gelling” as a crew and working together to make sure all goals are met.

In many respects, today was our best day.