Category: Sol Summary

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.

Crew 314 Sol Summary Report 04-07-2025

Sol: #1

Summary Title: First Day on Mars

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

Mission Status: Ongoing

Sol Activity Summary:

Yesterday at 12 PM, Crew Syrtis arrived at the Mars Desert Research Station!
We had the opportunity to explore the station and all its facilities. We also learned how to operate the rovers and reviewed the EVA regulations. During our first meeting on Mars, we discussed our schedule and planned experiments. Our first day on Mars gave us the opportunity to start our experiments and organize two EVAs as training for the whole crew. The aim was to familiarize ourselves with the communications system and discover more about the region. At the end of the afternoon the crew enjoyed a workout.

Look Ahead Plan: We will continue our experiments tomorrow. Two EVAs are planned: in the morning, we will conduct Batoul’s experiment, which involves collecting soil samples. In the afternoon, we will carry out Antoine’s experiment, using a drone to scout locations for placing his device.

Anomalies in work: Troubles with detectors

Weather: Sunny with a little bit of clouds and warm during the day (around 65-75°F)

Crew Physical Status: Engineer was feeling a little bit unwell this morning but got better through the day

EVA: The training went well for both EVAs, but we didn’t achieve our objectives due to a technical issue with the drone.

Reports to be filed: Sol Summary, Journalist’s Report, Greenhab Report, Operations Report, Photos (6-8 pics), EVA Report, EVA Request(s) Astronomy Report.

Support Requested: The team has applied for support to collect a parcel containing important samples for our journalist’s experiment.

Crew 314 Sol Summary Report 08-04-2025

Sol: 2

Summary Title: Discovering the area

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

Mission Status: Ongoing

Sol Activity Summary: During the 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.

Look Ahead Plan: One EVA is scheduled in the morning to conduct Antoine’s experiment. Throughout the day, we will continue working on our individual experiments, including a CRM simulation in the afternoon involving the whole team for Odile’s experiment. Béatrice and Arnaud will carry on their research while collecting data with their wearables.

Anomalies in work: A minor issue occurred in the Science Dome when the autoclave overheated, causing a power failure and triggering the gas alarms due to the release of a large amount of steam. We had to request assistance from Mission Support to resolve the situation. Refrigerator #1 in the Science Dome is broken, causing the Petri dishes to freeze. As a result, Batoul Tani has used Refrigerator #2 to store them.

Weather: Sunny and clear sky (between 60°- 80°F during the day)

Crew Physical Status: Our crew engineer is feeling much better, and for the rest we encountered minor incidents, such as cuts, for which we applied band-aids.

EVA:

EVA #3 : At 09:07, decompression of the airlock began, and by 09:12, the EVA officially commenced. Odile departed solo in Rover Spirit, while Batoul drove Rover Opportunity with Béatrice as passenger. The team followed Cow Dung Road, heading towards Cowboy Corner.

At 09:24, the crew made an unscheduled stop at Marble Ritual due to communication disruptions. The issue appeared temporarily resolved, and the team resumed travel shortly after. At 09:26, they reached Pooh’s Corner, continuing their route without further delay.

By 09:35, the team arrived at coordinates 519000 ; 425180. At this point, communication was again lost, and CapCom encountered difficulties re-establishing contact. With support from the broader Mission Support Team, the issue was diagnosed and resolved. Communications remained stable for the remainder of the EVA.

The crew reached the first sampling site—Cowboy Corner—at 09:50. After parking the rovers, the astronauts proceeded on foot. Sample collection commenced at 09:53, and the first set of samples was secured in the rover by 10:03. The team remained on site to conduct additional exploration.

At 10:20, the EVA crew departed Cowboy Corner and navigated to the intersection of Cow Dung Road and Galileo Road, arriving at 10:33. They conducted the second soil sample collection at this location. By 10:42, the collection was complete, and the crew resumed their journey toward Pooh’s Corner.

At 10:57, the team completed the third and final sample collection at Pooh’s Corner. They then began the return to the habitat.

The rovers arrived at the base at 11:04. The crew initiated the 5-minute repressurization process of the airlock, concluding the EVA.

EVA #4 : The crew left the station at 3:40 p.m. in search of a suitable location for the crew engineer, Antoine Dubois, to set up equipment for his experiment. After facing some difficulties with communication and navigation, the EVA team reached Cowboy Corner at 4:02 p.m. They departed at 4:22 p.m. without having found an appropriate site.

The team then proceeded to the intersection of Galileo Road and Cow Dung Road, arriving at 4:25 p.m. There, the crew engineer identified a location deemed suitable for deploying his equipment. Crew headed back to the station at 5:23pm and arrived at the station at 5:31pm after completing their main objective of the EVA, deploying engineer’s equipment. The crew initiated the 5-minute repressurization process of the airlock, concluding the EVA.

The third originally scheduled stop at Pooh’s Corner for drone deployment—intended for area reconnaissance—has been aborted due to time constraint protocols.

Reports to be filed: Sol Summary, Journalist Report, Greenhab Report, Operations Report, Crew Photos, EVA Report, EVA Request

Support Requested: none

Crew 314 Sol Summary Report 09-04-2025

Sol: 09-04-2025

Summary Title: Getting into a rhythm

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

Mission Status: ongoing

Sol Activity Summary:

The day began with breakfast prepared by Odile, our Health & Safety Officer. A few crew members then headed out on an EVA focused on fossil hunting. Although no fossils were found, the outing allowed for team photos and a check of previously deployed equipment, all of which remained in place and fully functional.

Back at the habitat, Arnaud began data collection for the ongoing experiment with Béatrice, who took over later in the day after returning from the EVA. Antoine confirmed that the dust collectors in the field were still working properly.

On the science part:

Bérengère, our GreenHab Officer, checked that all equipment for applying environmental stress to arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) was functioning properly. She also prepared the culture pots for a multi-day experiment launching later that evening and completed the GreenHab report.

Batoul continued her microbiological experiments by inoculating Bacillus thuringiensis (with and without soil) on Petri dishes, and Escherichia coli in a 96-well plate. Both were exposed to UV-C light as part of her research.

Meanwhile, Arnaud communicated with an academic collaborator to refine the experimental protocol and obtain necessary labeling materials. He also contributed to outreach efforts by sending photos and videos to one of the project sponsors.

On the technical and logistical side, Arnaud assisted Antoine with repairing a toilet leak and fixing a bicycle handlebar.

In the afternoon, several crew members took part in a Crew Resource Management (CRM) simulation led by Odile. Béatrice acted in the scenario, and Louis also participated.

Physical activity was a big part of the day: Louis completed a demanding 1-hour-and-20-minute cycling session, while Béatrice, Odile, and others joined in a group workout.

Despite some end-of-day fatigue, everyone contributed to writing the daily reports. A final highlight: Bérengère finished crafting scoubidous for each member of the crew.

Look Ahead Plan: One EVA is scheduled in the morning to carry out Antoine’s experiment. Throughout the day, we will continue working on our individual experiments, including full participation in Louis’ experiment, which focuses on user experience measurement of a portable communication device in an ICE (Isolated, Confined, and Extreme) environment. Béatrice and Arnaud will also continue their research while collecting data using their wearable devices.

Anomalies in work : No problem was discussed today. All experiments went well.

Weather: Sunny without clouds during the morning and the afternoon (Temperature between 39° and 83°F during the night and the day respectively)

Crew Physical Status: All crew members were feeling fine today, no health issue.

EVA : The crew departed from the station at 9:10 AM with two rovers: Opportunity (Driver: Louis, Passenger: Antoine) and Perseverance (Driver: Odile, Passenger: Béatrice), as Spirit had not fully charged overnight.

Their mission was to inspect equipment located at the intersection of Galileo Road and Cow Dung Road. En route, they made a brief stop to observe a group of deer crossing nearby.

The crew continued along Cow Dung Road to reach the Special Region, where they assessed the area as a potential site for future equipment installation. During their exploration, they stayed within 500 meters of the rovers.

After completing the inspection, they retrieved the rover at 10:10 AM on Cow Dung Road and proceeded to the intersection with Brahe Highway 1572, a location they had not been able to visit during EVA #4 where they used the drone to conduct a reconnaissance of the area.

The team began their return to the station at 10:47 AM, switching drivers as follows:

Antoine took over as the driver of Opportunity, with Louis as the passenger. In Perseverance, Béatrice drove while Odile was the passenger.

They arrived back at the MDRS at 11:15 AM and initiated the 5-minute repressurization process in the airlock, officially concluding the EVA.

Reports to be filed:

Sol Summary, Journalist Report, Greenhab Report, Operations Report, Crew Photos, EVA Report, EVA Request

Support Requested:

Crew requested the printing of labels crucial for one of their experiments.

Morning Briefing
The day began with a briefing on the mission objectives and safety protocols. Today’s EVA focused on searching for signs of life on Mars and identifying an optimal site for a new habitat to be built. Students utilized scientific instruments to analyze soil and rock samples while also assessing terrain stability, radiation exposure, and resource availability for future habitat construction. Today’s EVA ended in a simulated electrocution that led to cardiac arrest in one of the team members.

Cardiac Arrest Response and CPR in Space Environments
Objective: Perform an emergency medical response to a cardiac arrest scenario in a simulated EVA environment.

Teams identified and responded to a simulated astronaut experiencing cardiac arrest.

Students practiced performing CPR under simulated Martian gravity conditions, incorporating modifications for effectiveness in reduced gravity.

Automated external defibrillator (AED) protocols were reviewed and applied in the field.

Communication strategies were tested to ensure clear relay of patient status and intervention steps between EVA teams and the Hab.

Debriefing and Lessons Learned
Following the EVA, students participated in a debriefing session where they discussed key takeaways, challenges faced, and strategies for improvement. The session reinforced the importance of quick medical decision-making, teamwork, and adapting life-saving techniques for extraterrestrial environments. Students also discussed medical futility and the ethical challenges of losing a crewmember.

End of Week Reflection and Movie Night
To close out the week, students gathered for a movie night, providing a chance to reflect on the skills they developed and the challenges they tackled throughout the training program. The event fostered camaraderie and offered a well-deserved break after an intense week of mission simulations.

Objective: The primary goal of today’s mission activities was to provide students with hands-on experience in the challenges of medical care and engineering problem-solving during extravehicular activities (EVAs) in a Mars analog environment. Through simulated scenarios, students applied wilderness first aid principles and engineering design concepts to real-time mission challenges.

Morning Briefing: The day began with a briefing on the mission objectives and safety protocols. Students were divided into EVA teams and designated specific roles, including medical officers, engineers, and communications specialists. The briefing included an overview of EVA procedures, emergency response strategies, and the environmental hazards associated with the simulated Martian terrain.

Simulated EVA Activities:
EVA Objective 1: Medical Emergency Response
Assess and stabilize an injured astronaut in a remote location.
Teams navigated through rugged terrain to reach a simulated casualty.

Students applied wilderness first aid, including spinal precautions, wound management, and transport strategies.

Effective communication with mission control was emphasized to relay patient status and request assistance.

EVA Objective 2: Engineering Challenge – Equipment Repair
Identify and repair a malfunctioning habitat life-support system component.
Students conducted a diagnostic assessment of a simulated life-support failure.

Teams employed problem-solving strategies to fabricate and implement temporary repairs using available resources.

The challenge tested the integration of engineering skills with mission-critical thinking under time constraints.

Debriefing and Lessons Learned
Following the EVAs, students participated in a debriefing session where they discussed key takeaways, challenges faced, and strategies for improvement. The session reinforced the importance of teamwork, adaptability, and interdisciplinary collaboration in space mission scenarios.

Conclusion
Today’s mission simulation successfully provided an immersive educational experience, highlighting the intersections of medicine and engineering in space exploration. Students gained valuable hands-on experience in responding to medical emergencies and troubleshooting technical failures, preparing them for future roles in space medicine and engineering fields.

Objective
The primary goal of today’s mission activities was to provide students with hands-on experience using a litter in the field to rescue a patient with a simulated broken femur. Students applied wilderness first aid principles and engineering design concepts to real-time mission challenges, including fixing communications and responding to an off-nominal situation.

Morning Briefing
The day began with a briefing on the mission objectives and safety protocols. Students were divided into EVA teams and designated specific roles, including medical officers, engineers, and communications specialists. The briefing included an overview of EVA procedures, emergency response strategies, and the environmental hazards associated with the simulated Martian terrain.

Simulated EVA Activities

Medical Emergency Response and Stretcher Transport
Objective: Assess, stabilize, and transport an injured astronaut using a stretcher while coordinating between separated groups.
Teams navigated through rugged terrain to reach a simulated casualty.

Students applied wilderness first aid, including spinal precautions, wound management, and transport strategies.

A stretcher was used to safely transport the patient, requiring coordinated teamwork between two separated groups.

Effective communication with mission control and between field teams was emphasized to relay patient status and coordinate movement.

Engineering Challenge – Communications Antenna Placement and Relay
Objective: Identify, repair, and place a communications antenna in a higher location to improve signal strength while practicing complex communications relay.
Students assessed the terrain to determine the optimal elevated location for the communications antenna.

Teams worked together to transport and securely install the antenna at the selected site, ensuring structural stability and optimal signal transmission.

The challenge tested the integration of engineering skills with mission-critical thinking under time constraints.

Students practiced structured communication techniques to relay complex messages between the separated field teams and the Hab, ensuring clarity and accuracy in mission-critical updates.

Debriefing and Lessons Learned
Following the EVAs, students participated in a debriefing session where they discussed key takeaways, challenges faced, and strategies for improvement. In this EVA, students learned the importance of team structure and dynamic re-structuring to meet the needs of the mission and dynamic medical emergencies. The role of clear and precise communication in high-stakes situations was particularly highlighted as a vital skill for future space missions.

Morning Briefing
Unlike previous days, today’s EVAs were student-planned, incorporating a robotic dog into their mission execution. Teams outlined their objectives, focusing on medical response and robotic-assisted transport.

Robotic Dog-Assisted Medical Transport and Emergency Response
Objective: Utilize a robotic dog to carry a medical payload and assist in responding to medical emergencies.
Students deployed the robotic dog with a medical payload to navigate terrain and deliver supplies.

Teams responded to simulated medical emergencies, including an elbow break and an ankle sprain, implementing appropriate stabilization techniques.

The robotic dog was integrated into patient transport logistics, enhancing efficiency and reducing astronaut exertion.

Effective coordination between human team members and the robotic assistant was emphasized.

Emergency Response to Solar Particle Events
Objective: React swiftly and effectively to an incoming solar particle event while ensuring crew safety.
Students monitored simulated space weather updates and identified warning signs of solar activity.

Teams executed emergency sheltering procedures, demonstrating quick decision-making under time constraints.

The robotic dog assisted in transporting critical supplies to designated safe zones.

Communication protocols were tested to ensure seamless information relay between EVA teams and the Hab.

Debriefing and Lessons Learned
Following the EVAs, students participated in a debriefing session where they discussed key takeaways, challenges faced, and strategies for improvement. The session reinforced the importance of teamwork, adaptability, and interdisciplinary collaboration in space mission scenarios. The integration of robotic assistance was evaluated for its effectiveness in medical transport and emergency logistics.

Conclusion
Today’s mission simulation successfully provided an immersive educational experience, highlighting the intersections of medicine, robotics, and engineering in space exploration. Students demonstrated exceptional planning and execution of their EVAs, responding effectively to medical emergencies and environmental hazards. The exercises reinforced critical skills necessary for future roles in space medicine, robotics, and engineering fields.