Category: Sol Summary

Report title: Sol Summary Report
Crew #: 333
Position: Crew Commander
Report prepared by: Marie Jansen
Date: 07–04–2026
Sol: SOL 9

Summary Title: Adapting Through the Challenges
Mission Status: A slightly tougher day today, but the finish line is in sight.
Sol Activity Summary:
We woke up at 8:00 AM this morning and started the day on a sweet note with homemade pancakes. The first team then headed out for an EVA, made up of Antoine, Matthias, Zahraa, and Marie. The departure took slightly longer than expected due to a microphone issue, but the team adapted quickly and the problem was resolved without further complications. The EVA itself went well, Antoine’s experiment was a great success, and the team thoroughly enjoyed discovering the location. There was some difficulty hearing CapCom once on site, although communication remained one-way functional as CapCom could hear us clearly.
The team returned at noon and sat down to a delicious omelette prepared by Matias. A short rest followed before the second EVA got underway, with Matias, Antoine, and Joanna heading out. Unfortunately, this outing came with its share of challenges. The rovers used during the morning had not recharged properly despite three hours on charge, leaving the team with limited options. A decision was made for Joanna to return to the base, allowing Antoine and Matias to carry out the experiment with the available resources.
Upon the boys’ return, the team attended to a couple of small matters, the light in the Science Dome, which had been accidentally switched off the previous evening, was restored, and the boys also took the time to fix the GreenHab door.
To close out the day, the crew gathered for a team meeting. Tensions within the group have been somewhat more present lately, and it felt important to address them openly and bring things back into balance. Dinner tonight will be a comforting one: cheddar nachos and pasta to end the day on a warm note.

Look Ahead Plan:
Tomorrow, we will be running the same two EVAs as today, but with different crew members, in order to complete Antoine’s experiments. We have also planned to film a short video presenting our experiments for our social media channels. Outside of that, the day will follow our usual routine.

Anomalies in work: Nothing particular to report. On the equipment side however, the rover Opportunity is currently out of service.

Weather: It was hot today, making the afternoon EVA particularly challenging for the crew.

Crew Physical Status:
Mentally, things are a little more challenging these days, but physically the crew is holding up well. One minor foot injury to note, though nothing serious.

EVA:
As mentioned earlier in today’s report, both EVAs have been covered in detail above. No additional information to add beyond what has already been noted.

Reports to be filed:
Sol Summary
Operations Report
Greenhab Report
Journalist Report
EVA Reports
EVA Requests
Daily photos

Support Requested: none

Report title: Sol Summary Report
Crew #: 333
Position: Crew Commander
Report prepared by: Marie Jansen
Date: 08-04-2026
Sol: SOL 10

Summary Title: Exploring different corner of the Map
Mission Status: Tiredness is setting in, but the team is determined to enjoy every remaining moment to the fullest
Sol Activity Summary:
We woke up at 8:00 AM as usual and kicked off the day with pancakes before the first EVA departed for Green Mars View, with Antoine, Joanna, and Matias. The team was charmed by the lush greenery of the area, it truly lives up to its name. All experiments went smoothly, and after wrapping up, the team made their way over to Special Region to explore the area and test the radio there as well. It was the last time the crew would venture to that side of the map.
Back at the hab, the rest of the crew kept busy, sorting through drone footage, preparing samosas, and re-securing the bolts holding the exterior corridor panels in place. Lunch was a warm and satisfying affair, with soup and freshly made samosas.
The afternoon began with a well-deserved rest period while the rovers charged up. The crew also took the opportunity to film short videos explaining their experiments for our social media channels.
At 4:00 PM, Joanna, Matthias, Antoine, and Marie headed out for Antoine’s experiment at Candor Chasma. Finding yourself surrounded by towering canyons is a humbling experience, you truly feel small in the face of such vast and dramatic landscapes.
Meanwhile, Zahraa prepared hamburgers for dinner and took the time to read through articles relevant to her experiment, while Matias worked on processing his observatory photographs.

Look Ahead Plan:
Tomorrow marks our final EVA for Joanna’s experiment. We will head out in two teams to Kissing Camel Ridge, bringing along the heavy equipment. We will also begin packing our bags as we prepare for departure. These are our last moments here…

Anomalies in work:
The salad fallen victim to our Martian monster, and the zip ties struggling to keep the tarps in place, aside from that, all is well.

Weather:
It was quite warm today with little airflow, though no rain or humidity to speak of.

Crew Physical Status:
The whole crew is doing well.

EVA:
Both EVAs went smoothly despite the heat. Nothing further to add beyond what has already been covered.

Reports to be filed:
Sol Summary
Operations Report
Greenhab Report
Journalist Report
Astronomy Report
EVA Reports
EVA Requests
Daily photos
Support Requested:

We have decided to end the simulation in line with Antoine and Joanna’s departure. We would like to clarify when the final report should be submitted, should it be sent at noon, or at the usual time of 7:00 PM?

Report title: Sol Summary Report
Crew #: 333
Position: Crew Commander
Report prepared by: Marie Jansen
Date: 09–04–2026
Sol: SOL 11

Summary Title: 1 day until the end
Mission Status: A bittersweet feeling as we begin to pack everything away
Sol Activity Summary:
We woke up at our usual time of 8:00 AM and started the day with cereal and bread before heading out for the first EVA, with Antoine, Joanna, Matthias, and Marie. The team made their way to Kissing Camel Ridge to carry out Joanna and Antoine’s experiments. Unfortunately, Joanna’s Tap Strap ran out of battery before everyone had the chance to complete the exercise. Antoine’s experiment, however, went through without a hitch. Afterwards, the team decided to climb up one of the camel’s humps to take in the breathtaking view one last time, making the most of the moment with some beautiful photos to remember it by.
Back at the station, the crew gathered for a group photo in their suits, followed by individual professional shots. Lunch was a light quinoa meal, after which everyone settled in for a short nap before the second EVA, which had to be delayed to allow the Tap Straps time to recharge. Unfortunately, the charge was not sufficient, meaning Joanna was unable to join this time around. The second team, made up of Matias, Zahraa, and Antoine, headed out to carry out Antoine and Matias’ experiments. The EVA was kept short and efficient, and the team was back home quickly.
Here at the hab, everyone is busy packing up their belongings and tidying their respective spaces. The end of the simulation is quietly but unmistakably drawing near for Crew Arsia.
Look Ahead Plan:
Tomorrow marks our final day of simulation, with the official end scheduled for 11:45 AM. The morning will be dedicated to tidying up, cleaning, and finishing off the packing. Once the simulation is closed, we are planning a short walk outside the MDRS to enjoy the surroundings one last time. The evening will be a celebratory one, with a small get-together to toast to this incredible experience we have shared together.
Anomalies in work:
None
Weather:
The weather was perfect for our final EVAs.
Crew Physical Status:
Everyone is doing well, though a sense of nostalgia is already setting in for everything we have lived through together.
EVA:
Both EVAs are covered in detail in the daily summary above. The only points worth highlighting are Joanna’s Tap Strap running out of battery during the first EVA, and the second EVA being delayed due to insufficient recharging time, which ultimately prevented Joanna from joining the outing.
Reports to be filed:
Sol Summary
Operations Report
Greenhab Report
Journalist Report
Astronomy Report
EVA Report
Daily photos
Support Requested: none

Report title: Sol Summary Report
Crew #: 333
Position: Crew Commander
Report prepared by: Marie Jansen
Date: 10-04-2026
Sol: SOL 12

Summary Title: Wrapping things up
Mission Status: last day…
Sol Activity Summary:
And so we find ourselves on the final day of our simulation. We had planned to enjoy a slow, leisurely morning, but a drone had other ideas, buzzing over the base and waking the crew up, so the day ended up starting at 8:00 AM after all. We made the most of it with a batch of pancakes to kick things off on a good note.
The morning was then dedicated to wrapping up the last remaining experiments before the simulation came to a close. Zahraa, Antoine, and Joanna each completed their final runs, and Matthias is scheduled to carry out his seed analysis later this afternoon.
There is a quiet sadness hanging over the hab today as the reality of the ending sinks in. But above all, the crew is filled with an immense sense of pride and gratitude for everything we have experienced and built together over these past days
Look Ahead Plan:
Nothing is planned tomorrow on the mission front, we will carry out a final walkthrough of the station, hand things back as we found them, and say goodbye to the MDRS. Thank you for everything.
Anomalies in work: none
Weather:
A perfect day to bring the simulation to a close.
Crew Physical Status:
Everyone is doing well! We all made it out alive!
EVA: None
Reports to be filed:
Sol Summary
Operations Report
Greenhab Report
Journalist Report
Astronomy Report
EVA Report
Daily photos
Mission summary
End-mission research report
Food inventory
Support Requested: none

Report title: Sol Summary Report

Crew #: 335

Position: Crew Commander

Report prepared by: Dave Laude

Date: 20-04–2026

Sol: 1

Summary Title: Three EVAs on day one.

Mission Status: Going fair

Sol Activity Summary:

We arrived on Mars midnight and awoke to views of Mars out the portals. Fantastic views! Charlotte made pancakes for breakfast. Who doesn’t like them? EVAs 1 and 2 took place in the morning to Pebble Ritual as in normal practice. One of us was not feeling up to it and didn’t EVA. Afternoon the film makers and commander headed to Green Mars Overlook, however once reaching the Brahe Highway intersection rover Perseverance battery was at 50% with significant distance remaining ahead and so we turned back. However, we made full use of 3 hours with much filming along the way. Another crew member is now also not feeling well now with sore throat. Our HSO monitors both.

Look Ahead

Tomorrow two EVAs, this time focusing on Charlotte’s clay project while film makers film her.

Anomalies in work:

Once reaching the Brahe Highway intersection, rover Perseverance battery was at 50% with significant distance remaining ahead and so we turned back.

Weather:

It was sunny today, up to 80F and very mild winds.

Crew Physical Status:

Two show mild signs of virus.

EVA:

We ran a little low on battery, but otherwise very good.

Reports to be filed:

Sol Summary
Operations Report
Greenhab Report
Journalist Report
EVA Report
EVA Requests
Daily photos
Support Requested:

Sol Summary Report

Crew #: 335

Position: GreenHab Officer

Report prepared by: Lot Brugge

Date: 21-04–2026

Sol: 2

Summary Title: Foraging Clay

Mission Status: Going fair

Sol Activity Summary:

We started off the day with some freshly baked bread. During the morning Kat and Dave went out to the observetary and did two control drone flights and then the controller died. It turned into a practice session with no EVA taken place.

For lunch we had some leftovers with homemade tortillas and scrambled spinach egg. Then we got ready for the next EVA, a clay foraging mission. We had a lot of fun, time flew by and we possible found some usable clay in both red and green

Look Ahead

Tomorrow I will be very windy, which leaves us no chance to go outside. Luckily we have plenty to do, the film crew will be filming inside, Lot will be treating and filtering the found clay to test if it’s usable. Maybe we will even bake some goods.

Anomalies in work:

The radio’s cut out a couple of times during the EVA.

Weather:

It was sunny today, up to 80F and some winds.

Crew Physical Status:

Two of us don’t feel the best, but conditions are stable or perhaps slightly improving.

EVA:

It went very well, the crew got some good footage and we probably found clay

Report title: Sol Summary Report

Crew #: 335

Position: Engineer

Report prepared by: Katherine Berry

Date: 22Apr2026

Sol: 3

Summary Title: Wind Holds and Habitat Harmony

Mission Status: Steady and productive despite environmental constraints.

Sol Activity Summary: Today the Martian winds had other plans for us. With gusts too strong for EVA operations, the crew remained within the habitat and shifted focus to internal mission objectives. Documentary footage was captured, foraged clay samples were dried, processed, and a rover underwent reassembly and troubleshooting. The habitat hummed with quiet productivity, with each crew member advancing their project while adapting to the unexpected pause in field operations.

Beyond technical work, the crew leaned into the rhythm of life in isolation. Shared meals and storytelling. What could have been a frustrating delay instead became a day of cohesion, reflection, and steady progress behind the scenes.

Look Ahead Plan: If winds subside, EVA operations will resume (if approved) with priority on planned fieldwork and rover deployment. Internal project work will continue in parallel.

Anomalies in work: No technical anomalies.

Weather: High winds throughout the sol, preventing safe EVA. Conditions otherwise stable.

Crew Physical Status: All crew members are in good condition.

EVA: No EVA conducted due to weather constraints.

Reports to be filed:

Sol Summary

Operations Report

Greenhab Report

Journalist Report

EVA Requests

Daily photos

Support Requested: None.

Report Title: Sol Summary Report

Crew #: 335
Position: Crew Artist
Report Prepared by: Elisa Strinna
Date: 23 Apr 2026
Sol: 4

Summary Title: Candor Chasma

Mission Status: Steady and productive despite environmental constraints.

Sol Activity Summary:Today the crew’s rhythm was slightly slower, as several members felt tired. We woke up between 6:00 and 7:00, had a short breakfast, and planned to hold our morning meeting at 8:00. However, the film crew encountered technical issues with the microphones, which required us to postpone the meeting until 12:00.

Once the issue was resolved, we held a brief meeting to review the day’s program and had lunch before preparing for the EVA. Due to earlier delays and additional organizational time, we exited approximately 30 minutes later than scheduled.

The EVA team—David, Charlotte, Elisa, and Matteo—headed to Candor Chasma, while Kat remained at the Hab to work on her astronomy project. During the EVA, Charlotte collected clay and David took photographs, while Elisa and Matteo documented Charlotte’s harvesting process.

We returned around 17:00. Afterward, each crew member took some time to rest and continue their individual projects. Dinner was held around 20:00, and we went to bed at approximately 22:00.

Look Ahead Plan: An EVA is planned for tomorrow afternoon, including Kat’s first EVA. Internal project work will continue in parallel.

Anomalies in Work:Some issues occurred with sound recording equipment used by the film crew.

Weather:Conditions were stable in the afternoon, with strong winds in the morning.

Crew Physical Status:All crew members are generally in good condition. Some are experiencing mild symptoms such as sore throats and nasal congestion.

EVA:One EVA was conducted to Candor Chasma. A second planned EVA did not take place due to strong winds in the morning and was postponed.

Report Title: Sol Summary Report

Crew #: 335
Position: Crew Commander
Report Prepared by: David Laude
Date: 24 Apr 2026
Sol: 5

Summary Title: Kat’s Day Has Come

Mission Status: Steady and productive.

Sol Activity Summary: Today the crew’s rhythm was more casual than the usual two EVAs as we took Kat on her first easy EVA along with Commander and film makers, Elisa and Matteo after a morning of work on our various research projects on campus. Kat has had some medical issues and so we "tested" her on an easy, but beautiful drive most of the way to Brahe Highway since she was now feeling up to it. We stopped for Dave and Kat to practice piloting a drone while in EVA and the film makers were more than delighted to film us, drone and the intense Marian land scape. She had some pain about half way through when finishing the drone flights, but not enough in her opinion to return to base so she mostly rested in Opportunity. Tonight’s dinner is a much anticipated pizza.

Anomalies in Work: We still find headset #2 non-functional and so we put it aside.

Weather: Conditions were nearly ideal with 70F, light winds and some cloud cover.

Crew Physical Status: All crew members are generally in good condition. Some are experiencing mild symptoms such as sore throats and nasal congestion.

EVA: See above

Crew #: 335

Position: GreenHab Officer

Report prepared by: Lot Brugge

Date: 25APR2026

Sol: day 6

Summary Title: Experimentation

Mission Status: Going fair

Sol Activity Summary:

Some of us started off the day with a very special alarm clock this morning. A peculiar creature entered our sleeping cabin and started rapping. It had a pretty interesting hairdo too. Maybe it was a toy Dave’s granddaughter gave to him, maybe it was an extraterrestrial, we’re yet to find out.

Three of us went on a lovely morning EVA to Somerville overlook. The view was beautiful as always. Dave spent time doing a panoramic shoot, and the filmmakers were busy capturing the landscape. Another successful day of filming!

We spent most of today at the science dome trying to get the microwave kiln to work. It took a lot of waiting and a bit of trial and error, but things finally came together. At one point we could see the small hole in the kiln glowing a deep Martian orange, which was a pretty satisfying sign that it had reached the right temperature.

For this run we used our “sixth crewmember,” the little desert mouse we met yesterday, recreated in clay. After a 12 minute microwave firing and then about an hour of waiting for everything to cool down, we gathered around to see the result. There was a lot of curiosity and honestly pretty high expectations at that point.

When the lid was lifted, we saw that the clay had completely changed. It started as a light greenish blue, but after firing it had turned into a warm orange color, almost the same tone as the mouse. This happens because the heat causes chemical changes in the clay. Minerals inside it, especially ones that contain iron, react with oxygen at high temperatures. That reaction forms iron oxides, which give the clay those orange and reddish tones. At the same time, the particles in the clay fuse together, which is what makes it hard and ceramic. There was no cracking or breakage, so overall it felt like a real success and everyone was pretty stoked.

Our crew engineer had a very busy day too. She spent a lot of time working on M16 astronomy data collection and also on her rover studies. She completed three runs, including ground runs and drone assisted ones. It was a busy day for everyone but with some good results.

Anomalies in work:

Another perfect day for crew 335, no anomlities to report.

Weather:

It was cloudy today and around 70 degrees outside.

Crew Physical Status:

Two of our crewmates woke up with a headache. They continue to struggle with fatigue, though the symptoms have slightly decreased in intensity over the course of our stay here on Mars.

EVA:

Another beautiful day,the crew enjoyed the view and the three of them captured the beauty in their own way, collecting and moving and still imagery.