Category: Sol Summary

Crew 305 Sol Summary Report 15-12-2024
Sol: 7
Summary Title: Let’s Carpe Some Diem
Author’s name: Peter Zoss
Mission Status: Active
Sol Activity Summary:
Ian, Peter, and Hunter left on an EVA in the morning. Spruha, Monish, and Rashi monitored comms from the HAB during the day. Spruha and Monish spent a lot of time in the RAM working on their research projects. Rashi helped make some dishes for lunch to go with the leftover spaghetti. Ian put together a nice pasta dinner in the evening then. The VR headset used for Peter’s research was a big hit with Beat Saber, so it was set up for some post-dinner fun once again.
Look Ahead Plan:
The next EVA will be tomorrow, Sol 8. Ian will lead Spruha and Hunter on a walking mission to test out Spruha’s rover and collect some paleosol samples for Hunter around the HAB. Monish, Rashi, and Peter will monitor comms from the HAB. After some strong collaborative work from the team today, all the wiring for the rover has been completed and it is in the final stages of assembly now for tomorrow’s EVA.
Anomalies in work:
None.
Weather:
Today was the warmest yet by the end of the EVA, with no clouds blocking the sun. Winds peaked at 10 MPH during the EVA.
Crew Physical Status:
Everyone appears in good health.
EVA:
EVA 07 saw a semi-successful trek south of Kissing Camel Ridge for dry stream channel measurements and paleosol sample collection led by Ian who had Peter and Hunter accompanying him. The morning started off cold but quickly heated up under the sun for a hot trip.
Reports to be filed: Sol Summary, Journalist Report, Greenhab Report, Operations Report, Crew Photos, EVA Report, and EVA Request
Support Requested:
None

Crew 305 Sol Summary Report 16-12-2024
Sol: 8
Summary Title: These Boots Were Made for Walking
Author’s name: Peter Zoss
Mission Status: Active
Sol Activity Summary:
Ian, Spruha, and Hunter left on an EVA in the afternoon today, a large portion of which was conducted on foot. Peter, Monish, and Rashi monitored comms from the HAB. Hunter was able to spend more time in the morning working on his project in the GreenHab before the EVA. Spruha and Monish spent a lot of time working on their research projects and troubleshooting issues with Spruha’s rover, Hermes. Rashi has been writing a lot for her research as well. Ian made a quick lunch before the EVA. Rashi put together a nice dinner in the evening.
Look Ahead Plan:
The next EVA will be tomorrow, Sol 9. Ian will lead Spruha and Rashi on a walking mission to test out Spruha’s rover around the HAB. Monish, Hunter, and Peter will monitor comms from the HAB. After some more collaborative work from the team today, the rover software, wiring, and power issues have been overcome and it is in the final stages of assembly now for tomorrow’s EVA!
Anomalies in work:
None.
Weather:
Today was another warm one. Lots of cloud cover as well.
Crew Physical Status:
Everyone appears in good health.
EVA:
EVA 08 saw a semi-successful trek up to HAB Ridge on foot for the first portion of the EVA, and then a quick drive south of Kissing Camel Ridge for dry stream channel measurements and paleosol sample collection. Ian led the EVA and had Spruha and Hunter accompanying him.
Reports to be filed: Sol Summary, Journalist Report, Greenhab Report, Operations Report, Crew Photos, EVA Report, and EVA Request
Support Requested:
None

Crew 305 Sol Summary Report 17-12-2024
Sol: 9
Summary Title: Splish Splash, I Was Taking a Bath
Author’s name: Peter Zoss
Mission Status: Active
Sol Activity Summary:
Ian, Spruha, and Rashi left on a walking EVA in the afternoon today from the RAM. Peter, Monish, and Hunter monitored comms from the HAB. Alien activity was high during the afternoon today. Monish and Spruha spent a lot of time with circuits again today working on their projects. Ian made a quick lunch before the EVA again. Hunter put together a nice dinner in the evening. Our water usage was on track, so we were able to fit in our second quick shower today.
Look Ahead Plan:
The next EVA will be tomorrow, Sol 10. Ian will lead Spruha and Hunter on a mission up around Kissing Camel Ridge. They will be joined by a special guest entering sim for the day with us. Monish, Rashi, and Peter will monitor comms from the HAB.
Anomalies in work:
None.
Weather:
Today was partly cloudy and warmer than usual again.
Crew Physical Status:
Everyone appears in good health.
EVA:
EVA 09 saw a trek around the HAB on foot again for dry stream channel measurements, eventually back up to HAB Ridge before returning to the RAM. Ian led the EVA and had Spruha and Rashi accompanying him.
Reports to be filed: Sol Summary, Journalist Report, Greenhab Report, Operations Report, Crew Photos, EVA Report, and EVA Request
Support Requested:
None

Sol: 10
Summary Title: Lights, Camera, Fire!
Author’s name: Peter Zoss
Mission Status: Active
Sol Activity Summary:
Today was a unique one. We started earlier than normal to meet a special guest entering sim for the day with us. Spruha, Monish, and Rashi worked together to make a nice black bean burger tortilla lunch for everyone. Then, Ian, Spruha, and Hunter left on an EVA in the afternoon with our guest, heading out towards Kissing Camel Ridge for some more dry stream measurements and paleosol sample collection. Monish had two of his sensor packs up and working around the MDRS buildings collecting environmental data. Peter, Monish, and Rashi monitored comms from the HAB. Hunter put together a nice dinner in the evening. The evening will be spent relaxing a little more after the long day everyone had working on their research and talking to our guest.
Look Ahead Plan:
The next EVA will be tomorrow, Sol 11. Ian will lead Spruha and Rashi on a mission down south near White Rock Canyon for dry stream channel width measurements. Monish, Hunter, and Peter will monitor comms from the HAB. Peter will collect the final data for his research at MDRS tomorrow. EVA 11 will be the second to last one.
Anomalies in work:
None.
Weather:
Today was sunny and warm with little wind.
Crew Physical Status:
Everyone appears in good health.
EVA:
EVA 10 saw Ian, Spruha, and Hunter bring our guest out towards Kissing Camel Ridge for some more dry stream measurements and paleosol sample collection. Lots of data was gathered, especially for the slightly shorter timeframe – under 2.5 hours!
Reports to be filed: Sol Summary, Journalist Report, Greenhab Report, Operations Report, Crew Photos, EVA Report, and EVA Request
Support Requested:
None

Crew 305 Sol Summary Report 19-12-2024
Sol: 11
Summary Title: We Came, We Spooled, We Conquered
Author’s name: Peter Zoss
Mission Status: Active
Sol Activity Summary:
Last night ended with a movie and some banana bread, courtesy of Spruha. Today, Ian, Spruha, and Rashi left on an EVA at our usual time around 10, heading further south of Kissing Camel Ridge for some more dry stream measurements. Peter, Monish, and Hunter monitored comms from the HAB. They also visited the GreenHab as Hunter collected some data for his research project and danced to help everything grow better. Monish put together a nice dinner in the evening with Spruha’s help. It is hard to believe there are less than 24 hours before the sim ends!
Look Ahead Plan:
The last EVA will be a shorter one tomorrow, on Sol 12. Ian will lead Monish and Hunter on a mission back to Compass Rock for dry stream channel width measurements. Spruha, Rashi, and Peter will monitor comms from the HAB.
Anomalies in work:
None.
Weather:
Today was another sunny and warm one with a little wind.
Crew Physical Status:
Everyone appears in good health.
EVA:
EVA 11 saw Ian, Spruha, and Rashi head south of Kissing Camel Ridge for more dry stream measurements.
Reports to be filed: Sol Summary, Journalist Report, Greenhab Report, Operations Report, Crew Photos, EVA Report, and EVA Request
Support Requested:
None

Crew 305 Sol Summary Report 20-12-2024
Sol: 12
Summary Title: Are You Calling Me on the Cellular Phone?
Author’s name: Peter Zoss
Mission Status: Completed
Sol Activity Summary:
Our last night in sim on Sol 11 saw us finish the movie we started the night before and play a round of Coup again. Today, Ian, Monish and Hunter left on the last EVA at our usual time around 10, heading back up to Compass Rock for some more dry stream measurements and paleosol samples. Peter, Rashi, and Spruha monitored comms from the HAB. Spruha made a nice Italian lunch for everyone. We will be exiting sim soon after we complete our end-of-mission reports. The 12 Sols of in-sim mission days felt long at first, but it is hard to believe the end is already here. The most important thing to note is that we wouldn’t have made it this far without all the help from everyone at mission support! Thank you!
Look Ahead Plan:
N/A
Anomalies in work:
None.
Weather:
Today was another sunny one again, but it was a little colder than the previous few days.
Crew Physical Status:
Everyone appears in good health.
EVA:
EVA 12 saw Ian, Monish and Hunter head to Compass Rock for the final set of dry stream measurements and paleosol sample collection.
Reports to be filed: Sol Summary, Journalist Report, Greenhab Report, Operations Report, Crew Photos, EVA Report, Mission Summary and Research Report
Support Requested:
None

Crew 305 Sol Summary Report 12-12-2024
Sol: 4
Summary Title: Let There Be Light
Author’s name: Peter Zoss
Mission Status: Active
Sol Activity Summary:
The day started off a little slower than usual, but then the solar power was switched on a little earlier than normal. This allowed us to enter back into sim a little before 10 AM. The broken generator was fixed during the day thanks to the tireless work from mission support, securing the rest of our mission timeline. The day saw more personal time throughout, with crew members catching up on missed reports from the previous night in the late morning today. Today was the first designated “shower” day for the crew members at the HAB, so water usage should be slightly higher than typical.
Spruha and Ian made a big serving of pancakes and scrambled eggs for breakfast. Rashi made lunch for everyone in the afternoon. Hunter then made dinner. Rashi, Spruha and Monish worked on their projects out in the RAM and Hunter cultivated the GreenHab further. Ian worked on his computer and used the HAB maps and weather data to plan tomorrow’s EVA. Peter worked on his equipment in the lower HAB.
Look Ahead Plan:
The next EVA will be tomorrow, Sol 5. Ian will lead Rashi and Monish to Eos Chasma for stream width measurements. Spruha, Peter, and Hunter will stay back at the HAB to monitor comms and work on their research. Spruha will continue to assemble her rover. Peter will prepare for the afternoon performance testing. Hunter will continue to set up his work in the GreenHab.
Anomalies in work:
After the generator was fixed, operations returned to normal.
Weather:
Cloudy skies hindered solar power generation throughout the day.
Crew Physical Status:
Everyone appears in good health.
EVA:
No EVA was conducted today. EVA 05 will be tomorrow on Sol 5.
Reports to be filed: Sol Summary, Journalist Report, Greenhab Report, Operations Report, Crew Photos, EVA Report, and EVA Request
Support Requested:
None

Crew 305 Sol Summary Report 13-12-2024
Sol: 5
Summary Title: The Second Start
Author’s name: Peter Zoss
Mission Status: Active
Sol Activity Summary:
The morning started with a great breakfast prepared by Hunter with potatoes and the leftovers from the night before. Ian, Rashi, and Monish left on an EVA in the morning after breakfast. Spruha sourced some Red Lobster in the form of their cheddar bay biscuit mix for lunch with some soup. During the day, Spruha and Monish were able to get some more work done in the RAM for the projects and Rashi spent some time in the Science Dome. Hunter then prepared a nice Italian dinner for everyone with Ian’s help. The crew might stargaze tonight after reports are submitted to view the meteor shower.
Look Ahead Plan:
The next EVA will be tomorrow, Sol 6. Ian will lead Peter and Monish back to Eos Chasma for more dry stream measurements. Hunter, Rashi, and Spruha will monitor comms from the HAB. Spruha is closer to reassembling her rover. Hunter has been putting in great work to take care of all the plants in the GreenHab and will continue to monitor growth. Monish is
Anomalies in work:
A slight power outage occurred today around 3:45 PM due to cloud coverage affecting the solar power. Switching over to the generator early resolved this though.
Weather:
Today was the warmest so far, with a light breeze reaching up to 9 MPH again.
Crew Physical Status:
Everyone appears in good health.
EVA:
EVA 05 saw a successful trek to Eos Chasma for dry stream channel measurements led by Ian who had Rashi and Monish accompanying him.
Reports to be filed: Sol Summary, Journalist Report, Greenhab Report, Operations Report, Crew Photos, EVA Report, and EVA Request
Support Requested:
None

Crew 305 Sol Summary Report 14-12-2024
Sol: 6
Summary Title: Smells Like Bacon
Author’s name: Peter Zoss
Mission Status: Active
Sol Activity Summary:
Ian, Peter, and Monish left on an EVA in the morning after breakfast. Spruha, Hunter, and Rashi monitored comms from the HAB during the day. Spruha and Monish spent a lot of time in the RAM working on their research projects. Hunter prepared his famous spam fried rice for dinner; you could smell the food throughout the HAB. The VR headset used for Peter’s research was set up with Beat Saber for some post-dinner fun.
Look Ahead Plan:
The next EVA will be tomorrow, Sol 7. Ian will lead Peter and Hunter to Kissing Camel Ridge for more dry stream measurements. Monish, Rashi, and Spruha will monitor comms from the HAB. Spruha hopes to have her rover fully assembled by the end of the day, and Monish is close to having his sensor network system set up.
Anomalies in work:
None.
Weather:
Today was a chilly one, with lots of clouds blocking the sun.
Crew Physical Status:
Everyone appears in good health.
EVA:
EVA 06 saw another successful trek to Eos Chasma for dry stream channel measurements led by Ian who had Peter and Monish accompanying him. The morning started off cold, but eventually, the sun peaked out for the second half of the trip.
Reports to be filed: Sol Summary, Journalist Report, Greenhab Report, Operations Report, Crew Photos, EVA Report, and EVA Request
Support Requested: None

Crew 305 Sol Summary Report 09-12-2024
Sol: 1
Summary Title: The Big Settling In
Author’s name: Rashi Jain
Mission Status: All Crew is Alive.
Sol Activity Summary:
Crew Activity Summary for Sol 1: The crew woke up between 6:00 AM and 7:30 AM. From 9:15 AM to 11:15 AM, Hunter Vannier, Ian Parmeleau, and Peter Zoss prepared for and conducted EVA 1 for the Marble Ritual. Later, between 11:45 AM and 12:45 PM, Hunter Vannier, Monish Lokhande, and Rashi Jain prepared for and conducted EVA 2 for the Marble Ritual. Lunch was prepared and served from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM, with Ian and Peter making couscous and chickpeas while Hunter handled the dishes. From 2:00 PM to 5:45 PM, the crew took a break, during which some napped, handled personal tasks, or assisted Peter with his research. Cognitive tests related to Peter’s experiment were conducted from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM. The crew gathered in the common area between 5:45 PM and 7:00 PM, preparing dinner (mac and cheese by Spruha, assisted by Monish) and engaging in individual projects. Finally, from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM, the crew worked on reports and research tasks.
EVA Task Summary from within the Habitat: For EVA 1 and EVA 2, Crew Engineer Spruha checked the batteries on the EVA suits. The staying crew assisted the outgoing crew with tasks like airlock depressurization, which took 5-8 minutes. For EVA 2, the outgoing crew brought the EVA safety kit in the rover. Communications tests and rover preparation tasks, such as clearing power cords, turning on the rover, and logging battery percentage, were completed, with 100% battery recorded during EVA 2. The outgoing crew reported their departure and return for each EVA, parked the rover, secured the keys, and entered the airlock for re-pressurization before returning to the habitat. It was noted that two-piece EVA suits required more assistance compared to the one-piece suits, particularly for ventilation activation.
*The two-piece EVA suits require more assistance in being put on than the one-piece EVA suits where the main help required was turning on the ventilation.
Look Ahead Plan:
There is an EVA planned for tomorrow. People are planning to get started with their proposed research sometime tomorrow.
Anomalies in work:
No anomalies in work encountered yet. Our lights in the Hab hangout room flicker, which is a little annoying.
Weather:
Mars is cold. Our sleeping pods keep us warm – and are the only hope for all of humanity.
Crew Physical Status:
Some people had neck and shoulder discomfort after their EVAs, but everyone seems to be in good health.
EVA:
We had two EVAs today to the Marbles Ritual. There is just one EVA planned for tomorrow.
Reports to be filed:
This is the Sol Summary Report.
Other reports being turned in are: GreenHab Report, Operations Report, EVA Report, 6 – 8 photos
Support Requested:
We need the format for the Journalist Report. We don’t have it yet. We need the format for the Health and Safety Officer Report. We received a checklist for the Health and Safety Officer for the first day, but there is no report format for follow up reports.