2022-2023 Field Season (#22)

Crew 293 Sol Summary Report 19-02-2024

Sol: 1

Summary Title: Crew 293’s first steps on Mars : Welcome to the magnificent Red Planet

Author’s name: Marie Delaroche, Crew Commander

Mission Status: Nominal

Sol Activity Summary:

On this first Sol, we’ve officially entered the simulation; after some crew pictures taken by Ben in front of the Hab, and a last run around the station, Léa, our Crew Astronomer, closed the Main Airlock door to signify the beginning of the sim. With no time to lose, the crew got ready for the first training EVA involving four crew members, which was a success: communication between HabCom and the EVA crew is good, rules and guidelines are clear. As a result, the additional objectives of scouting a location for the atmospheric instruments and collecting sample for the “Seed of Mars” outreach experiment were also reached! The second training EVA, involving the remaining crewmembers in the afternoon, was also successful. A formal debrief time after each training EVA ensured all questions were answered and issues addressed. Other successes : Léa was able to turn on the 3D printer, which will be useful in case of breakage of parts from the atmospheric instruments. She and Mathurin, the GreenHab Officer, are also mapping the GreenHab to keep track of the plants left by the previous crew. Leo, our Crew Engineer, has successfully deployed a local network for all crewmembers to have access to central files vital to the mission. All inventories have been successfully completed, and the building of atmospheric instruments is well underway.

It’s great to see how dedicated and focused the crew is, showcasing flawless performance thus far!

Look Ahead Plan:

Sol 2 will be dedicated to ongoing studies and experiments deployment, most notably Orbital Architecture, EchoFinder and the atmospheric instruments. The latter are being built in the RAM and are scheduled to collect measurements until Sol 2. Our plan is to deploy the LOAC and a weather station during an EVA on Sol 3, then to deploy MegaAres and the field mill on Sol 4. We will be watching the weather closely during the next 48 hours.

Anomalies in work: Solar observatory offline

Weather: Sunny, high 15°C, low 5°C

Crew Physical Status: Nominal

EVA: Training EVAs : EVA #1 and #2

Reports to be filed: Sol Summary, Journalist’s Report, GreenHab Report, Operations Report, Photos (6-8 pics), EVA Reports (2).

Support Requested: None

Crew 293 Sol Summary Report 18-02-2024

Sol: 0

Summary Title: Into Familiar Unknowns

Author’s name: Marie Delaroche, Crew Commander

Mission Status: Nominal

Sol Activity Summary:

Crew 293 has safely arrived on site ! After more than a year of careful preparation and training, we arrived at midday on campus and were trained by Ben Stanley, the site manager. Great care was taken as we unpacked all scientific equipment brought to MDRS all the way from France; we are ready as of tomorrow to start setting up our experiments in the different modules.

Look Ahead Plan: After receiving training from Ben Stanley, we are ready to complete the two training EVAs on Sol 1, after which we will be cleared to program additional EVAs if all goes well.

Anomalies in work: Both observatories offline

Weather: Sunny, low 0°C, high 15°Cs

Crew Physical Status: Nominal

EVA: None

Reports to be filed: Crew biographies, photos, and mission patch, Mission plan, HSO Pre-Mission Checklist, EVA Requests, Journalist report (supplementary)

Support Requested:

-> We would need a small table and chair to put in the GreenHab for an experiment (taking cognitive tests in different areas of the station); would that be something that could be provided?

-> We would like to request authorization to start the Seeds of Mars experiment (as part of our scientific outreach initiative in middle schools) in the GreenHab; it consists in planting seeds in soil sampled during EVAs, and comparing the plants’ growth to that of other seeds planted in regular soil.

-> Maps and 24-hour network information has been received.