2022-2023 Field Season (#22)

Sol 11: Rehoming Rocks and Writing Reports

The crew had to have an early morning today, despite us all being rather tired, as our first EVA was departing at 0930. There was no organisation for making a group breakfast, so cereal it was. Except for Mehnaz, who chose cookies and peanut butter as her breakfast. But it was the breakfast of champions, as she was out there on the first EVA, along with Annalea and me.

The first EVA of the day went to locations between Marble Ritual and Pooh’s Corner to return various field samples that we had taken throughout Crew 292, as well as during Crew 291. For a whole lot of field samples that took a lot of time, energy, rover battery, and suit preparations to collect, they were remarkably easy to return, and we finished our EVA early. Though not without Mehnaz capturing some videos and photos of us all!

During our repressurisation time in the airlock, Annalea joked about wondering if anyone had made fresh bread for us. To our surprise and delight, though no fresh bread had been made, Daniel was in the process of baking a cake! By the time we had gotten out of our EVA suits and put our things away, the cake was out of the oven, and Daniel was off to the Science Dome to continue his lab work extracting DNA from a few biological samples we had taken over the duration of Crew 292. He had opted out of the morning EVA (after consultation with Mission Support) to ensure he could complete his lab work, but we were also grateful that he had chosen to bake a cake, too.

However it wasn’t long before all the Mangalyartis were feeling hungry, and we recalled Daniel from the Science Dome for lunch. Bharti and I had made jambalaya for everyone and put in lots of extra veggies. This was followed by Daniel’s cake, which had been iced and then decorated in the red, green, and blue of the Mars flag. Our verdict: delicious! Another success for Crew Baker … I mean Crew Biologist Daniel!

After lunch, we had another EVA to return samples to their geological homes. This time, Aditya, Rajvi, Bharti, and I drove to the dry creek crossing on Cow Dung Rd, just north of Cowboy Corner and then back to Cowboy Corner itself. A sprinkle of rain did make us think for a moment that we might have to abort our EVA without completing our goals of sample return, but a quick conversation with HabCom and Mission Support let us know that it would quickly pass, and we would be ok to stay out on the EVA and finish everything up. Much like this morning’s EVA, the sample return process was much quicker and easier than anticipated. So, with those rocks newly returned to their homes, and my backpack feeling much lighter (both physically and metaphorically), we spent a few final moments taking photos and videos to remember our time at this amazing research station.

Throughout all the EVAs, those at home had maintained their report writing, as we are hoping to be well-prepared for our end-of-mission reports and all successive reports and papers that we will write up from the research conducted here at the MDRS. Though Daniel managed to continue his DNA extractions, and by the time the second EVA crew had returned, he was ready to pour a gel for his gel electrophoresis and make his DNA ladder to compare results against. As I had wandered over to the Science Dome to check for any spare rocks that may need returning to their homes on our way out of here in the next few days, I was recruited to help Daniel with this process. Annalea also wandered over to the Science Dome right when the gel needed pouring, so she was also recruited to pour the gel. The Mangalyatris are all feeling pretty proud of our newfound microbiology skills, and we all have Daniel to thank for teaching us!

As the sun sets and the evening gets darker, the crew has been focused on more report writing and really just enjoying the last remaining time we have on Mars. The Mangalyatris are a well-oiled machine now. As I write this, Annalea is cooking dinner (with the promise of my help, hence me wrapping up), Bharti and Rajvi are writing reports, Mehnaz and Aditya are collecting salad greens, tomatoes, and herbs for the dinner from the GreenHab, and Daniel is sitting up in the loft area (presumably relaxing or writing about his day in one of his many notebooks).

Dinner prep calls me,

Clare Fletcher (292 Mangalyatri Journalist)

Sol 10: Happy Valentine’s Day to the Rocks (we love rocks)

It was a sleepy morning in the Hab after lots of days of EVAs and everyone working really hard on their research. We had a simple breakfast of cheesy garlic scones (biscuits, if you’re American), and then got on with the day’s work.

A few of us did some cleaning and laundry. The laundry is sorely needed at this point, and we’re all covered in a layer of local dirt! While we didn’t separate into the different Habs this morning, we all worked separately on our various research projects. Bharti has been writing her paper on her research conducted here, as have I. Bharti now has a literature review and study area geology section complete, while I have mostly analysed data. Annalea, Rajvi, and Daniel spent the morning working on reports as we are all keen to begin our reports early so as not to be rushed to do them at the end of our mission. It is also helping us to take stock of whether or not we’ve met our research goals and anything else that might need to be done in the final few days of our mission. This morning, Aditya submitted some observations for the remote telescope, and Mehnaz continued to work on her code for her research project.

Annalea also worked on a lunch of coconut rice and dhal, which was delicious and also fueled our afternoon EVA team who were heading to Candor Chasma (same as yesterday, but the other 4 members of the crew). Daniel led the charge to Candor Chasma with Rajvi navigating, and Aditya followed with Mehnaz in the passenger seat. They made good time and the rovers didn’t even hit their 55% charge turn-back point when they pulled up. The EVA crew thoroughly enjoyed Candor Chasma, particularly noting the different types of gypsum in the Summerville Formation, some of which they sampled to bring back to the Hab as part of all our research and for a slightly more confident ID by the resident geologists.

Back at the Hab, Annalea continued report writing, and Bharti continued writing her paper. I served as HabCom while also continuing to analyse my data and then prepare the samples I had collected for their return to their original locations. We discussed what EVAs to conduct to return samples, and also discussed the importance of knowing where samples came from and returning them to their original locations for geoconservation purposes. This is what I have been researching while I’m here, so much of the afternoon revolved around that, even after the EVA team returned.

After the EVA, Rajvi and I also discussed different types of gypsum and anhydrite and what they look like, as well as their water content (or lack thereof). Daniel taught Mehnaz how to use his Bento Lab equipment, and they did a targeted PCR and two DNA extractions, one on soil and one on the “yellow goo”. The rest of the crew focused on their report writing once the EVA had returned.

I sorted all my own samples, as well as those from Crew 291, and the additional basket of rocks that had been at the Hab when I first arrived with Crew 291. I explained to Rajvi and Annalea why I was saddened by the basket of rocks left here for an unknown time – it included polished rocks, some of which were clearly not from the area and had no scientific relevance. Also, the rocks maintain much of their informative value when still in their context (though sampling is still necessary in many instances), and when permanently removed their only value is in either further study (e.g., pXRF, XRD, thin sections, etc.), better ID of the rock/mineral, or aesthetic value. Most of the knowledge remains in the field, with the rock sample still there.

Loving you, but leaving you where you are,

Clare Fletcher (292 Mangalyatri Journalist)