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Crew 313 Crew biographies, photos and mission patch 31Mar2025

[title Crew biographies, photos and mission patch – March 31st]

Crew 313 Bios

Jen Carver-Hunter

Jen Carver-Hunter is a 5th grade teacher at a Title 1 School in Salt Lake City, Utah. Carver-Hunter is the crew commander for the Spaceward Bound Utah program at the Mars Desert Research Station. She is also an alumni member of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum’s Teacher Innovator Institute and a current member of Space Center Houston’s SEEC Crew.

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Emily Lehnardt

Emily Lehnardt first "gravitated" towards the exciting world of astronomy during a high school lecture about black holes. From that moment, she has actively pursued anything space related. She is the former director of the Utah Women Astronomical Society which focuses on STEM and astronomy outreach. Her love of knowledge, exploration, and space is contagious, and, for her indefatigable talent for teaching, Emily is a two-time-award winning educator. Currently, she is pursuing a PhD in science education with a research interest in astronomy and STEM. Additionally, she is collaborating with Clark Planetarium to create robust astronomy curriculum for rural communities. Emily loves to travel and share her passion about astronomy with others.

Becca Hodgkinson

Becca Hodgkinson is a National Board Certified Teacher who has worked at Escalante Elementary in Salt Lake City, UT since 2004. For the past three years, her sixth grade students have been maintaining a commercial hydroponics unit in order to study how matter cycles through the ecosystem and potential ways humans might be able to grow food on Mars. She is a three time graduate from the University of Utah and a proud mom of two young adults.

Samantha Reynolds

Samantha Reynolds is a homeschooling educator of 15 years, community organizer, and meditation instructor. She loves connecting people to resources and outlets for their passions, and looks forward to sharing the MDRS experience with others. In her free time she enjoys travel, reading, learning new things, and spending time with family.

Riley Nuttycombe

Riley Nuttycombe is a 17 year old high school student out of Boulder Colorado. She enjoys reading and writing science fiction, working on CAD projects, and playing ultimate frisbee. This is her third mission to MDRS where she is working on a project (the Mars Trek Project) to design and test her own EVA helmets.

David Joy

David Joy is a junior high school science teacher in Northern Utah. He is currently teaching physics and integrated science, but has also taught chemistry and Earth & Space science. In 2020 he earned a Ph.D. in outdoor education and social justice. This is his second Spaceward Bound mission at MDRS, and he is grateful to have these opportunities.

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Journalist Report – April 2nd

Journalism Report
MDRS Crew 313
April 2, 2025
Sol 2
By Becca Hodgkinson

Crew 313 had two successful EVAs today. In the morning, the crew took rovers Curiosity, Perseverance, and Spirit to a site to the south to look for basalt and breccia analogs. They then traveled north to Kissing Camels to scout for petrified wood samples for their analog rock sample kits. All rovers worked well, and the crew was able to try out different helmet and backpack configurations.

In the afternoon, four members of the crew took a second walking EVA back to the Marble Ritual, gathering even more rock and mineral specimens to add to their collections. All EVA objectives were met, and EVAs were completed within the approved timeframe. Afterwards, the crew finished up their Martian geology experiments in the Science Dome.

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EVA Report – April 2nd

Crew 313 EVA Report 02-04-2025

EVA # 3

Author: Jen Carver-Hunter

Purpose of EVA: Geologic sample collection

Start time: 10:00

End time: 12:00

Narrative: The crew was prepped and ready for their EVA shortly at 10:00. They traveled south on Cow Dung Road to the wash along the road to Barrainca Butte. At the wash, they walked west toward Barrainca Butte, collecting geologic specimens. After 20 minutes of specimen collection, the crew loaded up in the rovers to drive to their second collection site at Kissing Camel Ridge. The crew walked along the wash to the southwest of Kissing Camel Ridge, collecting geologic specimens before returning to the rovers to drive back along Cow Dung Rd to the Hab.

Destination: Road to Barrainca Butte and Southwest Kissing Camel Ridge

Coordinates (use UTM WGS 84): 519700, 4247300 and 518200, 4249300

Participants: Jen Carver-Hunter, David Joy, Becca Hodgkinson, Emily Lehnardt, Riley Nuttycombe, and Samantha Reynolds

Road(s) and routes per MDRS Map: Cow Dung Road south to 1101 (Rd to Barrainca Butte) and then returning North to Kissing Camel Ridge and the Hab

Mode of travel: Spirit, Curiosity, and Perseverance Rovers

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EVA Report – April 2nd

Crew 313 EVA Report 02-04-2025

EVA # 4

Author: Jen Carver-Hunter

Purpose of EVA: Helmet Test Data Collection

Start time: 14:00

End time: 15:00

Narrative: The crew left the Hab and turned north on Cow Dung Rd. They started at the Marble Ritual and then walked slightly east and south to examine geologic samples while testing the suits and helmets. By the end of the EVA, crew was tired and returned to the Hab via Cow Dung Rd.

Destination: Marble Ritual and surrounding area

Coordinates (use UTM WGS 84): 518500, 4251000

Participants: David Joy, Emily Lehnardt, Riley Nuttycombe, and Samantha Reynolds

Road(s) and routes per MDRS Map: Cow Dung Road to Marble Ritual and then back to the Hab

Mode of travel: N/A

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Sol Summary – March 28th

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.

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EVA Report – April 1st

Crew 313 EVA Report 01-04-2025

EVA # 2

Author: Jen Carver-Hunter

Purpose of EVA: Data Collection for Helmet Test

Start time: 15:00

End time: 16:30

Narrative: The EVA team departed the Hab through the RAM airlock and walked to Cow Dung Rd. From there, the crew turned north and walked to the marble ritual, picking up an offering for the ritual baskets on the way. While at the Marble Ritual, the crew walked around, climbed a small hill, picked up samples, and simulated a full scope geologic EVA in order to test the helmets and backpack systems that were developed by R. Nuttycombe. After collecting a sufficient amount of data to report, the crew returned back to the Hab via Cow Dung Rd.

Destination: Marble Ritual

Coordinates (use UTM WGS 84): 518500, 4251000

Participants: Jen Carver-Hunter, David Joy, Becca Hodgkinson, Emily Lehnart, and Riley Nuttycombe

Road(s) and routes per MDRS Map: Crew walked north on Cow Dung Road to Marble Ritual and then returned to the Hab by walking south on Cow Dung Road.

Mode of travel: Walking

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EVA Report – April 1st

Crew 313 EVA Report 01-04-2025

EVA # 1

Author: Jen Carver-Hunter

Purpose of EVA: Geologic sample collection

Start time: 10:00

End time: 12:00

Narrative: The crew was prepped and ready for their EVA shortly after 10:00. They used Spirit, Perseverance, and Opportunity rovers to travel to Brahe Hwy to collect their first specimens. Then they turned south on Cow Dung Rd and drove to their second location, which was near the balancing rock south of dry creek wash to collect their second and third specimens. Poor weather moved in, so mission control requested that the crew finish their sample collection and return to the Hab. In spite of moving quickly to return, they did get caught in a little bit of precipitation.

Destination: Intersection with Brahe Hwy followed by mounds near the balancing rock south of dry creek wash

Coordinates (use UTM WGS 84): 518000, 4254750 and 518000, 4254000

Participants: David Joy, Becca Hodgkinson, Emily Lehnart, Riley Nuttycombe, and Samantha Reynolds

Road(s) and routes per MDRS Map: Crew took rovers from the Hab to Cow Dung Rd, turned north onto Cow Dung Rd, and followed it to the intersection with Brahe Hwy. From there, they turned south on Cow Dung Rd to the second collection site south of dry creek wash. From the second site, they returned to the Hab on Cow Dung Rd.

Mode of travel: Spirit, Opportunity, and Perseverance Rovers

Rover hours
Spirit: Before EVA 271.4, After EVA 271.9
Perseverance: Before EVA 315.9, After EVA 316.6
Opportunity: Before EVA 211.6, After EVA 212.3