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EVA Report – December 19th

Crew 305 EVA Report 19-12-2024

EVA # 11

Author: Ian Pamerleau

Purpose of EVA: Stream measurements, samples, and observations on rover improvements.

Start time: 10:00 hr

End time: 13:24 hr

Narrative: Ian led the rest of the Spool Kids (Rashi and Spruha) on the EVA today. We took Opportunity and Spirit out to Zubrin’s Head and White Rock Canyon. At the start of the EVA, the rovers had 198.3 hr and 258.6 hr, respectively and 100% battery each. We headed south through Kissing Camel Ridge and past Zubrin’s Head. We then got out of the rovers and took some observations on Herme’s tire performance in different terrains of the main ephemeral stream that flows nearby (note it was only with a single tire; Hermes is still not operational). As Spruha and Rashi took those observations, Ian took fine-grain sand samples within the stream for Hunter. We then headed SE along the main channel until we came to a large tributary that flows from the NE. The team climbed the shallow slope a good way up taking a few width measurements along the way. Whenever we took a measurement, Spruha wanted to time how long it took Ian to take one by himself (with a rock holding one end of the tape) vs how long it took with Rashi helping. This was done to better understand how a rover could help astronauts in the field. For meaningful, robust time comparisons, we had to spool up the measuring tape in between Ian taking a measurement by himself and doing it with Rashi’s help (hence the name Spool Kids). After a few measurements, we headed back to the rovers and drove them south to White Rock Canyon. We took some more timed measurements here as well as another fine-grained sand sample for Hunter. We did not have time to head to Barrainca Butte, so we returned to the Hab after collecting data at White Rock Canyon. At the end of the EVA, Opportunity had 198.8 hr and 58% battery; Spirit had 259.1 hr and 66% battery.

Destination: East of Zubrin’s Head; White Rock Canyon

Coordinates (use UTM WGS 84): 520459E, 4248598N; 520329E, 4247523N

Participants: Ian Pamerleau, Rashi Jain, Spruha Vashi

Road(s) and routes per MDRS Map: MDRS driveway, Cow Dung Road south a little past Zubrin’s Head for stop 1. Stop 2 was even further south near White Rock Canyon. Head back north the same way we came down.

Mode of travel: Rovers & walking

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Journalist Report – December 18th

Lights, Camera, Mars: A Day in the Life of Crew 305 at MDRS
Evenings at the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) follow a familiar rhythm. We ate dinner, turned in our reports, AND scrubbed the Hab clean for the media day tomorrow. After showers and some final tidying, the crew gathered to discuss the next day’s agenda: Media Day. Once plans were set, Crew 305 switched gears, diving into a couple of games of One-Night Werewolf. It’s a game of strategy, bluffing, and reading people, which made it both entertaining and oddly fitting for a crew navigating simulated Martian life. By the end of the night, some crew members headed to bed, while others continued to work. Meanwhile, I turned back to Life of Pi, which is now getting interesting. Piscine is at the sea, on a raft, alone with a Bengali tiger!

We had an early start to the morning. Hunter cooked some savory oatmeal, with chili oil and some scallions harvested from the Green-Hab. At 8:30 a.m., Dhruv Khullar from The New York Times arrived with his crew: producer Xan Parker, cameraman Alan Jacobsen, and sound engineer Mike Fugal. Dhruv asked each of the crew member questions about what they study at Purdue, what they’re working on, what their research on MDRS is on, experiences of living in the Hab (good, bad, and surprising), and what is their expectation of when we will land on Moon. Most of us pegged the first Martian landing somewhere between 2038 and 2050. The idea of a permanent presence, though, carried broader estimates—ranging from the late 21st century to early mid 22nd century.

After the interviews, Hunter and Rashi led a tour for the filming crew through the Science Dome, the Observatory, and the Green-Hab. Rashi returned to the Hab, and Spruha and Monish joined Hunter and the filming crew to tour the Repair and Maintenance (RAM) module. We all got together to prepare lunch—a collaborative effort by Rashi, Spruha, and Monish—of Black Bean Burger Burritos and Bowls, topped off with iced tea, brewed by Hunter the night before.

In the afternoon, EVAs took center stage. Ian, Hunter, and Spruha headed out with their media counterparts—Dhruv, Alan, and Mike—to explore the terrain. Stream measurements, paleosol samples, and terrain analysis kept everyone busy, while the cameras documented every move. By 3:00 p.m., the EVA team returned, dusty but satisfied. The rest of the crew helped them unstrap and settle back into Hab life.

The remainder of the day unfolded at a quieter pace. Peter answered questions about his cognitive research, while others worked on their projects, tackled coursework, or simply relaxed. As the sun dipped lower, the Hab settled into its usual hum of activity. Some moments were productive, others reflective, but all part of the larger mission—learning what it takes to live, work, and thrive on Mars. Hunter prepped dinner, and we all got to submitting our reports for the day.

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Operations Report – December 18th

Crew 305 Operations Report 18-12-2024
SOL:10
Name of person filing report: Spruha Vashi
Non-nominal systems: None!
Notes on non-nominal systems: None!
ROVERS
Spirit rover used: Yes
Hours: (before EVA): 258.3
Beginning charge: (Before EVA) 100
Ending charge: (On return from EVA, before recharging):90
Currently charging: Yes
Opportunity rover used: Yes
Hours: (before EVA): 197.8
Beginning charge: (Before EVA) 100
Ending charge: (On return from EVA, before recharging):87
Currently charging: Yes
Curiosity rover used: No
Perseverance rover used: Yes
Hours: (before EVA): 296.2
Beginning charge: (Before EVA) 100
Ending charge: (On return from EVA, before recharging):93
Currently charging: Yes
General notes on rovers: Oppy’s identifying paper on the keychain is gone.
Summary of Hab operations: Operations were standard.
Water Use (please use both methods to estimate water usage)
Time of measurements: 7pm
1) Per formula:49.0125 gallons
2) Smart Home Dashboard: 27.74 gallons
Water (static tank, remaining gallons):318.01
Static tank pipe heater (on or off): On
Static tank heater (on or off): On
Toilet tank emptied (no or yes): No
Summary of internet: No internet issues
Summary of suits and radios: None
Summary of GreenHab operations: No major greenhab operations, Hunter spent some time harvesting and checking on the crops.
WATER USE: 5 gallons
Heater (On or Off): On
Supplemental light (hours of operation): 5-10pm
Harvest (name, weight in grams): Cilantro, 20 grams.
Summary of Science Dome operations: No science dome operations.
Dual split (Heat or AC, On or Off): Automatic functions running.
Summary of RAM operations: Tidied up RAM, no operations in there.
Summary of any observatory issues: No issues.
Summary of health and safety issues: No issues.
Questions, concerns and requests to Mission Support: None!

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GreenHab Report – December 18th

Crew 305 GreenHab Report 18Dec2024

GreenHab Officer: Hunter Vannier

Environmental control (fan & heater): Heater and fan on automatically.

Average temperatures (last 24h): 86 F

Maximum temperature (last 24h): 94.8 F

Minimum temperature (last 24h): 78.6 F

Hours of supplemental light: 1700 – 2200

Daily water usage for crops: 5 gallons

Daily water usage for research and/or other purposes: 0

Water in Blue Tank (200-gallon capacity): 125.75 gallons

Time(s) of watering for crops: 9:30 am, 6:45 pm

Changes to crops: harvested cilantro

Narrative: The thyme has shown significant growth in the past two days, and the herbs generally keep proliferating. The cucumbers enjoyed their morning and evening watering, though it seems the cucumbers that are in contact with the east wall of the GreenHab are more prone to withering; there are a few yellow leaves near their base. A lot of radish microgreens are sprouted and can be harvested soon. A few more sunflowers sprouted, but the pea shoots have still not made a full appearance. These will likely be enjoyed by the next crew rather than ours. We harvested 20 g of cilantro, 10 for lunch today (black bean burger burritos) and 10 g for dinner (Jambalaya).

Harvest: 20 g cilantro

Support/supplies needed: none

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Sol Summary – December 18th

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

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EVA Report – December 18th

Crew 305 EVA Report 18-12-2024

EVA # 10

Author: Ian Pamerleau

Purpose of EVA: Stream measurements, samples, rover observations, and media day.

Start time: 12:45 hr

End time: 15:00 hr

Narrative: Ian led the EVA with the accompaniment of Hunter, Spurha, and the media team. We took a bit more time than usual to get to our location south of Kissing Camel Ridge (KCR) for some great shots of Dhruv in the rover by the film crew. We departed from the Hab at about 12:55 hr with Perseverance, Spirit, and Opportunity at 296.2 hr, 258.3 hr, 197.8 hr (respectively), and 100% battery for all. We made our way south through the gap of KCR and stopped the rovers where the main stream cut through the road perpendicularly, a little east of Robert’s Rock Garden. We then disembarked the rovers and headed west towards the Rock Garden. Spruha and Ian began taking stream width measurements while Hunter took riverbed sand samples to see if they would match paleosol on cut banks upstream. As we conducted our field work, Dhruv asked us questions about why we were taking samples/measurements, where we were, and what we expected to find from our work, which we happily answered. After we took some samples and measurements west of the stream, we headed along it and got some measurements of tributaries to the northeast, this time with help from Dhruv. We then headed back to the rovers and drove them back through KCR. Dhruv’s film team got a good shot of him and Ian coming through the gap on Perseverance. Because we had enough time, we stopped a little north of the ridge to get a few more samples and measurements and stumbled upon someone’s used campfire circle. After we conducted all the field work we needed, we headed back to the Hab. At the end of the EVA, Perseverance was at 296.8 hr and 93% battery, Spirit was at 258.6 hr and 90% battery, and Opportunity was at 198.3 hr and 87% battery.

Destination: Robert’s Rock Garden & North of Kissing Camel Ridge

Coordinates (use UTM WGS 84): As far west as 518189E, 4248992N; as far east as 518782E, 4249214N. Stopped at 518313E, 4249626N for sampling and measurements on the way back.

Participants: Ian Pamerleau, Spruha Vashi, Hunter Vannier, Dhruv Khullar & Film Crew

Road(s) and routes per MDRS Map: MDRS driveway, Cow Dung Road south through Kissing Camel Ridge

Mode of travel: Rover to about 518522E, 4249136N & walking

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Journalist Report – December 17th

We are onto something, guys… Just this one more, and then we are golden!

Sol 9 began with the crew easing into the day between 7 and 9 AM. Rashi, the Crew Journalist, started her morning with some life planning, jotting down things she’d like to accomplish before the year wraps up. Peter, the Health and Safety Officer, was up by 7:30 AM and spent some quiet time reading a book. Spruha, our Crew Engineer, got straight to work at 7:45 AM, debugging the rover. She carefully checked each wiring connection on the circuit board to figure out why the power wasn’t flowing through properly. It turned out to be a loose connection, and Monish joined in to help troubleshoot. Together, they debated whether soldering was the best fix—it would secure the connection but make it harder to repair in the future. They decided to solder, and it worked.

Meanwhile, Hunter cleaned the kitchen before heading to the GreenHab to check on his experiment. Ian, Peter, and Rashi worked on their respective devices and research. As EVA time approached, Ian prepared a quick tuna spinach salad for everyone. Spruha, Ian, and Rashi got suited up while the rest of the crew helped them prep. Since the rover wasn’t ready for the EVA, Spruha removed a wheel to test it manually in the field. This was a walking EVA, so no rovers were used. The team exited from the RAM as planned and focused on testing the wheel, collecting stream measurements, and, as always, keeping an eye out for any interesting observations. Back at the Hab, Hunter and Peter handled comms, maintaining support for the EVA crew.

Once the EVA team returned, everyone settled in for snacks and Peter’s cognitive testing. Each crew member took turns completing the tests while Spruha and Monish continued their work on the rover. Rashi kept up with her documentation, and Ian and Hunter worked on their individual projects. As 6 PM approached, the team moved into the familiar routine of writing reports together before the comms window opened. Dinner was a collaborative effort: Hunter made Okonomiyaki with homemade barbecue sauce, and Monish prepared a hearty chicken soup.

The day was productive and filled with small wins, capped off with a shared meal and some downtime. With each passing sol, the crew continues to problem-solve, adapt, and move forward.

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HSO Pre-Mission Checklist – December 22nd

HSO BEGINNING OF MISSION CHECKLIST 2024-2025

Submitted by: Ryan Villarreal

Crew: 306

Date: 22 December 2024

Part 1

Locate and confirm the emergency escape routes in the Hab are functional and clear:

  1. Stairs (between lower end upper deck)
    1. Stairs are functional and clear
  2. Emergency window (upper deck, east side)
    1. Emergency window is functional and clear
  3. Commander’s window (located in the commander’s crew quarter)
    1. The commander’s window is clear but NOT functional as indicated by mission control (Sergii) on 12/22/2024. In case of emergency, this window will be broken to allow evacuation.

Part 2

Inventory First Aid kit and note what needs to be refilled:

Science Dome First Aid Kit

6x exam gloves

1x triangular bandage

1x bandage shear

3x gauze roll

1x box of 12 safety pins

1x 4×4 bandage

1x Mylar rescue blanket

16x alcohol prep pad

Hab First Aid Kits

1x Sealed bleeding control kit

First Aid Kit in Metal Container on Wall

1x shears

1x tweezers

1x instant cold compress

1x eyewash solution

4x oval eye pad

1x 4×4 burn dressing

3x 3/4in x 3in bandaids

6x individual hand sanitizer gel

4x individual use burn cream

1x pair exam gloves

1x first aid tape

1x triangular bandage

1x disposable face shield

5x BZK antiseptic towelette

First Aid Supplies Inside Mirror

1x marker

1x box face masks

1x container floss picks

1x box individually wrapped ibuprofen

1x roll 4 in x 2.2 yards sports rap

1x flexible splint

3x triangular bandage

1x small gauze roll

1x roll of durapore adhesive

1x small roll sports wrap

1x 7cm x 4 m elastic bandage

1x container of Dramamine

1x pulse oximeter

1x thermometer

1x blood pressure monitor

1x 32 oz bottle isopropyl alcohol – 3/4 full

1x 16 oz bottle isopropyl alcohol – 1/2 full

1x 16 oz bottle hydrogen peroxide – 1/2 full

1x container of cotton swabs

2x 3/4 in x 4 in bandaid

x14 waterproof small bandaids

x4 small bandaids

x5 1 in x 3 in bandaid

EVA Safety Kit

1x tow rope

1x tourniquet

1x shears

1x marker

1x compression bandage kit

1x splint

x40 alcohol prep pads

1x 40cm x 60cm dressing

1x hemostatic bandage

2x antiseptic wipes

18x adhesive bandage, various sizes

1x container 4.5in x 4.1 yards compressed bandage

2x thermal blanket

Part 3

Note any safety issues:

  1. A crewmember will be using needles and syringes as part of their research. However, they do not have a proper sharps disposal container. This is a potential safety hazard. For the time being, the individual has been trained on proper capping/uncapping procedures for needles, and will keep needles capped in a separate location until a more permanent solution can be found.
  2. After testing the downstairs carbon monoxide detector, it began beeping periodically indicating a low battery. No replacement batteries were located in the HAB, so extra 9V batteries have been requested from mission support.

Note any health/environmental issues: None noted.

Note any missing or recommended health and safety supplies:

  1. Sharps disposal container for used needles
  2. 9V batteries for smoke and carbon monoxide detectors
  3. Antibiotic ointment (individually wrapped) are needed for the lower HAB first aid kit
  4. An AED would be standard safety supply which is not present
  5. A dedicated tourniquet for the HAB would be a welcome addition, in case the EVA safety kit is out on EVA

Part 4. Using the attached Safety Equipment Inventory, locate, test and confirm operation of all safety equipment. List any equipment not found and/or missing. See notes on the next page.

All safety equipment from the below Safety Equipment Inventory matrix has been checked for functionality. Please note that the matrix does not indicate a nightlight in the RAM, but the accompanying Safety Equipment Notes and Locations list indicates a night light exists in the RAM. Upon inspection, no night light was found in the RAM.

Safety Equipment Inventory

HAB Upper deck HAB Lower deck RAM GreenHab ScienceDome Rovers
Escape ladder X
Eyewash X
Fire blanket X X X
Fire extinguisher X X X X X
First Aid X X
Intercom X X X X
Radios (Channels 10 and 22) X X X X X
Nightlight X X X
Carbon Monoxide alarm X X X X X
Smoke alarm X X X X X
Propane alarm X X
EVA Safety Kit X