Mars Desert Research Station Crew 126 Files Final Report
March 27, 2013
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The following is the final report of MDRS Crew 126, which just completed its tour. A full review of this year's activity at the Mars Desert Research Station will be given at the 16th International Mars Society Convention, which will be held August 15-18, 2013 at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Registration for the conference is now open at www.marssociety.org
Final MDRS Crew126 Mission Report
Commander (Alex Diaz)
Bien hecho! - Well done! Crew 126 was made up of five undergraduate university students from Peru and I, a Peruvian-American aerospace engineer from The Boeing Company. This was my third time at MDRS; I was the XO/EVA Director for NASA’s Spaceward Bound Crew 61 in 2007, and Commander for Crew 27 in 2004. As I arrived at MDRS, I did not know what to expect this time around, but as I pulled up to the Hab driveway, I was again in awe of the beauty of this place. It is so inspiring and it makes you truly appreciate what we are doing here. This was the first crew composed in its entirety by Peruvian students, and I was beyond impressed, yet not surprised, by their knowledge, ability, initiative and work ethic. As a crew, it only took us a few days to develop a unique sense of teamwork and we accomplished all of our established mission goals, which focused mainly on evaluation of equipment for EVA emergency transportation and identification. It has been a genuine pleasure to lead such a competent group of individuals. I hope we have opened the doors for future crews from Peru and Latin America in general. I want to take this opportunity to thank the Boeing Company, Pontifical Catholic University of Peru (PUCP), National Agrarian University - La Molina (UNALM), Lending Hope Foundation, and the Peruvian-American Medical Association for their funding support, which made our crew rotation possible at MDRS. Your support gave us the impetus to successfully accomplish our mission goals.
Executive Officer (Humberto de las Casas)
Our team was made up of 1 aerospace engineer, 1 environmental engineer and 4 mechatronic engineers. We were able to work together well and learn a lot from each other. We will be going back to Peru with not only the great satisfaction of participating at MDRS, but with a lot of newly acquired knowledge. During the first days, we performed a lot of testing as part of our Barsoom project, which gave us good results, although we were not able to finish it because of issues we encountered with using radio frequencies for large distances. We needed a special kind of antennas which we weren’t able to build because of lack of materials. We then began performing emergency tests which we hope will be helpful to safely transport astronaut in the future. Being part of this crew has been one of the most important experiences of my life, and I hope to someday comeback.
EVA Research (Saul Trujillo and Alex Diaz)
Our crew focused on two main EVA projects: 1) Data Acquisition Modules (DAM) and 2) Evaluation of EVA emergency equipment and procedures. The objective of first project (DAM) was to assess the effectiveness of a modular system for early data acquisition and personnel positioning on a Mars-like environment. We were able to deploy the data modules near the Hab, however, because of signal connection problems, we had to suspend this research for this crew. For the second project, we assessed the following: a) Challenges involved with carrying an injured patient on a standard stretcher in both the supine and prone positions; b) Ability to transport an injured patient on an ATV; c) Ability to transport an injured patient on various wheeled stretcher configurations: one-wheel, two-wheels in series, two parallel wheels (center and off-centered), and four-wheels; d) Determined the average walking speeds for MDRS suited crewmembers; and e) Ability to descend and ascend a small hill using an emergency ladder. In support of these tests, determined adequate locations for each of our planned EVAs, we designed and built a modified emergency stretcher for transporting injured EVA crewmember in the supine position, and designed and built an ATV stretcher stand for mounting the modified emergency stretcher on the ATV. The EVA emergency simulations were physically demanding, but fun at the same time. Every EVA was more difficult than the last. We are confident that we have obtained valuable data that will help to develop future EVA operations and equipment.
Crew Engineer (Eiji Onchi)
After 2 weeks at the Hab, several enhancements were made. First, the loft water pump was replaced. Second, the GreenHab rear door was repaired and modified to place a fan. Finally, the plastic pipe connected to the loft water tank was attached to the ceiling to avoid clogging and speed up the filling process. To improve water consumption, the dish washing process was broken up into 3 parts: cleaning solid waste with paper, washing in a soap water filled container and rinsing with low water flow. Water used for rinsing was accumulated in a bucket and used later to flush the toilet. Using this approach we managed to use between 20 to 35 gallons per day, which included 4.5 gallons for GreenHab, 4 to 6 gallons for shower (2 to 4 crewmembers at a time) and drinking/cooking. Finally, EVA suits 1, 3 and 5 were repaired. EVA suit 1 had its helmet repaired and backpack electrical connections fixed. EVA suit 3 had its helmet repaired from almost total destruction. EVA suit 5 had its backpack connections, fuses and battery replaced; since we didn’t have a 7.5 amp fuse, it was replaced with a 5 amp fuse. Lastly, for our rotation, we installed a clock with Peru's local time on the upper deck.
GreenHab (Monica Abarca)
Maintenance of the GreenHab was focused on keeping the plants alive. The majority of plants continued to grow steadily during our rotation. Initially, the temperatures inside the GreenHab were getting too high (over 95°F), so we decided to make some repairs. We installed a fan in the bottom of the tunnel door for better cold air circulation and to push the hot air faster to the top, so that the extractors could expel it. The temperatures are now under control and stay mostly below 90°F. The tunnel door had many gaps that let cold air inside during the night. We fixed them with wood, foam and duct tape. Because of our repairs, the GreenHab won’t be shut down this season. For a matter of safety, I recommend that the Greenhab door’s locks be able operable also from the inside. Although I did not know much about plants when I arrived to MDRS, I learned a lot about their importance for future planetary missions. MDRS has been literally an out of this world experience. Living on Mars has increased my interest in focusing my career (Mechatronics) in the aerospace field with the hope of someday becoming an astronaut and going to outer space.
Health & Safety Officer (Andrea Lazarte)
Personal safety was the top priority in everything we did. Crewmembers stayed healthy for the last two weeks, with most problems being related to working on repair activities, which caused some cuts and bruises. One of the main problems of being in the desert was staying hydrated, so I kept emphasizing that crewmembers drink as much water and get enough rest. This approach kept our energy levels up and allowed us to keep our morale and spirits high. During the emergency EVAs, I was the simulated injured crewmember. I experienced discomfort on the back of my head because of the helmet pressing against it, but this was mitigated by using a pad behind my head. There were also some issues with exposed electric wires, which were replaced. Crewmembers worked out daily for at least an hour, which was important to stay fit. As HSO for our crew, I was able to appreciate the importance of working safely; if safety is not first, then our ability to perform research is jeopardized. I am extremely happy to have been able to participate at MDRS. This was a fulfilling experience that helped me develop an appreciation for safety procedures for future human space missions. I am very thankful and grateful for this opportunity.
Journalist (Eiji Onchi)
Being able to report all the events during this mission as a Journalist was an enlightening experience. Not only because you get to see the human side of scientific expeditions, but you can add that little sparkle of fantasy which keeps the mind flowing. It is amazing how, once you set your mind, it almost feels like you are living in another planet. Having only dehydrated food as an energy source proved to be very beneficial for our imagination. The amount and variety of dishes we managed to prepare was worthy of any high class restaurant on Mars. Limited water made us realize how important it is for daily life. And our first world problem was limited internet access, with a daily bandwidth of 500 MB for upload/download for 6 crewmembers carving for connection. Well, nobody said living in Mars was going to be easy. Overall, it was a pleasure and an honour to be the Journalist for this crew. For me, this venture was much more than I expected. I got to learn a lot and fill my mind with enough inspiration to pursue a jillion things in the future.