Contemporary crew arrives in Hawaii for mock Mars mission — Commander’s file: sol 2

The Valoria 1 crew after arriving at the HI-SEAS dilemma on the volcano Mauna Loa ahead of starting up their Mars analog mission.

(Issue: © Courtesy of Hillary Coe)

Dr. Michaela Musilova is the director of Hawaii Notify Exploration Analog and Simulation (HI-SEAS) program, which conducts analog missions to the moon and Mars for scientific learn at a habitat on the volcano Mauna Loa. At the second, she is in mumble of the two-week Valoria 1 mission and contributed this file to Notify.com’s Educated Voices: Op-Ed & Insights.

Commander’s Fable for the Valoria 1 Mars Mission at HI-SEAS


Sol 2 (Jan. 19, 2021)

Dome candy dome. That is the establish that practically all crews name HI-SEAS — the analog put apart learn dilemma in Hawaii. Frequently it takes a few days and even weeks for the crew to settle for this dilemma as a condominium. There are moreover times when the crew straight embraces the atmosphere that they reside in, although it might perchance perhaps perchance well perhaps moreover be on a simulated version of Mars or the moon. The Valoria 1 crew that I’m currently on Mars with looks to be accepting this dome-fashioned dilemma as their dwelling in a short time. No longer completely dangle they settled into their small crew quarters efficiently, they’ve moreover opened up a lot as folks.

As we mumble time’s conversation issues ranged from future occupation possibilities, to non-public physique elements and deep romantic relationship discussions. I’d moreover barely earn any work completed because the crew was once on a roll jumping from subject to subject, all whereas exercising, working, cooking and cleansing. I did no longer desire to traipse myself away when my obligations were calling. Whereas we would moreover quiet quiet dangle to work on finding a factual steadiness between spending time together and dealing on our particular person projects, this vogue of crew bonding so early in the mission is a extremely factual signal.

Our bonding actions dangle moreover included customary crew exercise routines. Every crewmember is required to exercise for at the least 30 minutes each day, except for for on days after we attain “Marswalks.” The spacewalks in the Martian terrain are in all probability to be very exhausting since we’re carrying heavy analog spacesuits and the lava rocks are attractive to navigate thru. Filth storms (aka rain storms on the volcano Mauna Loa, where HI-SEAS is positioned) dangle forced us to conclude indoors nowadays, so the full crew ended up taking up a moderately exhausting cardio and resistance coaching workout. 

Associated: What makes an infinite crew on the moon — Commander’s file: lunar day 14

We joked that we’re now grateful for having got a free “bathe” the outdated day (Jan.18) after we arrived at HI-SEAS in the midst of a “mud storm” (rain). All the very best seemingly plan thru our mission, we completely dangle an allowance of 100 gallons (380 liters) of water for your full two-week mission. That involves ingesting water, water for experiments and for cleansing. This usually approach that the crew sacrifices showering all the plan thru the mission to put water. Fortunately, all of us seem mentally and physically ready for that, so I’m hopeful physique odors might well well perhaps moreover no longer be a assert of affairs for us. 

The Valoria 1 crew is made up of Operations Officer Karin Metzgar, who is a mechanical engineer working in scheme building for put apart packages at Northrop Grumman. All the very best seemingly plan thru her time at HI-SEAS, she’s going to in all probability be developing an robot working scheme (ROS) code and a 3D map of the HI-SEAS habitat as learn for her self adequate 3D-mapping drone venture that would be extinct to explore lava tubes on Earth and beyond.

Our two crew engineering officers are Kevin Pratt and Michael Barton. Kevin is a valuable avionics engineer at Blue Starting put apart, accountable for floor radio frequency (RF) communications programs supporting the Contemporary Glenn program. His learn at HI-SEAS will encompass the sorting out of a scheme-defined radio (SDR) and antennas meant to receive  satellite tv for computer broadcast footage from both polar-orbiting and geostationary climate satellites to reveal the more than a few of natural climate monitoring skill at the habitat.

Michael is a propulsion engineer at Stratolaunch, utilizing the sphere’s finest airplane to open hypersonic (faster than the tempo of sound) autos. All the very best seemingly plan thru the mission, he’s going to be researching flight applied sciences invaluable for increasing the scientific price of a tedious on Mars, whereas moreover conducting an outreach venture by creating tutorial videos highlighting parallels between HI-SEAS and the Mars exploration sport “Exercise Mars.”

We moreover dangle two communications officers on the crew: Hillary Coe and MaryLiz Bender. Hillary was once a human skills and indulge in leader at SpaceX, responsible in segment for the communication efforts in the again of NASA’s Industrial Crew Program (for which SpaceX developed the Crew Dragon astronaut taxi). She is moreover working with SpaceX’s Starship program, which objectives to send people to the moon and Mars someday on a Huge Heavy rocket. She is right here to test Marswalk materials, communication applied sciences, mental health tools and diversified substances imperative for a nominal Martian/lunar skills.

MaryLiz is a futurist composer and put apart age storyteller, who co-primarily based the corporate Cosmic Perspective and primarily based the group Zero-G Music. All the very best seemingly plan thru the Valoria 1 mission, she’s going to level of curiosity on the methods that track and art work relieve the crew join with themselves, every diversified, and folks again on Earth. 

My establish is Dr. Michaela Musilova and I’m the Director of HI-SEAS. I might be the Commander of the Valoria 1 crew in the midst of our two week Martian mission. In actuality, I might be leading four diversified missions after the Valoria 1 mission over the following few months, so right here is appropriate the originate of my existence “off-world” this 365 days. Final 365 days, I spent practically as worthy time on the moon and Mars as I did on Earth. Even supposing I in fact earn pleasure from taking segment in these analog missions, it does turn out to be attractive to reside in these very restrictive prerequisites for long intervals of time. On the diversified hand, it is my dream to switch to the moon and optimistically Mars in some unspecified time in the future, so these experiences are certainly an infinite preparation for that.

Commander Musilova signing off to mentally put together for the marathon of missions that are ahead of me.

Adjust to Michaela Musilova on Twitter @astro_Michaela. Adjust to us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.