1223-ScienceReport

MDRS Crew 132

Biology Science Report

Usha Lingappa & Dani YoungSmith

Using the stocks of medium (LB and P49, both with 1.5% agar) that we autoclaved on Earth and brought with us to Mars, we prepared agar plates for our experiments. We also transferred the Chlamydomonas and both bacillus isolates that we brought from Earth to new medium to keep them healthy and revive them from the long journey. We are using a blowtorch in the place of a bunsen burner in an attempt to maintain aseptic technique. Within our biology team, we assigned responsibilities for maintaining the cultures. Usha will be responsible for the bacillus and Dani will take care of the algae.

In addition to beginning the early phases of our lab work, we outlined a day-by-day plan for our experiments for the rest of the mission. This plan will be sent separately as a supplemental report.

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Date: 12/23/2013 132.1

Geology Science Report

Crew Geologist: Michael Bouchard

Today was a very productive planning day. I completed my imagery survey and broke down my personal EVA plans (below). Ian and I took an inventory of the EVA suit equipment (supplemental) to establish the state of the equipment and to ascertain the maximum number of EVA participants. We met as a group and coordinated all of our EVA schedules. We ended up with a very effective and balanced plan.

Specifically I will be executing my three Geologic EVA's in conjunction with other party members missions. GeoEVA_1 will be completed with BioEVA_1. I will be principally mapping and establishing the Geologic context in the vicinity of a tall feature visible from the Habitat (Lat: 38°24'50.44"N Long:110°47'18.93"W). GeoEVA_2 will done with GHEVA_1, and will focus on sample collection near a frozen water feature. GeoEVA_3 will be completed in conjunction with BioEVA_3 where they will replace their cultures. We adjusted the original GeoEVA_2 location due to transportation constraints, so we will be selecting a location for sample collection closer to the Habitat that will fit both the Green House Crew and my own science objectives.

I also consulted my notes from previous field camp and we can identify the deposit of mollusks in the Low Blue Mountain on the bluff we visited yesterday as the "Death Assemblage." This places that layer in the Morrison or Dakota formation, dating in the early Cretaceous.

I also sit down with the first EVA group for tomorrow to plan out their traverse, and to establish our crew's Mission Support CapCom protocol.