Journalist Report
01/14/2014
Elizabeth Howell
As we enter the final days of our mission here on Mars, our focus is on trying to leave a good legacy for the crews behind us. This was most aptly demonstrated in the hydroponics system that we pioneered today. Seeing those little plants placed inside the larger bags, with plenty of room to get bigger, was a wonderful sight. I'm looking forward to hearing how the harvest goes when some future crew gets a taste of our labors.
I am savoring our last few EVAs in this terrain, trying to soak up the terrain to describe to the people back home. Today was a spectacular example of watching things change, as the sun warmed the area and rivulets of water flow pockmarked the terrain. In our short time here, we've seen the area change from a frozen landscape to one that is starting to turn to something different. We feel privileged to have been here for that transformation.