1109-ScienceReport

Science Report

11/09/2014

Cyprien Verseux

Experiments in the GreenHab are going smoothly. Many radishes in Martian regolith analogue,

supplemented or not, proudly raised their first leaves. That is not the case for those in

Earth soil, which are still in the germination phase (what is closer to the growth dynamics we

expected). Chards begun to sprout in the non-boiled regolith samples, with or without

supplement.

I joined today's EVA for, among other things, collecting samples West of the Hab with the

assistance of Dario. I had the pleasure to find a high variety of microorganisms in dry and

highly sun-exposed areas. Samples mainly include chasmoendolithic microalgae and lichens with

a wide panel of pigments. I am now used to sampling with a space suit, and sampling times have

been significantly brought down. I should now tomorrow how the simulation helmets hinder the

process, as we will perform a long EVA to get them in Hanksville where they recently arrived

(until now we were using ATVs' helmets).