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).