0202-CommanderReport

Crew 162 Commander Daily Report

Sol 10

February 2, 2016

Crew Commander: Renee Garifi

Commanders Report

Sol 10

Our visiting vehicle crew member arrived today and will stay for 24 hours,

photographing our hab and our mission for a magazine based in France. It’s

interesting to observe our mission through fresh eyes, as we have been in

simulation now for 10 days. Some things take getting used to, like

maneuvering the stairs (which are more like a ladder) without falling up,

or remembering to conserve water by minimizing toilet flushes. But the

experience is something wonderful that can’t easily be replicated.

There’s definitely a parallel between watching visiting crew here at MDRS

and visiting crew to the International Space Station following their

arrival. When you first arrive to either station, there’s excitement

followed by introductions and team photos. While you acclimate to your new

surroundings (and gravity vector or lack thereof) you share your first meal

with your teammates and then set off to work! A trip to any research

station has purpose, and our days here on Mars are regimented via the daily

schedule, with flexible time added in for free time, stress-relief and

personal activities. The addition of a temporary visiting crewmember is no

exception; we stuck to a strict timeline in order to accomplish our daily

goals.

We put him straight to work after the EVA wrapped and gave him the honor of

testing the Mars Marinara recipe from the Mars Home Cooking cookbook. So

far, it smells delicious. I’ll report back tomorrow on how it tasted!

Until tomorrow, Crew 162 Commander Garifi, signing off.