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.