MDRS Crew 311 (SUPAERO)

Mapping the Moon or even Mars? Easier with robotic friends 🤖 Our MiniPIX Space detector has served as payload in HUMANISE Project's latest test runs. They integrated it with the SPOT rover provided by YES!Delft. 🗺️The analog astronauts from MDRS Crew 311 (SUPAERO) were staying in the habitat (Utha, USA 🇺🇸), using the robot stationed in Delft (The Netherlands 🇳🇱) to map a selected area. Integrating instruments such as our detector allows them to learn more information about the area and could be critical on real cosmic bodies.

[SOL 26]: This Is Not the End. ➡️ To read the full report: https://lnkd.in/etCKY_8V 🌍 Last day in the station for Crew 311! The crew is dismantling the last #experiments, tidying up the station, and cleaning the modules… Robin, Erin, and Isolde went out for one last #EVA, partly organized by students from Mirepoix, to take down the atmospheric instruments. 🌍 This morning, Meddi and Somaya tried once again to get the SupaeroMoon #rover to move, but without success. Still, the little machine’s wheels touched the ground of our very own "Mars." We also completed our final cognitive #tests and filled out the last #questionnaires. 🌍 Of course, the #mission isn’t truly over. We still have a lot of data to transmit to #researchers, reports to write explaining our experiments, and some of them are still ongoing! This mission has been a #scientific experience that we hope will prove useful, but it has also been an incredibly enriching #human experience. 🌍 5:00 PM: We opened the door leading back to #Earth. We stepped out, then we ran, then we walked, then we climbed a mountain we had been seeing in the distance for so long. It feels liberating to be free, to go wherever we want, without the constraints of space or time, without the limitations of our rovers' batteries or our spacesuits' oxygen supply. 🌍 The mission is not over. Because we expect results to emerge. Because we intend to pass our experience on to the next crew. Because we plan to take it even further. 👩🏻🚀

[SOL 25]: The End of the Mission is Approaching ➡️ To read the full report: https://lnkd.in/etCKY_8V ☄️ Second-to-last day for Crew 311! Over the past few days, everyone was supposed to #teleoperate a rover using a virtual reality headset for the HUMANISE experiment, but it turned out there were persistent issues. To gather as much #data as possible, the lead researcher suggested we test the headset by playing racing games. These sessions disrupted our inner ears, and many of us felt a spinning sensation when we took off the #headset! ☄️ Robin finalized his program for managing “Core Data”, an #experiment by ISAE-SUPAERO MDRS crews that collects physiological data. Meanwhile, Erin wrote a detailed document covering all aspects of the experiment, ensuring future #crews can execute it even better in the coming years. ☄️ Recently, we received questions from students at the French High School in New York, with whom we had conducted #science outreach sessions. Célyan and Erin are taking care of responding to them via video! ☄️ The end of the mission is approaching, but the #astronomy project is already over! Quentin worked hard over the past few days, and while there are still a few details to refine, it’s excellent news to know the project was completed within the mission’s timeframe! ☄️ This afternoon, Robin and Célyan began dismantling #equipment: they disassembled lamps from the LättaLL experiment, took apart the 3D printers, unplugged some of our extension cords… The evening was quite ordinary in appearance; we worked in the HAB with music playing over the speaker, as if we were going to stay here for months. No one quite realizes that, soon, this mission will be just a memory. ☄️ Stay tuned for our last update from Mars! 👩🏻🚀

[SOL 24]: "Mega-Hassles with MegaARES" ➡️ To read the full report: https://lnkd.in/etCKY_8V 🍅 Three days left for Crew 311! This morning, Meddi and Isolde studied in parallel both 2D and 3D maps of Kissing Camel Ridge. The 3D map covered the reliefs of the area, but the #software struggled to reproduce flat surfaces, so the 2D map remained essential for our research. 🍅 The morning EVA was particularly long due to issues retrieving data from the atmospheric #instruments. When we tried to download this week’s data, the MegaARES interface started displaying illegible messages before crashing. We waited a long time before concluding that we would retrieve the rest of the #data after putting away the instruments. 🍅 Meanwhile, the rest of the crew tested the #rover we had assembled in the previous days, but the results are not conclusive for now. We still hope to make it run in the coming days! 🍅 Upon our return, some good news arrived: Somaya was cooking batbout, a delicious Moroccan bread. She and Célyan collected fresh #vegetables from the GreenHAB to enhance the meal, allowing us to enjoy delicious vegetarian burgers. Tasting fresh tomatoes was a pleasure we hadn’t experienced in more than 3 weeks! 🍅 After lunch, we launched our last daily #recording for the Twins2 experiment. We then concluded our discussions on possible architectural improvements for the #station. Just before the daily communication window opened, one of our main concerns became relevant again: part of the tarp covering the newly installed tunnel had flown away. The wind is rising and determined to complicate our last moments in the station! 🙌🏻 Today, we extend our deepest gratitude to ISAE-SUPAERO for making this incredible adventure possible. Their unwavering support at every level is invaluable, and we are really thankful to have them on board. 🍅 Stay tuned for our second-to-last update from #Mars! 👩🏻🚀

[SOL 23]: The rover has landed ➡️ To read the full report: https://lnkd.in/etCKY_8V 🌕 This morning was a bit different from the others. Robin and Quentin could only study the 2D map right before their EVA. They were accompanied by Célyan, who was in charge of evaluating their #performance, and Somaya, who captured additional drone photos of the area. With four crew members outside, the HAB was unusually calm. Meddi and Erin took advantage of this to plan the organization of our bags, to lose as little time as possible on the last day of the mission. 🌕 At the end of their EVA, the team returned to the base to take out the #rover from SupaeroMoon, which was ready for this moment! The mechanism even left a perfectly adapted space for… Didier, our mascot! 🌕 After a well-deserved rest, Quentin headed to the #observatory to keep working on his project. But suddenly, he had to call the HAB from a walkie-talkie to inform us that the tunnels were being damaged once again. Meddi and Robin rushed to stabilize them and prevent their condition from deteriorating, which would force another emergency #EVA rather unwelcome at this busy time. 🌕 Stay tuned for more updates from #Mars! 👩🏻🚀

[SOL 22]: Our First Last Week ➡️ To read the full report: https://lnkd.in/etCKY_8V 🌿 The final week of our #adventure officially begins today! This morning, Erin, Somaya, and Célyan went on an EVA to set up the last phase of our photogrammetry experiment. This time, instead of hiding the beacons, Meddi, Robin, and Quentin will be searching for them. If everything goes well, Quentin and Robin will study a 2D map of the area tonight and conclude this part of the experiment. 🌿 Meanwhile, Isolde has completed her final preparatory sketches for the upcoming discussions on #station layout, and Quentin is making the most of his remaining time observing the #Sun through the station’s observatory. Robin, on the other hand, has successfully assembled the SupaeroMoon #rover! We will take it out for its first test run tomorrow. 🌿 Robin and Erin are currently correcting the programs we use for the Core Data #experiment, while Célyan is recording short podcasts to answer questions from students at a school where the crew has done outreach. 🌿 The upcoming mornings promise to be packed, as we will all test tele-operation using a virtual reality headset for the HUMANISE experiment. Fortunately, some of our experiments, such as Micropouss’, have already been completed. Now, Meddi is taking care of growing vegetables that will serve as provisions for future #crews. Stay tuned for more updates from #Mars! 👩🏻🚀

[SOL 21]: Save Didier! ➡️ To read the full report: https://lnkd.in/etCKY_8V ⏳ Last rest day for Crew 311! This morning, the entire crew woke up a bit earlier than planned. Indeed, in Utah, we changed time! After an intense workout session led by Célyan, we were about to start cleaning the station, when Quentin warned us that someone had taken Didier, our mascot! In fact, he and Célyan had secretly organized an escape game throughout the #station! After solving numerous puzzles and successfully rescuing Didier, we returned to our chores. ⏳ The second half of the day remained rather calm. We continued our weekly and daily experiments. Some of us had cognitive #tests throughout the day, like Erin this morning. We worked on reports and completed routine tasks: Meddi watered the plants in the GreenHab, Célyan prepared tomorrow’s sports session, Robin wrote a #report confirming that the station is operational, Somaya managed our retrospectives and Isolde wrote today’s report while processing all the crew’s photos. ⏳ This weekend also marked the beginning of our final week in the station. This means we will have to uninstall many operational devices and complete ongoing #experiments. We had a long discussion about how to arrange this week. Bad news: we will not benefit from the AMI experience during the mission, but we still have the last quarter of the mission to complete as many experiments as possible beautifully. ⏳ Stay tuned for updates as we embark on our final week on #Mars! 👩🏻🚀

[SOL 20]: "SOS d'un tunnel en détresse" ➡️ To read the full report: https://lnkd.in/etCKY_8V 👩🏻🚀 Last Saturday at the #station for Crew 311! This morning, Somaya, Robin and Isolde headed to the Sea of Shells in search of beacons. After climbing numerous rocky heaps, we found them in less than an hour with our route. We then followed the path created by high school #students from Mirepoix, and it turned out to be particularly similar to the one we had taken! The #landscapes were dreamlike, and after taking one last look at this splendid view, we left the area for good. 👩🏻🚀 In the afternoon, we received an urgent #communication from Erin. The corridors connecting the modules were slowly #depressurizing: we had to return urgently to the HAB. We ran back, and upon arrival, it was strictly forbidden to open the Airlock doors without a spacesuit. 👩🏻🚀 Recently, the weather has not been kind. There were already signs of tunnel weakening when we arrived, and the gusts from Sol 18 worsened the damage. Today, they finally cracked, but fortunately, we were prepared. Erin acted as HABCOM for the second time today, while Somaya, Célyan, and Isolde went out in #suits and retied a tarp to seal the gaping hole left by the gusts. After an hour and a half of intense work, the tunnels were fully operational again. 👩🏻🚀 Today, it was the second EVA for Somaya and Isolde, and Erin took on the HABCOM role twice. The station held strong, thanks to the #women of the crew. A happy coincidence, as today is March 8th: International Women’s Day! 👩🏻🚀 Stay tuned for our final updates from Week #3!

[SOL 19]: Happy Birthday Célyan! ➡️ To read the full report: https://lnkd.in/etCKY_8V 🎂 A day of celebrations for Crew 311! The morning had two faces. It started calmly, with the entire crew working steadily in the HAB. But by 10 AM, Célyan and Meddi headed to the GreenHab to make significant changes to the crops. Some plants were taking up unnecessary space, pots, and soil, so they took care of replacing them with fresh seedlings. 🎂 Meanwhile, we finished our tasks and began decorating the Upper Deck with string lights and balloons. Soon, sweet smells of chocolate cake filled the air. In reality, Meddi was instructed to keep Célyan occupied during the morning: this was all part of a surprise birthday celebration at lunch! 🎂 After our meal, we quickly got back to work. Quentin has been working a lot on his astronomy project these days. For months, he has been coding a program capable of identifying solar tasks in images of the Sun. Since yesterday, the main bugs have been resolved! Soon, his program will be ready to process its own photos. 🎂 Somaya and Robin went to the RAM to assemble the foundation of the SupaeroMoon rover structure. Isolde completed a small project related to her role as a journalist, while Meddi documented the results of his experiments in detailed reports. 🎂 Tomorrow, Somaya and Isolde will go on an exciting EVA to conclude the second week of photogrammetry. During the first phase of the mission, they will search for beacons using notes from a 3D map for 45 minutes. Then, as part of CNES’s science outreach project, Proximars, they will follow another beacon search route designed by middle school and high school students from Mirepoix, who even wrote the EVA request themselves! The goal is to find the beacons as quickly as possible. 🎂 Stay tuned for more updates from Mars! 👩🏻🚀

[SOL 18]: Sheltering from the Storm ➡️ To read the full report: https://lnkd.in/etCKY_8V 🌀 Extreme weather for Crew 311 today! While the entire crew started their day as usual this morning, the sky darkened and the wind picked up. The crew gathered to observe what this storm looked like from the portholes. We were impressed by the large sand clouds whipped up by the wind, giving us the feeling of being trapped in the middle of a sandstorm. The GreenHab walls trembled under the gusts, and the hatch leading to the solar observatory's sky also vibrated heavily. 🌀 For a few hours, we continued our activities in the HAB. Robin started assembling the SUPAEROMOON rover, while Meddi analyzed the data from the Micropouss' experiment. Meanwhile, Célyan tried his hand at embroidery. 🌀 In the middle of the afternoon, the wind was blowing a little less strongly. We launched recordings for the Twins2 experiment before heading to the RAM and GreenHab to discuss possible improvements to these modules. The RAM is already highly optimized, so our discussions quickly shifted to enhancing the greenhouse. 🌀 Tonight, Somaya and Isolde were supposed to prepare an EVA scheduled tomorrow morning to search for beacons in the Sea of Shells using a 3D map. However, the forecast predicts a pretty bad weather, forcing us to postpone. The desert is not kind to analog astronauts; one must know how to adapt. 🌀 Stay tuned for more updates from Mars! 👩🏻🚀