Just Like the Little Prince

I enjoy power tools.
Today we began construction of a plywood skirt for the hab. The hab sits on legs, a few feet off the ground, leaving many of the pipes exposed to very cold winds (one cause of our broken toilet, and also several other problems around the hab).
I also enjoy [...]

Read Full Post »

And On the Seventh Day They Rested

…Which is why this post is several hours late. Sorry!
Saturday was our day off. We slept in, played some soccer outside, I made a mold of my hand out of Scotch Tape. Nothing too exciting happened today … except tonight Theresa caught the mouse! He is adorable. We have made [...]

Read Full Post »

It Definitely Tasted Better than Uranus

A recent conversation from the Musk Observatory, when Mars disappeared from the telescope’s view:
“Mars disappeared! Where’d it go?”
“I ate it.”
“Was it good? Better than a Milky Way?”
“Well, it definitely tasted better than Uranus.”
And later:
“Uranus is just open season for all sorts of puns.”
“Yeah, it’s really the butt of everyone’s jokes.”
. . .
Anyway, we’ve [...]

Read Full Post »

Flush

Yes, folks, that is the sound I just heard. WE HAVE A FUNCTIONAL TOILET!  By tomorrow night, I will no longer be peeing in a plastic-bag-lined bucket.  Cool.  I’m worried, however, that this will significantly increase our water consumption.  So far, we have been consuming less than 30 gallons per day between six people… five [...]

Read Full Post »

The Acoustics of a Spacesuit

Today was my first EVA in the spacesuits. The suits are cumbersome, making simple tasks like turning the ATV key or taking soil samples pretty difficult. David and I set out on the ATVs for Factory Butte, about six miles from the hab. I took advantage of my helmet … the acoustics [...]

Read Full Post »

Postcards from Mars

Marsy Christmas, everyone!
It has so far been another day of maintenance: still fixing the toilet, still trying to get the observatory computer software working, etc. This morning I got the autoclave in working order, and made plans to start a compost pile for the hab (which will be quite an undertaking, since we [...]

Read Full Post »

I’m Dreaming of a Red Christmas

Imagine waking up to the theme from 2001: A Space Odyssey, climbing out of your tiny bunk, and watching the sun rise over red Martian cliffs stretching for miles through your porthole window.
That’s what I did this morning.
Today we did safety training. Safety here is critical … the nearest hospital is more than 100 [...]

Read Full Post »

Home Sweet Pod

I have finally arrived on Mars!
Jeff and Derek, two of my wonderful crewmates, came to rescue me in Salt Lake City.  The drive to Hanksville was gorgeous: landscape transitioning from snowy mountains to red-tinted mesas as we headed south. 
In the car we had lively discussions of who was the nerdiest crew member.  Let me [...]

Read Full Post »

Stuck in Salt Lake

After canceled flights into and out of Chicago, I finally made it to Salt Lake last night. Unfortunately, my crew left yesterday afternoon for the station (roughly a 6 hour drive from Salt Lake City). My ride to the bus station never showed up this morning. Now I am stuck in Salt [...]

Read Full Post »

space will be small, so pack light

True to form, I finished my packing at the very last minute. I am going to have mini-Christmas here at home and then in two hours I’ll be at the airport.
Don’t worry, I have not forgotten to pack a couple adult diapers.
Just kidding.
Volume-wise, I’ve managed to pack almost exactly the same amount for two [...]

Read Full Post »