Commander Report Day 01
The Trans-Tasman crew 118 from New Zealand and Australia was reunited today at 0800 hrs Grand Junction Time.
Read the original report ↗MISSION CONTROL / EXPEDITION ARCHIVE
KiwiMars 2012
Mission dashboard.
Step through the expedition, one day at a time. Follow the crew’s original reports, photographs and field notes.
ExpeditionKiwiMars 2012
MDRS crew118
Mission dates22 April–6 May 2012
Recorded here14 days · 85 reports
Expedition replayHistorical records
Explore the habitat ↗
Journalist Report Day 01
The Mission 118 KiwiMars 2012 crew assembled in Grand Junction, Colorado without incident, although three members had a very long drive from Los Angeles.
Read the original report ↗HSO Report Day 01
The gasoline tanks that are used to fuel the ATVs were found at the front of the Hab entry left by the previous crew.
Read the original report ↗No reports of this type were preserved for this day. Choose another day or show all report types.
Commander Report Day 02
That is why the first KiwiMars crew was composed of communication specialists, each bringing a new angle to the project (journalism, science communication, distance learning, education and arts). ‘
Read the original report ↗
Journalist Report Day 02
It was scheduled as our final training day before we go into sim tomorrow, and started well enough with a crisp dawn and some not-so-early rising by some of the crew still tired from their long journeys to 'Mars'.
Read the original report ↗
Engineering Report Day 02
The daily engineering log records power, fuel, water and equipment checks, with the crew’s maintenance notes.
Read the original report ↗
HSO Report Day 02
The MSL (Mission Specialist Life Sciences) crew member injured her foot when she was coming down the Hab steps from the crew room.
Read the original report ↗
Chef's Report Day 02
Not today but a karakia (prayer) was spoken to bless the food and this will be a regular event for each meal eat together as the crew.
Read the original report ↗No reports of this type were preserved for this day. Choose another day or show all report types.
Commander Report Day 03
Plan C means that will try to start the EVAs very early in the morning and will have some other EVAs in the afternoon with lunchtime reserved for siesta time.
Read the original report ↗
Journalist Report Day 03
The good news was that overnight Annalea's ankle improved considerably to the point where today she has been able to limp up to the top of Hab ridge during a casual expedition to the fossilised shell field on the top.
Read the original report ↗
Engineering Report Day 03
Toilet cistern repaired - valve was not closing properly - and general clean up of toilet room undertaken.
Read the original report ↗
HSO Report Day 03
The MSL (Mission Specialist Life Sciences) crew member who injured her foot when she was came down the Hab steps yesterday returned with her foot strapped up last night.
Read the original report ↗
EVA Report Day 03
The lizards are much bigger up at the top than the ones we've seen down at the Hab, and we found a few of their burrows.
Read the original report ↗Education Log Day 03
A suite of laptops along with Mars themed exhibits set the scene and allowed students, teachers and the public to interact with KiwiMars Crew, find out about the mission, and learn more from expert astronomers.
Read the original report ↗
Chef's Report Day 03
- a day "out of sim" with respect to the food study (repeated from yesterday sorry-tomorrow will be a cooking day.)
Read the original report ↗No reports of this type were preserved for this day. Choose another day or show all report types.
Commander Report Day 04
However to our disappointment the blazing hot temperature today (at least 36 Celsius) made it impossible to stay with the helmets on for the entire duration of the EVA.
Read the original report ↗
Journalist Report Day 04
So today, our first proper day on "Mars" we suited up in our spacesuits, checked our air flows, and ventured outside.
Read the original report ↗
Engineering Report Day 04
Last 11 inches of water transferred from trailer potable water supply to Habitat potable water supply.
Read the original report ↗
HSO Report Day 04
A brief inventory of the medical supplies was taken today to compare with the list on the door. (this was completed in December last year) Apart from a few additions all the equipment was present and correct.
Read the original report ↗
EVA 01 Report Day 04
It took us one and a half hours to 'suit up' (get into the astronaut gear), check everything before we left the Hab, and depart on our first mission of exploration on this barren surface.
Read the original report ↗Education Log Day 04
A suite of laptops along with Mars themed exhibits set the scene and allowed students, teachers and the public to interact with KiwiMars Crew, find out about the mission, and learn more from expert astronomers.
Read the original report ↗
Chef's Report Day 04
Even though it was ANZAC day in N.Z and Australia today the crew didn’t observe this.
Read the original report ↗No reports of this type were preserved for this day. Choose another day or show all report types.
Commander Report Day 05
Today started very early in the morning at 0700 hrs with an EVA to Phobos Peak.
Read the original report ↗
Journalist Report Day 05
The illusion of being on Mars while wearing the EVA suits is total, especially in an alien landscape such as this, but it also gives us a good appreciation of what explorers will face on Mars itself.
Read the original report ↗
Engineering Report Day 05
When investigated prior to start-up re sign saying "remove pillow from back before use", no pillow was found.
Read the original report ↗
EVA 02 Report Day 05
EVA 02 investigated types of lichens that can be found in the Utah desert to further compare them with New Zealand and contribute the knowledge gained to school resources related to ecology, terraforming and ancient life forms.
Read the original report ↗Education Log Day 05
A suite of laptops along with Mars themed exhibits set the scene and allowed students, teachers and the public to interact with KiwiMars Crew, find out about the mission, and learn more from expert astronomers.
Read the original report ↗
Chef's Report Day 05
- the first day of the food study (defined meal) –sorry we weren’t aware that Mountain Chilli was first up to cook.
Read the original report ↗No reports of this type were preserved for this day. Choose another day or show all report types.
Commander Report Day 06
I am looking forward to being able to walk through the Lith Canyon out of sim and so does my crew.
Read the original report ↗
Journalist Report Day 06
While our moon is barren, airless and virtually unchanging, Mars has an atmosphere, winds, dust devils, dust storms, clouds, ice, geysers and water vapour.
Read the original report ↗
Engineering Report Day 06
The daily engineering log records power, fuel, water and equipment checks, with the crew’s maintenance notes.
Read the original report ↗
EVA 03 Report Day 06
We started out at 9.30am in the pressurised rover to carry the photographic gear and stopped along the roadside - possibly 'Glistening Seas' Waypoint 343 GLTSEA 12 S 517900/ NAD 4254650 and collected gypsum crystals.
Read the original report ↗Education Log Day 06
A suite of laptops along with Mars themed exhibits set the scene and allowed students, teachers and the public to interact with KiwiMars Crew, find out about the mission, and learn more from expert astronomers.
Read the original report ↗
Chef's Report Day 06
All finished-nicely flavoured however the crew did comment that it was very salty.
Read the original report ↗No reports of this type were preserved for this day. Choose another day or show all report types.
Commander Report Day 07
He is going to give us an overview of the entire geological features of MDRS and promised to take us on a field trip to the Henry Mountains (same Henry Mountains we see far far away from the Hab).
Read the original report ↗
Journalist Report Day 07
The first long-term explorers on Mars might make their own ornaments and bowls, if their water supply allows, to help alleviate the long days of EVAs, analysing and report writing.
Read the original report ↗
Engineering Report Day 07
The daily engineering log records power, fuel, water and equipment checks, with the crew’s maintenance notes.
Read the original report ↗
EVA 04 Report Day 07
KSCRNG - Kissing Cammel Range - Waypoint 326 Inverted Channel at 12 S 519000 /NAD 4249500
Read the original report ↗
EVA 05 Report Day 07
Location 2. lat 38 24' 24" / long 110 47' 30" (12 S 0518265/ 4250751) Elevation 1383 m, accuracy 4 m - distance from Hab approximately 39 m
Read the original report ↗Education Log Day 07 and 08
A suite of laptops along with Mars themed exhibits set the scene and allowed students, teachers and the public to interact with KiwiMars Crew, find out about the mission, and learn more from expert astronomers.
Read the original report ↗
Chef's Report Day 07
Re-hydrated the ground beef and added the vegetables and brown gravy mix and left it to simmer.
Read the original report ↗No reports of this type were preserved for this day. Choose another day or show all report types.
Commander Report Day 08
The first scheduled connection KiwiMars - Antipodes with the press conference in Austria took place this morning at 0800 hrs.
Read the original report ↗
Journalist Report Day 08
Locally we can blame the igneous activity of the Henry Mountains for doing this, as they heaved and squirmed their way up over aeons, pushing the sedimentary layers aside, tilting some, annihilating others, to finally stand magnificently above…
Read the original report ↗
Engineering Report Day 08
The daily engineering log records power, fuel, water and equipment checks, with the crew’s maintenance notes.
Read the original report ↗
EVA 06 Report Day 08
(1) Hab ridge (concretions, endoliths, sedimentary features, fossils, geologic overview) (2) fossil sites (3) endolith sites (4) hypolith sites (5) inverted river channel (6) microbial mats and soil crust field sites (7) the Henry Mountains.
Read the original report ↗No reports of this type were preserved for this day. Choose another day or show all report types.
Commander Report Day 09
During the experiment I collected samples from the gloves and tools we routinely use in SIM and that was done in full gear, outside, at the engineering bay.
Read the original report ↗
Journalist Report Day 09
The Mission Commander therefore declared today a day of rest for KiwiMars 2012 which meant different things to different people.
Read the original report ↗
Engineering Report Day 09
The daily engineering log records power, fuel, water and equipment checks, with the crew’s maintenance notes.
Read the original report ↗EVA 07 Report Day 09
Read the original eva account for day 9, including the crew’s observations and working notes.
Read the original report ↗
EVA 08 Report Day 09
Two crew members made a short EVA towards Phobos Peak on 29 April, for a period of approximately 1.5 hours.
Read the original report ↗
EVA 09 Report Day 09
It's easy to get lost in the desert - we found ourselves off the trail for approx 5 mins.
Read the original report ↗
EVA 10 Report Day 09
Read the original eva account for day 9, including the crew’s observations and working notes.
Read the original report ↗Education Log Day 09
We also have the advice of a flight surgeon if someone got injured. (one of our crew did in the first couple of days and we had to get her leg x-rayed-not sure what we might do on Mars though?)
Read the original report ↗
Chef's Report Day 09
Read the original food & living account for day 9, including the crew’s observations and working notes.
Read the original report ↗Antipodes 2 - Logs
Elf: also they asked me to advise you that the suit tester has mobility restrictions cause their CO2 sensor is broken
Read the original report ↗Antipodes 2 Procedures
KiwiSpace / Antipodes Description Amount Notes Check? Memo Human Resources: Suit tester 1 set hook Sampler 1 taking sample, storing set hook Monitor 1 observing, writing protocol, does NEVER touch the suit, equipment, sample set hook Bestboy 1…
Read the original report ↗No reports of this type were preserved for this day. Choose another day or show all report types.
Commander Report Day 10
... here we walk today on barren ancient land unveiled and transformed by the elements, learning how it all came together.
Read the original report ↗
Journalist Report Day 10
And had he been here as part of Crew 118 KiwiMars 2012 he would by now have stolen an ATV and ridden into Hanksville to Stan's Burger Shack.
Read the original report ↗
Engineering Report Day 10
The daily engineering log records power, fuel, water and equipment checks, with the crew’s maintenance notes.
Read the original report ↗
EVA 11 Report Day 10
Compare Muddy Creek gravels with Cow Dung Road Cattle Grid gravels (already collected on EVA 01 )
Read the original report ↗Education Log Day 10
A suite of laptops along with Mars themed exhibits set the scene and allowed students, teachers and the public to interact with KiwiMars Crew, find out about the mission, and learn more from expert astronomers.
Read the original report ↗No reports of this type were preserved for this day. Choose another day or show all report types.
Commander Report Day 11
Read the original commander account for day 11, including the crew’s observations and working notes.
Read the original report ↗
Commander Report Supplementary: Antipodes 3
Antipodes is an operations experiment, where we assume a loss of communication between the Mission Support Centre on “Earth”; a parallel landing party on the other side of Mars takes over the coordination of an ongoing Extra-Vehicular Activity…
Read the original report ↗
Journalist Report Day 11
Today we activated the Hab's remote controlled rover, which is here courtesy of the Northern California branch of the Mars Society.
Read the original report ↗
Engineering Report Day 11
The daily engineering log records power, fuel, water and equipment checks, with the crew’s maintenance notes.
Read the original report ↗
EVA 12 Report Day 11
South of Kissing Camel Range (Bob's Rock Garden) UTM Northing 4249475.1 UTM Easting 518284.3
Read the original report ↗Education Log Day 11
A suite of laptops along with Mars themed exhibits set the scene and allowed students, teachers and the public to interact with KiwiMars Crew, find out about the mission, and learn more from expert astronomers.
Read the original report ↗
Chef's Report Day 11
Prepare 2 t of egg, pour onto the mix and bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until burned on the edges. (would have been nice if we found the bourbon/vanilla in time-a teaspoon of that would have been magic!)
Read the original report ↗No reports of this type were preserved for this day. Choose another day or show all report types.
Commander Report Day 12
Had they read the whole press kit, they would have seen that the KiwiMars crew had not, one, not two but three Antipodes experiments scheduled with the Austrians.
Read the original report ↗
Journalist Report Day 12
We have flown our own flags on our own Mars here since landing, though due to a lack of flagpole (the one on top of the Hab is occupied by the red, green and blue Mars flag) we have had ours indoors most of the time, except for photo opportunities.
Read the original report ↗
Engineering Report Day 12
The daily engineering log records power, fuel, water and equipment checks, with the crew’s maintenance notes.
Read the original report ↗
EVA 13 Report Day 12
Crew departed Hab and traversed to the base of Olympus Mons where Don climbed a medium-sized Morrison strata mound to view local drainage patterns.
Read the original report ↗
EVA 14 Report Day 12
We about-turned and came back to the Hab the way we had come (Lowell Highway).
Read the original report ↗Education Log Day 12
A suite of laptops along with Mars themed exhibits set the scene and allowed students, teachers and the public to interact with KiwiMars Crew, find out about the mission, and learn more from expert astronomers.
Read the original report ↗
Chef's Report Day 12
The satay sauce has peanut butter in it but our XO didn’t tell us how it was made (it was yummy though)
Read the original report ↗No reports of this type were preserved for this day. Choose another day or show all report types.
Commander Report Day 13
So my crew and I today tried to catch-up with the rest of our work and see what is feasible to do in a day.
Read the original report ↗
Journalist Report Day 13
So NASA, if you're listening, the crew of KiwiMars 2012 would be happy to trial any prototype surface vehicles for you, any time.
Read the original report ↗
Engineering Report Day 13
The daily engineering log records power, fuel, water and equipment checks, with the crew’s maintenance notes.
Read the original report ↗
EVA 15 Day 13
After yesterday's unsuccessful attempt to follow the Brahe Highway (we got lost and had to double back), Mike and I gave it another go today.
Read the original report ↗Education Log Day 13
This is very encouraging as it means that there is a link between the geology found here in Utah and that on Mars.
Read the original report ↗
Chef's Report Day 13
Read the original food & living account for day 13, including the crew’s observations and working notes.
Read the original report ↗No reports of this type were preserved for this day. Choose another day or show all report types.
Commander Report Day 14
After a few more hours and few more reports we suited up for the very last EVA of KiwiMars: we were going to draw a Maori Star Compass on what we know now as the Solar garden of the new location of the observatory.
Read the original report ↗
Journalist Report Day 14
Looking at the previous laminated patches, photos and names, it seems KiwiMars 2012 will be the first crew to feature original artwork as a memento of our stay.
Read the original report ↗
Engineering Report Day 14
A small section of the Hab. roofing cover sheet (0.5square metre approx) on the perimeter of the Hab over the Engineering Air Lock Door (i.e. facing telescope) has peeled back - possibly due to today's strong southerly breeze.
Read the original report ↗Education Log Day 14
A suite of laptops along with Mars themed exhibits set the scene and allowed students, teachers and the public to interact with KiwiMars Crew, find out about the mission, and learn more from expert astronomers.
Read the original report ↗No reports of this type were preserved for this day. Choose another day or show all report types.
Archive view: these are the expedition’s published records, not live telemetry. Day labels and dates follow the original reports; arrival, handover and departure can fall outside the recorded sequence.
EXPLORE THE EXPEDITION