This document summarizes the important activates and key contacts for the Mission Support of the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS). This is a living document and should you see a need to updated or change any part of it, please send the updates via e-mail to the CapCom. The CapCom mailing list will ensure key personal are notified of your update and the CapCom will forwarded it to our Authorised Documents Editor Hugh S. Gregory, the Spaceflight Historian.

1. Mission Support:
   The first priority of Mission Support is to be a contact point for the crew of the MDRS. Normal comm link hours are 19:00 to 22:00 (7-10 pm) MST or MDT time every evening. However the crew may transmit at other time and Mission Support can also transmit at any time to address urgent issues.
   
   MS staff and CapCom's. When a HAB crew is operating in Sim, wait five (5) minutes before opening messages From the HAB. HAB crew are requested to do the same when "in-sim" with inbound traffic.
   
   Send all messages for the MDRS HAB Crew to the HAB List please. NOTE: There is a direct e-mail address to the HABCom computer. It is ONLY to be used if the lists are not desired or if the lists are non-functional. Please keep this address private.
   
   Please start your CapCom shift with a message to the HAB and Mission Support mailing lists with a Subject Line of "Mission Support is on-line". At the end of your CapCom shift send the same lists a "Mission Support is off-line" message.
   
   All crew members are now signed up onto the HABs List at the start of their crew's rotation by the Mission Support CapCom who is on duty on a Crew Change weekend. So any message you send to HABs List will go to all current crew members.
   
   Unusual Comms Situations: If you receive messages from a crew members personal e-mail accounts WITHOUT a copy to any of the lists - READ Carefully those private messages before deciding what action to take. If the contents of the Private letter are a confidential communication, for what ever reason, ensure you reply is to that crew member only. If it is a report of urgent distress or a bad situation, reply privately with a Blind CC to Tony Muscatello ASP for guidance on the situation, quoting the original message in full. If it's really bad, get on the phone and wake Tony Muscatello up.
   
   However if it is just a normal evening daily report, or a standard "we need this or that" support request and it looks like they forgot to send it to the HAB's and Mission Support lists, send your reply via both lists. Be sure to do a full quote of the inbound e-mail in this circumstance so that a copy of what the crew member sent does get into the comm's archive.
   
   Do not abandon use of the HABs Lists address. As a part of your reply Please remind the HAB Crew Member that they must cc a copy to the HABs List in order for their crew mates to receive a copy and more important, to ensure a copy goes into the comm's archive.
   
   
2. Mission Support should expect the following reports daily:
   
   • Commander's Check In: This is the first report of the evening in which a Commander tells Mission Support
     1. A brief description of what happened today
     2. which reports are coming up tonight (from the list of reports below)
     3. what the plans for tomorrow are.
   • Commander's Report or Journalist Report: (a narrative story description of today's events at MDRS, which the commander can delegate to any crew member to do as a Journalist report.) (Both can be filed if you have someone with a Journalistic touch on your crew).
   • Engineering Report: (A Daily Summary MUST Send of Engineering consumables and needs)
   • EVA Report: (If there was an EVA or two that day).
   • Science Report: (There should be a Science Report every day; Sub reports can vary)
   • Observatory Report: (If astronomy is being done)
   • Biology Report: (If biology is being done)
   • Geology Report: (If geology is being done)
   • GreenHab Report: (If there is any GreenHab related problem being worked, a report is required)
   • Plans for Tomorrow: (normally included in the CDR Check In if brief, if extensive do a separate report)
   
   
3. Simple Acknowledgments:
   Mission Support should acknowledge every message from the MDRS with an ACK message so the crew knows their reports are getting through. Also be sure that your reply is to HABs Lists. Officially the crew should ACK Mission Support messages, but their workload is so high, we have not insisted on this. The suggested format for a simple ACK acknowledgment is
   • Click reply
   • Make sure the address that you are sending to is the HABs Lists
   • Prefix the Subject line with "ACK", so that it reads, for example: Subject: ACK, no comment Re: [MDRS3] Commanders Report Mar 02, 2005 This is so the crew knows they need not open the message if they are busy.
   • Add in the body of the message: "ACK" or "Message Received" or similar comment.
   • It is OK to trim the messages to save space/bandwidth.
   
   Use that method only for simple acknowledgments.
   
   If you wish to include comments or questions for the crew when you acknowledge, Put "ACK w/Comment" or "ACK w/question" or "ACK w/instructions" at the front of the Subject: line. IF you just put "ACK" the crew may not read the message immediately.
   
   You may check for any lost messages in the archive. You will note that attached files are unreadable in the archive and your messages would be more readable if you set your e-mail program to send 'plain text' instead of HTML.
   
   Mission Support shall read all formal reports and clarify anything unclear with the crew: Immediately after receipt, forward the reports to Robert Zubrin to keep him updated on progress at the HAB. Once the Mission Support Director is satisfied that the reports are ok (i.e. edited for typos and clarity), he/she will forward them to the MDRS Web Team for posting. When Gus Frederick is posting, copy the reports into the body of the email and put the report's name and the date of the report in the subject line. When Harold Miller is posting, send the reports as attachments with a clear file name as to what the report is and the date of the report. Also copy Dr. Zubrin on any other important messages to/from the HAB.
   
   Furthermore, Mission Support shall select a photo of the day and email the link to Brian Enke, so he can post it on the main Mars Society web site along with the first line of the Commander's report, which will link to the MDRS report web page. Make sure each report has an author listed.
   
   The crew will upload photos to a folder at the web site. They already have directions on how to do that. Randall Severy and Bruce Mackenzie can help with this if necessary. Inform the MDRS Web when the daily photos have been posted and are ready for them.
   
   
4. Important Contacts:
   
   • The primary contact for local help for the MDRS is Don Foutz of the Whispering Sands Motel in Hanksville. Packages to the MDRS should be sent to:
     
     Mars Society
     c/o The Whispering Sands Motel
     90 So. Highway 95
     Hanksville, UT 84734
     
     FedEx next business afternoon delivery and UPS are reliable ways of shipping to Hanksville. A U.S. Postal Service Priority Mail package once took a week and a half, so use at your discretion.
     
     
   • Mail In - Trash Out: Don or his wife Connie deliver packages to the HAB and pick up the trash at the HAB when ever they visit. Make sure the crew knows to ensure that the trash bags are clean on the outside since Don or Connie will be putting them into their own vehicles.
     
     
   • Local Tech Support - Computers and Direcway Sat Link: Don is also our local technical support for computers and the Direcway satellite link. He is an authorized installer of the sat link and is quite knowledgeable. The crew can e-mail or IM Don directly from the HABCom computer when needed. When Mission Support needs to contact him for the crew immediately. Then use his private e-address.
     
     
   • ATV Fuel: Don also brings full cans of gasoline (petrol) for the ATVs and backup generator and takes the empties on each trip as well.
     
     
   • LP Gas: (liquefied propane gas) powers the forced air heater and the gas range stove/oven. Amerigas of Green River refills as needed. Carol is the contact there. Note: After Hours Calls to Carol's number go to a national emergency hot line who can leave a message for Carol or advise you on what to do in case of an emergency.
     
     
   • MDRS Habitat Questions and Trouble Shooting: As Head of the Engineering Team for the past few years and the chap who Commanded the recent Crew 34 "Junkyard Wars" team that completely rebuilt the HAB's electrical, water and sewage systems, Paul Graham is your primary contact for remotely advised troubleshooting of engineering anomalies not covered in the Ops Manual. The back up contact is James Harris.
     
     
   • GreenHab Grey Water Recycling System: The primary contact is Gary Fisher and the back up contact is David Blersch.
     
     
   • Head of MDRS Mission Support is Tony Muscatello: His contact details are in the Confidential Mission Support Team directory.
     
     
   • MDRS Project Manager is Dr. Robert Zubrin: His contact details are in the Confidential Mission Support Teams (His home phone number will be sent separately to the heads of Mission Support.)
   
   
5. Virtual Mission Support
   Conducted in the Society's chat room. There is a separate room where Mission Support meets. You must be authorized to enter the Mission Support room by the Mission Support Director. To automatically receive messages from the HAB, visit the sign up web page and follow the directions there. Sign up for your position if you are an authorized primary staff member.
   
   
6. HAB Comm "Live" Time Delayed Chat Room:
   There is also a room for HAB crew members to visit with a 5 Minute delay so chat can be conducted within the Sim. The crew should already be authorized to go to the room on the HABCom computer, plus have the instructions on how to get to that chat room.
   
   
7. Analog Space Suits:
   Questions about the Analog Space Suits should be routed to Dewey Anderson. NOTE: The crews should not make any changes to the space suits and No badges, No patches and NO National Flags may be added to the suits or put up either inside or outside of the HAB without the expressed prior permission of Tony Muscatello, the Head of Mission Support.
   
   
8. Astronomical Observations Requests:
   Mission Support acts as a relay point for astronomy requests for the HAB. Peter Detterli of the RMMS is the contact point. Details on the program will be sent separately, but the observations are expected to be conducted weekly if we have a qualified astronomer on the crew.