MDRS Traverse Planning Refinement
Ryan Anderson

Nick Wilkinson mentions in one of his reports on the Traverse Generation Assistant that the program does not have enough information to decide if a longer easier route would be preferable to a shorter more arduous route. I will investigate the factors involved in determining the trade off, and explore possible solutions and integrations of "ease of traverse," weightings into the TGA.

The factors would differ for different EVA's: robots, humans on foot, humans in a pressurized rover, or humans in a non-pressurized rover. Fuel consumption, fatigue, and time are some factors that would need to be considered.

MDRS Environmental Control Loads
Ryan Anderson

I will investigate any data collected on the Environmental Control and Life Support Systems of the habitat: oxygen and carbon dioxide levels, humidity, temperature. If there is none or it is incomplete I will initiate a program of recording them. The data can then be used to assist in determining ECLSS (and MDRS) design requirements. Specific areas of interest would be:

• Determining the cycle of loading that would be placed on a pressurized habitat
• High load times that could result in power shortage or critical system stresses
• Low load times that could point to possible savings in energy and consumables

Knowing the cycle of when the ECLSS systems are working hardest or most frequently would also be invaluable in determining maintenance schedules.

MDRS Advancement
Ryan Anderson

I will investigate the availability of opportunities to develop tools, programs, or devices that could increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the crews; if there are repetitive or tedious tasks, perhaps they could be handled by robot, software, or some other means than human effort, saving the humans for the work that requires independent thinking and creativity.

Suggestions for such improvements are difficult to find in the previous crews' reports, this proposal includes a thorough search of the previous reports, the initiation of a systematic approach to logging thoughts and suggestions on areas of interest, and integration with the existing system documenting changes made to the ERV.

Astronomy
Andrew Bingham

My initial goal is to solve the problems that currently prevent operation of the Musk Desert Mars Observatory, and return it to full service. Following completion of initial maintenance, my primary research goal is to perform CCD imaging of planetary and deep-field targets, as well to observe the transit of the extrasolar planet in front of its parent star. Also, operating manuals will be updated to reflect the current configuration of the observatory, allowing future crews to continue making observations.

Engineering
Andrew Bingham

My goal is to isolate and address several reoccurring engineering issues with regards to Hab systems. Dust intrusion, water pipes freezing, and excessive vibrations have all been reported by previous crews. Wherever possible, I will implement solutions to these problems for the benefit of future crew productivity. In cases where implementation during our rotation is impossible, I will make detailed recommendations on how the problem can be solved as well as avoided in the construction of future Habs.

Geology
Mary Froeba

I will conduct geological studies under the direction of the Remote Science Team to test a methodology for geologic exploration of Mars by the first scientists on the Red Planet. These first explorers will probably be guided by a remote team, responding to the team's directions and requests for information.

Logistics & Engineering
Isaiah Harp

I will be assisting in the effort to completely and thoroughly revise the MDRS Operations Manual, both during and following our initial exposure to the MDRS systems. I aim to have the new manual completed within the few days after the end of Crew 31's rotation, if not sooner. Coincident with the revision, I will be studying the Hab systems as a composite whole, seeking to optimize their functionality if and where this is possible.

Final Report: Adobe Acrobat
Data & Graphs: MS Excel

Physics: Radiation
Isaiah Harp

My goal is to measure and record accumulation of radiation over the entirety of typical simulated days. I hope to extrapolate these data to a lower atmospheric density and thereby determine the actual rates and levels of radiation dosage which an astronaut on Mars would receive. I will also be recording the background radiation data I collect at various points around the Hab and on EVA, along with altitudes and other variables, in a convenient format for future crews to have as reference.
(Contact Isaiah Harp for color report and with any questions or comments.)

Final Report: Adobe Acrobat

Biology & Ecology
Nicholas J. Perino

I would like to conduct a survey and analysis of desert microclimates within the area around the desert hab. This may include, but not be limited to, temperature analysis, humidity analysis, photosynthetically active radiation analysis, a survey of any life present in the particular microclimate and gps positioning. My rationale for undertaking such a study would be to explore possibilities. The desert is harsh, but could be full of micro - oases...perhaps future Martian explorers will seek to characterize similar microclimates among the forbidding landscape of the red planet. I will also continue with ongoing biology research under the direction of the Remote Science Team.

Geophysics
Louise Wynn

I will measure the radioactivity (using a radiation detection meter) and iron content (using a magnetic susceptibility meter) of the rocks and sedimentary layers in the area surrounding the Hab in order to find a pattern of mineralization corresponding to the known geologic features and make a more complete geologic map of the area. My goal is to complete the geophysical survey I began in February 2004 by taking as many readings as possible in areas missed earlier, particularly in the shales in the cliffs to the northeast and southeast of the Hab.

Logistics
Crew 31

The experience of the current International Space Station crew, suffering a food shortage so severe that the crew must be "rescued" from the ISS during Crew 31's two-week rotation at the MDRS, underscores the importance of this research. Under the direction of lead researcher Jason Held, MDRS Crew 31 will track workloads and calorie consumption each day of our simulation using the spreadsheets provided for this purpose. Data will be sent as part of our daily reports to Mission Support personnel. Both crew and Mission Support will have the ability to update the logistics status in order to learn the logistics system's operational tempo, for analysis after mission completion. Analysis will be a day-by-day comparison of logistics expectation (learned by the system) versus actual result to determine accuracy and convergence of the system. We hope crew feedback will help improve the accuracy of the system and gain insights into how many samples (based on number of days) are required for an accurate model of crew consumption use. As later MDRS crews participate in this experiment, providing additional samples of data from a wide variety of crews, the method can be further refined to minimize impact to crew and support operations. Eventually this research may help prevent disastrous food shortages for actual Mars missions.