Canada has returned to Mars! With eight eager space enthusiasts the mission has started off with an overall feeling of team cohesiveness. Two weeks might not be enough to quench the appetite of the all- Canadian exploration crew who also have multiple half-Nationalities.

With a smooth arrival Saturday evening, and a cozy habitat (cleverly named Hab) containing a total of 12 people, the crew started the day with training from Crew 43. We finally unpacked our bags and moved into our staterooms with two in the upper loft. A sense of being home was more than mutual, and so was our hunger for our first crew meal.

Commander Battler got the mission rolling with our first full meeting and briefing on MDRS and Mars Society Canada. We had a roundtable introduction of all the crewmembers as the cameras were rolling for the HD Documentary being filmed on our rotation by Andre. The meeting was interrupted by our first mystery; to solve why the water was not being pumped into the habitat. After some “engineering adjustments” we determined the water line was probably partially frozen and we were back on track. The meeting continued with a stern warning to beware of cougars, and if confronted, we were instructed not to run, make eye contact and do not bend over. But if needed, we can throw rocks to protect ourselves. Following we had our health and safety briefing, Extra-Vehicular Activities (EVAs), media days, cooking, cleaning, computers, and schedules.

Let the training, EVAs, report writing, and exploration begin! With duct tape and a good tackle box, this crew can fix anything!