Astronomy (Jenny): Over the next few days, Crew 47 will evaluate the status of the observatory to verify that it is fully operational. During this time we will make any necessary engineering upgrades, with our first goal being to set up the CCD camera and make sure it can be controlled from the Hab computer. When we complete this task, we will take several practice shots in preparation for our observation of the eclipsing binary eclipsing binary RS Canum Veniticorum.

Biology (Meryl): Today we visited the GreenHab for the first time. Crew 46 reported significant plant losses in the GreenHab for some unknown reason, and the damage is apparent in the GreenHab. Almost half of the plants appear to be dead, one quarter appear unhealthy with either severely wilted leaves or infestation of small white bugs (not yet identified), and roughly one quarter appear healthy. We are awaiting instructions from Shannon Rupert on replanting the plants or altering the watering schedule.

Our experiment testing water quality and nutrient cycling in the water systems of GreenHab will commence some time early next week and last from 5 to 7 days, with testing taking place 3 to 4 times per day. The experiment will take place in two stages. The first will take place here, using a low-grade aquarium test kit to test for ammonia, pH, nitrite concentration, and nitrate concentration. The second stage will take place upon Crew 47's return to Georgia Tech in Atlanta. We will collect samples, which will be stored in vials and tested in a biology lab at Georgia Tech for ammonia and nitrate concentrations with laboratory-grade Hach test kits. We hope to compare the results from the tests performed at the Hab with those done at Georgia Tech to evaluate the extent of sample degradation of nitrate and ammonia in the water samples. Over the next week we will evaluate the water systems in the GreenHab to determine the logistics of the experiment.

Celestial Navigation (Jenny): Once the crew is in full sim and EVA time allows, we will use the sextant to take noon sights at several different positions over the course of several days. The observation data will then be sent to Georgia Tech Mission Support, who will compute the longitude and latitude given by the observations and compare it to GPS coordinates of the same position. Challenges will include attempting to use the sextant in a bulky spacesuit and avoiding exceeding the limitations of the sextant, which may be an issue if the sun is too high in the sky at local noon.

Communication and Navigation (Jan): Reliable communications between an EVA team and its base is paramount to safe exploration, whether in space or during a simulation. Crew 47's communication and navigation research will continue an effort begun by Crew 37 to use amateur radio equipment and GPS receivers to transmit voice and positioning data between EVA and Hab. The crew will also test the use of ground-based or balloon-borne repeaters to extend the coverage area, and continue the mapping of exploration sites and routes in the area of operations.

Two key elements of the MDRS Crew 37 research program were the deployment and testing of a tethered balloon carrying a radio repeater to extend the crew's communication range, and the use of an Amateur Radio-based automatic position reporting system (APRS) to track the location of crewmembers on extravehicular activity (EVA).

Based on the experience gained with these prototypes, Crew 47 will take the next step towards an integrated system that will provide automated position reporting and reliable radio coverage for voice and data communications between MDRS and EVA teams. Such a system should be affordable and be based on commercially-available equipment and tools, to encourage replication by other MDRS crews. It must also be compatible with MDRS simulation operations and equipment.

Crew 47 will equip each EVA suit with a GPS receiver coupled to a handheld amateur radio transceiver for automatic position transmission to the Hab, where the positions will be displayed and published on the Internet in near-real-time by means of a computer running appropriate software.

A ground-based repeater will be placed in a strategic location in the area of operations to enhance coverage. An additional repeater may be attached to a tethered helium-filled balloon system provided by the LiftPort Group, further increasing communications range. We will also test the use of a tether-climbing robot to raise and retrieve the balloon-borne repeater.

Crew 47 will use the positioning data recorded during EVAs to map areas of radio coverage, improve and update the MDRS database of waypoints, exploration sites and trails, and support other research projects (e.g. the radiation measurement effort).

Part of the data processing will be handled by mission support and its outreach partners.

Human Factors (Jan): The new space exploration agenda of the United States will lead to humans engaging in long-duration space exploration missions within a decade. These pioneer crews will be subject to an unprecedented combination of isolation, confinement and risk in their quest to explore the Moon, Mars and destinations beyond.

Even though none of these challenges is likely to be a ?howstopper , the perceived and actual success of their missions will depend on the astronauts' ability to sustain a constant, high level of performance under taxing environmental conditions and high workloads. Therefore, understanding the factors that influence crew performance during a mission is an important prerequisite for the successful implementation of the nation's new policy of manned exploration and discovery.

Analog simulation facilities like MDRS play an important role in this context since they allow the operational, hardware, and human side of key mission-related elements to be combined, and thus enable the capturing of interactions among these elements. The crews on board such stations are also exposed to workloads, external stressors and other conditions similar to those encountered during space missions.

Three Human Factors experiments will be performed by Crew 47 during our rotation:

• Mars Analog Station Cognitive Testing (MASCOT)
• Mood Observation and On-Board Dynamics (MOODY)
• Planetary Habitat Analog Design Efficiency Survey (PHADES)

We will provide more information on these experiments in subsequent science reports. Results will be published after the end of the mission.

Radiation (Jason): The radiation research will begin once full sim EVAs commence. Until then though, it remains to plan the experiments and conditions for the radiation measurements. The basic focus of the research is to provide a radiation map over the surrounding terrain; however, there are many variations on this basic theme that will be investigated in the following weeks.

First and foremost, the procedure for data collection and post-processing must be established for future astronaut missions. Even though GPS will not be available for Martian terrain radiation measurements, the proof of concept is crucial to the hot issue of radiation exposure within space transit and on alien planets.

In more of an architectural vein, the second focus of the radiation research will be to use in-Situ materials to provide radiation shielding. Since it is impossible to bake bricks at the Habitat, sand bags will be filled with rocks and dirt to build an enclosed structure; radiation measurements will then be taken from within and compared to those taken from without.

As the research continues, more avenues of exploration will divulge themselves but for now the radiation research plan is to create a map of the area and test the shielding abilities of in-Situ resources.