Today was off-sim as we moved in the hab and became familiar with the systems. All times are MDT. We have a great crew:
0200 Arrival in Hanksville from Salt Lake City. We drove in two minivans, full to the top with gear, newly purchased supplies, and the crew of six.
0645 The alarm goes off, time to have one last very long hot shower and prepare for the short trip to MDRS. Few of us have slept soundly, for we are stilled keyed up from the evening before and full of excitement for the day's activities. The day is brilliant with achingly long clear horizons and a fresh northerly breeze.
0810 Arrival at MDRS. The crew that greets us is clean, cheerful, and eager to relay the tricks. Judith Lapierre has organized a nicely printed list of handover topics, with assigned crew members. I review it and quickly rattle off the corresponding people in my crew who will pair off for the coming hour of learning and sharing.
0930-0945 Rotation 5 departs in two vehicles, we begin to feel the peacefulness of the place.
The rest of the day is a blur of unpacking supplies, organizing computers and setting up lab and recording gear. Frank Schubert, Dewey Anderson, and Brian Enke arrive to swap in a new generator, reorganize flows and sensors in the greenhouse, and attach a greenhouse door. We have brought a 5' square projection screen and attach it just above the staterooms; we intend to use it to project our daily and evolving plan.
01500-1700 Our first meeting: We discuss Safety (a briefing and forms to fill); Mission Support communications protocol (all incoming messages about the mission must go through them first; we forward everything we receive for them to handle); our daily schedule (tentatively start the primary EVA at 1600 with dinner at 2000 merged with the debrief); chores (assignments with rotations were worked in detail); reporting (follow the previous crew's pattern, but the summary will be written by our resident journalist, David Real).
1730-1900 ATV training and more organization, refilling the generator, etc.
Our sim begins tomorrow with an extensive planning meeting. One objective of this rotation will be to plan two weeks in advance in full detail. We want to determine to what extent we can project our intentions, and to understand how and why they change from day to day. If we are on a late EVA schedule, then reports will be written the next day. So Mission Support will always be a day behind. Can we compensate by projecting more than two days in advance what we plan to do?
Bill Clancey
MDRS Rotation 5 Commander
