This report was submitted by Claude-Michel Laroche – Crew engineeer

Food Report for of October 2016.

Flattened rice aka Poha on Mars

Ingredients:
Flattened rice (Poha) – quantity according to the number of people.

Vegetables:
Dried chopped onions,
Dried chopped tomatoes,
Mix of vegetables:
Beans,
Potatoes,
Carrots.

Spices:
Dried Curry leaves,
Mustard seeds,
Turmeric powder,
Chili powder,
Dried lemon powder.

Other
Salt,
Vegetable oil.

Note:

Step 01: hydrate your mix of vegetables in water with the proper
amount of water.

Step 02: Heat vegetable oil in a frying pan, until the oil is hot but
not boiling.

Step 03: Insert the mustard seeds and the curry leaves

Step 04: When the mustard seed start popping up, add the chopped onions.

Step 05: Once the onions start to turn brown, add the chopped
tomatoes, all the vegetables the remains of spices.

Step 06: Cook the mixture for 10 to 15 minutes.

Step 07: Wash the flattened rice with water 2 to 3 times.
Note: this step is use to soften the rice.

Step 08: The cooking time of the vegetable mixture is over, add the
washed flattened rice in the mix.

Step 09: Cook for 10 to 15 minutes
”

No quantity were adding in this recipe for the reason that it is all
up to taste. I recommend to add a lot of vegetables.

This meal came as a surprise since Anushree prepared us this meal and
we didn’t know what it was. We all were very happy to have a homemade
taste of India.

As usual please try this at home, Friends and familly are not required
but encourage.

Claude-Michel Laroche
Mars 160 – Crew Engineer

Space paparazzi 

This report was filed by Anastasiya Stepanova- Crew Journalist

Today was my first walk on the surface of Mars. We spent 15 minutes to put the space suit on and prepare all the gear. We can’t go outside without a decompression procedure, so we get into the airlock and the longest five minute countdown starts. I asked the habitat to put on some music, like when you are in elevator waiting for the right floor. Before it reacted to our request, Yusuke opened the bag and put on soundtrack on his tablet from the movie Martian. Music of seventies was surprisingly appropriate for a Martian airlock. Finally 5 minutes are over and we are outside.

Windy day, but all I can hear is my own breath and radio signals. Crew engineer Claude-Michel began his daily routine of station maintenance. Checked the level of water, propane, gas and petrol in ATV’s. Everything was good enough to last the next couple of days.

While Yusuke and Claude-Michel were looking for biological samples in the Martian terrain, my role was to be the space paparazzi. In one hand, video camera, in another photo camera and tripod. The sun shines bright and the helmet fetters the movement of my head. I hardly could see the picture on the camera screen, so had to film it with hopes for the better. Suddenly, it hit me, on Mars it will not be an easy job, even for the paparazzi. A Martian journalist would need to have special cameras, special ways of filming and a lot of endurance. The dust will ruin the camera, the limited visibility due to the helmet will not let you see the screen fully, only the sound of wind will be recorded and any human communication would need to be recorded separately by using the habitat radio station or the microphone in the helmet (if we have it). And this is only the tip of the iceberg. Whatever profession you will choose, on Mars it will meet with plenty of obstacles and for this, I love this planet. It always pushes you into one challenge after another. So fasten your seat belt and enjoy the ride!

This Commander report was submitted by Alexandre Mangeot – Commander & Engineer

We are living in a scientific station in the middle of the desert. We can pretend as much as we want to be on Mars, do as many (crazy?) things as we want to feel that we are on Mars, we still have to deal with the so called “Martian” wildlife.

This one was not shy. It visited me (and others) several times during my sleep the past few nights. But over here the days are very busy and exhausting. We need to rest without worrying about an animal going into your sleeping bag or crawling on your arm…

So I decided to catch the Martian animal. For my first attempt (yes I failed!) I did a mistake (obviously or else I would have caught it the first time) and the alien was very lucky. I put some peanut butter on the rope that held the cheese and the bucket (see the schematic on the left of the Figure 1). By eating the peanut butter first it cut the rope, then ate the cheese without actuating the trap and left. Clever small thing! And, at this stage, I was ashamed to have a PhD in rocket propulsion.

But the animal made a mistake as well. It showed me that it could cut the rope that holds the bucket if there is peanut butter on it. So be it! My second and final attempt was successful (see the schematic on the right of the Figure 1). The animal was caught, treated with caution and care, then returned to its natural habitat.

Figure 1: Schematic of the traps

I present to you, Jerry. Caught during the night of Sol 5 and released on the morning of Sol 6.

Figure 2: Hello Earthlings, I am Jerry!

Lesson learnt: a mechanical design should always be as simple as possible to avoid failure. You never know who will use your device. As a friend of mine told me “complexity is easy, simple is hard”.