Here is a  main vegetarian meal where meat can be easily added for 
easy extra proteins.

This is the cheesiest meal we had.

This meal was prepare by the whole crew for the whole crew.

Seashell and cheese, a lot of cheese: (for way more people than you 
can handle)

Ingredients:
1 Brick of Velveeta cheese. (907g)
5 cup of water.
A bag of Sea Shells pasta (454g)
A handful of dried mushroom
A handful of dried chopped onions
A handful of dried flake spinach
2 Cup of dried chicken ( skip for vegetarian option)

Note: If you think this dish is too cheesy, you can add more 
vegetables, or put less cheese. Broccoli is also an excellent option 
to add.

Step 1: Melt the Velveeta cheese in a pan, with the water.

Step 2: Once the cheese is melted, add the dried mushroom, dried 
chopped onions and dried flakes spinach. Reserve on low heat, to let 
he vegetables drain some of the water. Add dried meat for a meatier 
version.

Step 3: Boil the sea shells pasta in water until it is cook to your taste.

Step 4: Add the cooked pasta in the cheese, Mix well

Step 5: Once it is well mix, eat.

This recipe will not make you an Iron chef, but will please all the 
kids and cheese fanatic around the block. Keep it warm and don’t be 
afraid to add anything you like. It is a good variation on the mac & 
cheese (Kraft dinner for my Canadian friends), that so many loves.

As always please try this at home. Very little supervision is require, 
and to eat. Please enjoy.

Claude-Michel Laroche
Mars 160 – Crew Engineer

Lithobionts and Science Goals of the MARS 160 Mission
By Crew Biologist Anushree Srivastava

It is sol 28 and a sol of a very productive extra-vehicular activity (EVA). Today, we started off our EVA towards the east of MDRS habitat having these objectives in mind – investigation of hypolithic abundance and exploration of some exotic lithobionts or rock dwellers. Fundamentally, lithobionts or rock-dwelling organisms can be described and segregated into three categories – epiliths, hypoliths, and endoliths – according to their interaction with the substrate. Epiliths, as the name suggests, colonize on the surface of the rocks, usually igneous rock surfaces. Hypoliths are microbial communities that grow ventral or undersides of translucent rocks such as quartz, granite, limestone, and gypsum. Endoliths populate and adapt to different ecological niches of the interior of the rocks. They can further be segmented into chasmolithobionts, which lies in between or in interstitial space of crevices and cracks, and cryptolithobionts, which reside in the porous regions of the rocks, principally sandstone. As part of MARS 160 astrobiological research, both in MDRS in the Utah Desert and FMARS in the Arctic, we intend to study the hypolith abundance for each experimental site.  To move beyond that we will explore some rare lithobionts for molecular analysis using the MinION – an essential device for DNA sequencing. Documenting hypolith abundance in the Martian analog site of MDRS will inform us about the extent of ecological adaptations of these rock-dwellers in this extreme environment. Additionally, the DNA analysis of rare lithobionts will help us in specie identification and equip us with advanced understanding of the differences in the nature of these organisms as lithobionts have not been extensively studied from the molecular point of view. So our study will provide a profound baseline in this domain and help us anticipate “exophiles” on Mars.

Classification of Lithobionts. Image Credit: Makhalanyane, Pointing and Cowan, 2014.

In search for rare lithobionts.

Conducting hypolith abundance study.

Further Reading
Makhalanyane TP, Pointing SB, Cowan DA (2014) Lithobionts: Cryptic and Refuge Niches. Antarctic Terrestrial Microbiology,  pp: 163-179

Warren-Rhodes KA, McKay CP, Boyle LN, Wing MR, Kiekebusch EM, Cowan DA, Stomeo F, Pointing SB, Kaseke KF, Eckardt F, Henschel JR, Anisfeld A, Seely M, Rhodes KL (2013) Physical ecology of hypolithic communities in the central Namib Desert: The role of fog, rain, rock habitat, and light. Journal of Geophysical Research: Biosciences 118: 1–10

The journalist on Mars?
Anastasiya Stepanova- Crew Journalist

Why the heck do we need journalists on Mars? Yes, I understand your concerns, but here is the story!

The year 2013, cold Moscow. I arrived to the Space museum for Robert’s Zubrin speech. Few hours later the world has changed for me. I had an opportunity to drive Robert back to the hotel and while we were stuck in terrible Moscow traffic, we talked about, of course, space. Back than I was simple PR manager, who was dreaming about space but thought it is impossible to tie it in  my life fully. Robert told me about Mars Desert Research and Flashline Stations and the coming call for volunteers for Mars Arctic 365 mission.

“Oh, I wish I could go there, but I’m not a scientist or an engineer, what is the use of me!” – I said, with regrets of having just one Master’s degree in Space Journalism. Robert’s reply was very surprising. “It is also important to be able to tell the story of sea or, now days, space travel adventures. All those great space engineers and astronauts fail madly in love with space after reading Ray Bradbury, Arthur Clarke, Robert Heinlein and etc. Back in the old days when explorers were opening new lands, they were writing diaries. Some of them just put on the dry data, but many wrote detailed narratives, which made our understanding of the past so rich. So, if you really want to become one of the Mars Arctic mission crew members, you should apply and we will see how bad you want it!”

And so did I. First, I got into semi-finals and spent 2 weeks at Mars Desert Research Station in 2014, then to finals and now, here I am, being a part of unique Mars 160 mission. I’m proud to be a crew journalist and to see how our stories about living on Mars has influenced, inspired and enlightened the readers. Many people are interested in space, but can’t be bothered reading long scientific papers. They don’t want to go into dry data, they want simple explanations that can be sometimes implemented in their own lives. People want to understand: why we are living in can box in the middle of desert for several months; how this can help get humans to Mars; how this can help people here on Earth? I absorb all information that I get here from our talented scientists and engineers, from the experience living in simulation, from the experience of living in the constraints and transform it to the public through my stories.

Of course, the first crew, which lands on Mars will not have the journalist, but it will have scientists or engineer, who will write beautiful narratives of the biggest adventures in human history. And guess what, now I’m getting my second degree in Robotics. An engineer-journalist crew member might be the next future profession on Mars!

Person filling out report: Crew journalist Anastasiya Stepanova

Summary Title: Happy day – hard work and showers for the whole crew!

Mission status: Operations are going to be nominal soon. Furniture has arrived.

Sol activity Summary: The EVA crew found gypsum and brought some samples for further use,  observed geological features. Furniture has arrived and will be assembled tomorrow. We conducted the first session of the Habitability study. The whole crew has taken the shower, because of the water surplus. The rest of the crew had physical activities and writing reports.

Anomalies in work:  No

Weather: Warm during the day, strong wind, dusty

Crew Physical Status: Good

EVA: Geology observation and gypsum scouting