The MDRS rotation for our Crew (CIX) has come to an end, and it is time for all to move on and to look for other planets!

The table below summarizes the Extra-Vehicular Activities (EVA) performed during the 2 week stay over the 2011 Christmas period (Dec 17-Dec 31).  And yes, we had almost 54 total EVA hours and  travel more than 230 Miles (370 Km) with a total elevation gain of over 9800 ft.

MDRS Crew 109 Last Day

An official summary of the mission is posted in the Mars Society Website at:  http://mdrs.marssociety.org/home/field-reports/crew109/crew109summary

The other 14 daily reports and the crew’s bios can be accessed from:  http://mdrs.marssociety.org/home/field-reports/crew109

Written by: Aster Stein.

Here it is, my final report as crew 109 journalist. This was our last full day at the hab, the two past weeks have gone by so fast. Everyone here is happy to go back home, but there is of course a tiny part of sadness that we have to leave our hab behind, in the hands of complete strangers! We were only now beginning to understand how to run a remote Mars base.

Then again, we were those strangers two weeks ago. And we took pretty good care of things here. Crew 110 will surely do the same thing. There will be a lot to take in on their first days though. Where is everything? How does everything work? What are those things scratching at your door at night? What do you mean, don’t add too much love to the breads? Before leaving the airlock one last time, we’ll bestow as much hab lore upon them, and then they’re on their own on their own adventure.

Crew 109 was a unique group of people. Our paths crossed, out of all places, in the middle of nowhere in the desert in Utah. Each one of us has their own quirks and personality, but it all worked out. There were no fights, no arguments, if my information is accurate, not even disagreements. We have lived and worked together for two weeks and got to know each other a bit. It just all happened naturally. We had a lot of fun learning and exploring Mars together. Problems? We took ‘em and threw ‘em to the ground!

I would like to thank Karon, Nicky, Leandro and Victoria for being such awesome crew mates. I would also like to thank David for the same, but he gets a tiny extra thanks for writing our daily haiku’s. It’s been a privilege making all those happy memories together.

But now we have to part ways again, and wake up from our two week dream at the the hab.  Back to real life. Odds are that we will not meet each other again. Then again, who knows… Until we do, we’ll always have Mars.

Rocks, robots, balloons

Completely schooled this planet

Acquired friendships too

This is crew 109, signing off.

Skyline Rim

Summary

Timing

Time:	2:39:37
Moving Time:	1:50:43
Elapsed Time:	2:39:37

Avg Pace:	29:48 min/mi
Avg Moving Pace:	20:40 min/mi
Best Pace:	:35 min/mi

Elevation

Elevation Gain:	518 ft
Elevation Loss:	515 ft
MinElevation:	4,501 ft
MaxElevation:	4,767 ft

Karon, David and Leandro's Last EVA

The three of us going out for our last EVA

A walk in the park

Martian Landscape

Aster and the Rocks

Leandro in the EVA room

Dolomite to Aragonite Crystallization Process

Epic Mars Rover

Summary

Timing

Time:	1:56:18
Moving Time:	56:06
Elapsed Time:	1:56:18

Avg Speed:	4.6 mph
Avg Moving Speed:	9.6 mph
Max Speed:	1.5 mph

Elevation

Elevation Gain:	341 ft
Elevation Loss:	400 ft
MinElevation:	4,399 ft
MaxElevation:	4,640 ft

Mars Rover Close Up

 

The Hand of God

Astronaut's Shadow

 

On the top of North Pinto Hills

Tower

Bone

Bones…

On Top of North Pinto Hills

Stone Mushrooms

Epic Victoria

Mountain View

Solar Tube Experiment

Martian Sand Worm

Strata

Enchanted Forest