Dear Earth,

Sol 2 was the opportunity to discover and test some of the features of
the MDRS: the talkie walkies, the spacesuits, the bread machine… Since
we had not planned any EVA for this morning, we had plenty of time to
sit together and brainstorm on the different aspects of our mission.
The physical training at 7 A.M. and the rehydrated food seem to be
accepted now (at least the crew has stopped complaining). Victoria
brought us a good surprise for lunch, in the form of our first martian
salad grown in the GreenHab: it was great to eat fresh food for the
first time since our arrival, and hopefully we had chemical
fertilizer, no need for Matt Damon’s method…

Our crew-engineer Xavier gave us a briefing about the spacesuits and
the EVA protocols. Normally the first EVA team should be ready at 9
A.M. tomorrow to search for a good spot for the seismometer, South of
the Hab. Moreover, the perfect weather conditions will allow us to
deploy the atmospheric balloon for the first time.

This afternoon we determined a way to do the best public outreach with
our DIY-film-shooting-and-cutting skills. I was glad to discover that
my fellow crewmembers have some sort of artistic sense, let’s see what
we can do with those rushes.

After his first night-sky observations yesterday, Mouâdh is now ready
to practice his astrophotography skills. Venus and the “other” Mars
should be visible tonight.

After this whole day inside the Hab, it is obvious that the whole crew
cannot wait to begin the EVAs! We will see if it was worth the trip,
stay tuned…

As Astra!
Arthur Lillo, Commander of the impatient Crew-175