It was dark, and the headlights flashed unusual rock shapes with twisted and jagged shadows. The drive up to Mona Loa was quiet the moment we started up the Volcano slopes.

We are finally settling into our new home. This requires a lot of unpacking of random containers and boxes. It’s kinda like Christmas because you just don’t know what you are going to get. I was in charge of organizing the food.

People often ask me how, and sometimes more importantly, why I am on this journey. I think the other crew members would say that they want to be an astronaut, to engage in space exploration, or they like the scientific opportunities. But not me.

My research will involve conducting thorough measurements of the habitat’s internal and external temperatures as a function of time using a network of wireless sensors.

Sleeping in space is tricky. Loud machines on the space shuttle and space station and floating-arm awkwardness in low gravity can keep astronauts awake. Plus, there’s no 24-hour sunrise and sunset cycle to cue the body’s circadian system.

Given the high success rate robotic platforms have had on Mars. It is considered likely that a manned mission to mars or moon would bring robotic platforms to assist in the exploration, collection, and analysis of the Martian planet.

The primary objective of my study will be to estimate the length of time that Cupron antimicrobial textiles (i.e., towels, bed linens) and garments (i.e., socks, gloves, pre-market baselayer) can be used before they are deemed unacceptable for continued use by the HI-SEAS crew.

The highlight of today was the harvesting (and preparation) of greens grown in the GreenHab at MDRS. The event created a bit of a festive mood that continued in the evening when all the vegetables were prepared for dinner.

Although I don’t consider myself to be an amateur astronomer I have always been an astronomy fan.

Crew members on a mission to Mars or to other planetary bodies will be separated from friends, families, and social stimuli for many years or longer.