私たちは、シミュレーションを完了して、家に帰るのを楽しみにしていますが、同時に、エアロックを抜けて濃い砂漠の大気の中に出て、そして顔を軽く風が撫でる不思議な感覚を感じた時、悲しみの感情が芽生えるのを感じました。
ここで特別なことをやり遂げました。素晴らしい場所。私たちのチーム。そして、私たちは今、私たちが出来ると信じ、より成し遂げようとしている惑星探査の受け継がれてきたものの一員です。
前へ!いつか私たちは、行きます・・・火星へ!
Appropriately, the MDRS Hab was graced with perhaps the most spectacular Mars-like sunrise to date, on this our final hours of full Mars analog simulation. A deep fiery red glow reflected from the bottom of a rippled bank of clouds across the eastern desert horizon, casting the twisted sandstone hoodoos and rocky spires into lifelike silhouettes. About five hours later, at 12:34, MDRS crew 144 exited the Hab into cool air, without spacesuits. After 10 days, 14 hours, 34 minutes we have returned from Mars surface analog simulation back to our home turf, Earth.
Before all of this mid-day excitement however, the crew readied for their final EVA, a science EVA-10 directed by crew Geologist Toni de Morais Teles. Toni is evaluating spatio-temporal geomorphic, geologic, and biologic conditions as they correlate with the presence of life organisms. (see Science Report). After a fine breakfast of walnut-blueberry-raspberry pancakes, Toni instructed his EVA assistants, crew Biologist Yusuke Murakami, and HSO Dr. Susan Jewell with their EVA directives; and he described his work, and details of the EVA plan. After the final EVA suit-up, the field party cleared the airlock at 0958.
The in-Hab crew completed odds and ends, finishing lab work, summary report writing, packing instruments, cleaning, and organizing corners of the Hab, and planning for the return of the EVA and simulation exit.
As we exited from analog simulation, we all cheered outside the Hab, collected photos, and what else, played bocce ball: Earthlings vs Martians (in space suits)! A half hour later the crew piled into the ERV, (our Earth Return Vehicle) to cruise into Hanksville for burgers, chicken strips, sodas, and to replenish our Hab food supplies for tonight’s supper, and tomorrow’s meals. We still have reports to deliver, final testing measures to complete, and the beginnings of a complete cleaning of the Hab, readying for tomorrow’s handover to the MDRS-145 crew (to be commanded by-the-way, by none other than our incredibly talented and capable MDRS-144 HSO, Dr. Susan Jewell).
As much as we all look forward to the completion of our analog simulation, and returning home, there was as well, an incipient sense of sadness when departing out the airlock, into the thick desert air and feeling the strange sensation of a slight breeze brush across our faces. In breaking simulation conditions, we step across the threshold of the Hab airlock as new persons, carrying with us the knowledge and gratification that we’ve really accomplished something special here, in this marvelous facility, and amongst our team; and we are now a piece in the legacy (incremental as it is) of planetary exploration pioneers that believe we can and will accomplish so much more. Onward then we go…to Mars.