This is the Mission Support Center in Innsbruck, here with the daily news update, bringing you the news about yesterday’s MARS2013 events.

After a very stormy night that left the team at Camp Weyprecht sleepless on Mars, yesterday was dedicated to repairs and maintenance of the base infrastructure and the experiment equipment.

MARS2013 Expedition Leader Gernot Groemer using the Magma White rover with the LIFE laser mounted. © OeWF (Katja Zanella-Kux)(C) OeWF (Katja Zanella-Kux)

The LIFE laser on the Magma White rover was among the pieces of equipment that required some repairs. However, this presented the team with the problem of doing so without letting the delicate laser machinery be damaged by sand, dust or other elements.

The Camp Weyprecht team stepped up to this challenge, and with great skill and ingenuity engineered an improvised, but fully-capable clean room out of materials scavenged from the camp. One team member likened the process to “…doing open-heart surgery in the jungle!”

An improvised clean room in Camp Weyprecht. © OeWF

Another technical problem with the batteries for one experiment was solved in a similar improvised style by making use of a similar set of batteries from the camp’s computer equipment. As the Flight Control Room responded, “That’s the kind of marvellous pragmatism we’re looking for during a manned Mars mission!”

Due to the many other activities during the day, only a few experiments were carried out, but the Puli Rover team had the opportunity to carry out tests and maneuvers during the afternoon.

As it was the last day at Station Payer for the expeditionary team, their day was dedicated to packing up and breaking camp, then traveling the 80 km north to rejoin the rest of the team at Camp Weyprecht. By the end of the day, the re-united team enjoyed a well-earned rest to prepare for a busy Thursday with both Aouda suits in the field and a long line-up of experiments!

The MSC crew gathered in the Flight Control Room. © OeWF (Matthias Schmitt)

The highlight of the day for the crew in the Mission Support Center was gathering in the Flight Control Room at 19:00 to watch a feature about MARS2013 in the ORF news show “Tirol heute”. A streaming video of the feature is now online at https://tvthek.orf.at/programs/70023-Tirol-heute/episodes/5458479-Tirol-heute/5458491–Hallo-Mars–

About the experiments

Magma White is a remotely-controllable rover, serving as platform for the LIFE laser, which can detect organic materials. The Puli Rover is an autonomous rover capable of traversing difficult terrain and slopes up to 45 degrees.