Everyone in the business knew it was en route, though I’m not sure we were prepared for it to arrive quite so soon. In fact, technically we’re not prepared, as the bill going before congress tomorrow (3/7/2017) requires us to be, to… Continue Reading
Hello world! It’s been a while. My previous post was signed, sealed, and delivered shortly before the flap on our dome’s backdoor opened and the HI-SEAS IV crew returned to Earth. At five minutes ‘till, I hit the upload key… Continue Reading
A year and a day ago, I came here with a stack of books, a small pile of clothes, and a leather medical bag. The stack of books got larger. Don’t ask me how (fed them after midnight, maybe…). The contents of… Continue Reading
When you boldly go where no one has gone before, there are a few things you can count on. Number one: you forgot something. Perhaps it was your toothbrush, your fuzzy socks, or your bath towel. Now, you’re going to… Continue Reading
It’s one hundred and seven days to mission’s end. Sometimes, it seems like we’re a few days from home instead of 15 weeks. Most days, it feels like we just marked the first 100 days on sMars. I can see us all… Continue Reading
Where were you a year ago? Were you better off? Worse off? In a different city, a different country? Not yet in a relationship, about to be a parent, learning you had to say goodbye to someone who is now… Continue Reading
The day finally came. Before this week, I had performed surgery…on a telescope; on a camera; on the treadmill, once; and on the pedicycle… well, let’s just say more than once. This week, for the first time since the mission began,… Continue Reading
Welcome to the 42nd day of NASA’s longest simulated Mars mission! The day started with a bang. Or rather, a whimper. The whimper was the sound of our power systems almost dying. Don’t panic. At roughly 6:35 AM Martian Standard… Continue Reading
There are a number of oddities inherent to space missions. Some are obvious and predictable: communication delays and dependence upon spacesuits, for example. Others are a little more…unexpected. One of the unexpected twists on being in simulated space comes from… Continue Reading
This is it: the last of the lettuce. If I’m lucky, I’ll see a fresh vegetable of some kind again in 4 weeks. As I look at it there in the bowl, I find myself thinking for the first time that… Continue Reading