The HI-SEAS program conducts analog missions to the moon and Mars for scientific research at a habitat on the volcano. She contributed to Space.com's expert voices: op-ed and insights after she commanded the Selene V lunar mission.
The commander's report for the Selene V moon mission.
The lunar day is April 13, 2021.
Our luck ended. I was thinking about this a couple of days ago, when I was alone and underground in one of the scariest lava caves I have ever been in. I was expecting something bad to happen when we were so fortunate with the weather. A return to the dark and light cycles of the Chinese philosophy of "yin and yang". Wouldn't it be better to return to misfortune and problems underground?
I was starting to feel nervous. I looked to my left and right. There were tunnels in both directions. A cold breeze was blowing from one tunnel to another. As much as I wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible, I started to feel a calling that beckoned me into the darkness. Temptation was getting to me slowly. It had been a long time since I had explored the labyrinth of tunnels heading towards the center of the volcano Mons Hadley. Maybe it was time to go back to the subsurface maze?
The Selene V crew explored the lava tube. The image is courtesy of Sean Gellenbeck.
The visor of my spacesuit helmet started to fog up. I noticed that my heart rate was increasing and that it was harder for me to see beyond my helmet. There is a chance that something could jump out at me from one of the tunnels. My crew members were on the surface. I was the last member of the expedition to climb up to the surface and into the lunar terrain. I hid behind stalactites of lava to avoid rocks falling from under my crew members' feet. We have to climb up one at a time, with a few minutes between each person's turn, because the ascent is almost vertical.
I took deep breaths and focused on slowing my heart rate because panic is never a good thing. I was able to see through my visor again. I looked at my wrist computer and saw that it was time for me to start climbing. I resisted the call from the darkness. The entrance to the underground lava cave system is called the Sarlacc Pit lava tube skylight. I was already planning my return to explore the dark worlds below us when my crew members were waiting for me outside to enjoy the views of the sunlight volcano.
Selene V crew members use their wrist computers to communicate with their crew members inside the HI-SEAS habitat during a moonwalk. The image is courtesy of Bader Al Moulah.
I didn't know that my mini lava tube adventure would follow me back to the HI-SEAS habitat. We filmed a crew video for our Easter egg. Over the past few years, I have encouraged crews to take part in it. The crews leave something behind for the next crew to find. It can be anything from advice for surviving on mission and recipes using freeze-dried food, to videos and songs representing each crew. Selene V wanted to make some changes to the Easter egg. One of them was a fun, multi-cultural dance performance and the other was a video of chestbursters from the movie "Alien." The aliens attacked us after we went into the lava cave. I was happy that we filmed the chestbursters scene after kneeling in the dark, alone and in a similar cave.
I'm tempted to join Dr. Brandy in exploring those underground systems, regardless of the chestbursters. She is equally interested in them as I am. Brandy used non-invasive methods to detect life during the Selene V mission. She made different types of cave acoustic recordings. Brandy was able to confirm that different types of seeds can be grown using human hair. The seeds that were grown using recycled teabags had more growth than the seeds that were only provided with water. She will harvest the last of the microgreens that she grew on the moon tonight.
The results from the teabags were part of the Mission to Mars competition. The image is courtesy of Dr. Brandy Nunez.
Crew Engineer Sean Gellenbeck wanted to grow more plants in the laboratory. His research looked at the gas exchange between mushroom and algal cultures in a closed system. The experiment did not go as planned and he has a number of ideas for how to improve it in the future. Sean has come up with several ideas for his project at HI-SEAS that he is planning on doing as part of his PhD research.
We had a few good weather days that allowed Space Resources Officer Gustavo Jamanca-Lino to collect all of the geological samples he needed for his research. The basaltic lava around HI-SEAS has the same hardness as the lunar regolith's first three meters in depth. After HI-SEAS, he will perform tests in mineralogical and metallurgical laboratories. He wants to measure the power required to crush lunar rocks for mining, civil construction and other in situ resource utilization activities for future astronauts on the moon.
Science Communications Officer Bader Al Moulah did three simulations of surgical procedures at the habitat. He documented the procedures on the crew volunteer. Upon his return to Kuwait, they will be reviewed by medical doctors. The next step for Bader's project will be to develop an astronauts medical readiness curriculum and write a research paper for publishing.
Selene V crew members are doing research near HI-SEAS. The image is courtesy of Bader Al Moulah.
Crew Operations Officer Dr. Lindsey Kishline was able to pilot her experiment on Officer Al Moulah. She was able to complete the framework for her study. Lindsey plans to continue her research after the mission to find ways to improve communications between crew members and access to important information. Crew members will have their cognitive load and reaction times reduced when they are given critical information.
Commander Musilova signed off at the end of a long series of missions. I will have a break after Selene V. I am torn between a number of emotions, just like in the lava cave. I had a great time with this crew, so I don't want this mission to end. I will miss them so much that I am already breaking down at the thought of saying goodbye to another space family. Tomorrow I will be able to go home and sleep in my own bed, talk to my loved ones, and eat fresh food. I will be able to enjoy that for more than a few days, which makes me uneasy. Will I be able to adapt to life on the other side of the world?
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