Workers ship themselves from Terra orbital factory
Special delivery to Mars
MARS CAROUSEL, Nov. 37 - The mystery pinging from the cargo hold of the Pallene, which arrived in Mars orbit on Friday, was solved late Sunday when the bursts of repeated static being sent from the ship turned into a video image of two smiling young workers with a caption that read, “Greetings Martians.”
The two workers from an Earth orbital factory shipped themselves over the 472 million miles to Mars in a heavily modified double container on the cargo ship Pallene, which arrived last Friday with the Earth supply fleet, a Mars Carousel official said.
That brief hello set off a flurry of messages between Mars and Earth as both Mars DevCo and their employer Luna Orbital Industries wrestled with the problems posed by the two stowaways.
“Luna wants them back, but we're not sending them back the way they came and there aren't any extra places on the Luna shuttle, which won’t be for a few months anyway,” said the Carousel official, who asked not to be identified. “And the next fleet to Earth won’t leave Mars until June, and that’s just over an Earth year.”
The workers, who identified themselves as Orla Calaveras and Luis Roving, set off a bit of a mystery when the Pallene arrived in orbit by sending bursts of static roughly every half hour to the Mars Carousel.
The Pallene took up station keeping in an isolated position away from the orbital for safety reasons until the cause of the pinging revealed itself late Sunday.
That’s when the static cleared to show a video image of the smiling couple inside small, but surprisingly un-cramped living quarters built into the double-wide cargo pod.
An official with Mars DevCo, which assembles and manages the Earth supply fleet and immigration, said the corporation would likely seek compensation for full fare for the journey for two people as well as freight charges for the shipping container.
The two would also likely be liable to reimburse their employers for the value of the container, supplies and any contents taken from the Earth orbital factory, said the DevCo official, who asked not to be identified.
“We’ll offload the pod and inspect it to see if they’ve taken anything of value from the factory, besides the pod itself,” the DevCo official said. “We’ll also want reimbursement for the unloading.”
Built from scrap
Reached by radio, Calaveras, a product design specialist, and Roving, an orbital machinist, told the Chaos Courier that they were in good health with adequate supplies for several more months and fully functioning environmental systems.
Calaveras said the double cargo pod had been slated for recycling and that the rest of their living quarters had been assembled by Roving from used materials.
“Luis pretty much built it out of scrap, and we paid the freight,” said Calaveras. “We got a great deal on the freight and have the transshipment receipts.”
Calaveras said she and Roving had obtained patents for their cargo pod design and the built-in compact environmental and recycling systems.
The two had offered the cargo pod living and environmental designs to Luna Orbital management, but that the corporation expressed no interest. Calaveras held out hope that their work might receive a better reception at Mars,
“We’re sending copies of the designs to Carousel management and to the O’Ceileachair Exploratoin Group, in case either wants to license the technology for the orbital or spaceships,” Calaveras said. “They know where to find us, and we’ll likely be here for a little minute.”
Read about Perseverance Rover’s trip to Mars
Powerless Earth liner gets a jump start from tug
Wandering Star to be brought back by scout ship
ABOARD THE BOUDICCA, Nov. 38 - The powerless passenger liner Wandering Star is now drifting in the right direction at least.
But it won’t be arriving at Mars any day soon.
“We had to do a lot more work than we thought,” Shipwright Dominique Martel said aboard the explorer scout Boudicca, which will be pushing the passenger ship back to Mars.
The explosion that crippled the ship ripped a gash in the hull near the stern, which raised concerns that it might not withstand an attempt to correct its course once the Space Tug Juno and the Boudicca paired with the hull.
“We wanted to make sure the ship didn’t tear itself apart from the force of the vector change,” Martel said. “So, it was a lot of outside work.”
The Juno is returning to Mars to help with the moving the nine passenger liners, 11 cargo ships and four self-deploying orbital factories, Space Rescue Chief Delmer Hastings said.
Now that the Juno has provided enough power for the course correction, the Boudicca will be working alone to bring the liner back to Mars over the next few weeks.
The Wandering Star was evacuated two weeks ago on approach to Mars when a series of engine explosions forced the captain to jettison the propulsion stage.
The explosions damaged the hull and some interior engineering compartments, injuring three crew and leaving the ship unable to make the trajectory adjustments to reach Mars orbit with the fleet.
Roll out the duct tape
The repair squad included crew members from the Juno, the Boudicca and the Wandering Star, which is still carrying its captain and 11 crew members.
The crew used a repair module from the Juno to cut away the the damaged portions of metal to leave a smooth surface so the hull could be sealed with repair tape.
“It’s like a bandage or duct tape, but you just have to put it in the right place and it rolls out, seals and hardens,” Space Rescue engineering mate Jason Ferrario said after returning from an exvee (extravehicular) work session.
“It seals everything up, but it can’t take the stress of course correction and propulsion from the burns by the Juno and the Boudicca,” Ferrario said.
The next step was deploying hull repair plates from the Juno, placing them correctly over the duct taped hull portions.
“The plates are self welding, but you have to move them around and get them in the right place before that happens, which means the crew had to spend a lot of time outside,” Ferrario said. “That give the ship the rigidity it needs.”
The next step was attaching the pairing lattices to the hull of the Wandering Star to allow the Juno and the Boudicca to connect securely to the passenger liner, redirect it and boost back towards Mars orbit.
After a sol of testing and retesting, the Juno and Boudicca provided a long slow burn to put it on a course for Mars.
While 10 of the Wandering Star’s crew moved to the rescue ships for the course correction, Capt. Hervé Xenokostas and the first mate remained on board for the burns.
Asked if he had been concerned the ship would be destroyed by the explosions, Xenokostas said that was the reason for jettisoning the propulsion stage.
“We’re dealing with explosive material, but the engines shouldn’t blow up that way. I wasn’t sure how many more might go, and how much damage might be done to the stern of the ship,” Xenokostas said. “Now we’ll be a bit late to Mars, but much better late than never.”
Mars Carousel gets ready for a lot of company
Making beds for 2,000 people
MARS CAROUSEL, Nov. 36 - The Mars Carousel is putting out the welcome mat for two thousand guests.
“We know that everyone on board the Earth fleet wants to get off the ship and to their orbital slots or down to the surface to start their lives on Mars,” Pontus Caelestis (Mars Carousel) Manager Johannes Tycho told the Chaos Courier on Saturday. “We want to make sure that every step of that journey is welcoming as well as safe.”
Some 2,810 passengers and crew remained aboard the fleet ships as of Saturday, with a dozen still on board the Wandering Star and one passenger being held in confinement on the Carousel on assault charges.
Of the 2,500 passengers, 2,010 are headed for the Valles Marineris, with a first stop on the Pontus Caelestis, called the Mars Carousel, which floats above the Valles Marineris
The orbital has 523 permanent or long-term housing slots as of this week, with just over 250 already assigned to staff.
“Most arrivals go into the shared quarters, but the families will get private quarters as well as some of the higher level arrivals,” Orbital Residential Manager Louisa Meroe said. “That’s really the only difference, because everyone is getting the same stuff. It’s the Mars way.”
Meroe said her staff of 20 is working around the clock to get the shared quarters ready for a flood of new people.
The arrivals will be staggered ship by ship, but they’re trying to get everybody on board the Carousel as quickly as possible, Meroe said.
“They’ll be a little disoriented after that long flight—I sure was—but we try to make it as easy for them as possible,” Meroe said.
Passengers arrive in groups of 40 on board the new Class 5 shuttles at the docks on the hub extensions of the wheel-shaper orbital and board the elevator cars that take them through the ‘spokes’ to the rim of the 25 km circumference station.
“We give them a very warm welcome. Check their names against their housing slots and lead the groups to the shared quarters,” Orbital Arrival Supervisor Jessica Saxton said, noting that the Carousel has welcomed larger groups in the past.
“We’ve had bigger arrivals, but they got a more basic welcome—not as basic as mine—but still pretty basic,” Saxton said.
Treats on the pillow
There’s a little bit of adjustment as the residential quarters along the rim of the orbital provide a simulated gravity of about one-third that of Earth and a little less than Mars.
“They all should have been exercising throughout the voyage, but it’s not so much strength as it is coordination. And some are sensitive to the rotation,” Saxton said.
The temporary quarters are much like the worker dormitories, or cubbies, in Tithonia (Urbs Vallis) on west end of the great Valley, but a bit smaller.
“It’s actually a bit more space than they had on board, but it’s still pretty small,” Meroe said. “But we try to make sure they know where their bed is and that they have everything they need.”
Everyone’s berth will have a sign with their name and a welcoming packet.
“They get the bunk, they get some gear and they get some extras.” Meroe said.“No one is getting a nice hot shower, but they know that already. They’ll get wash wipes, new personal supplies and new ship suits, with their names, to wear down to the surface.”
Chocolates on the pillow?
“Actually, yes,” Meroe said. “It’s not chocolate but we brought up a lot of sweets from the surface. Everybody gets a treat.”
Survey Mars crew hurt in Noctis roll-over
LABYRINTHIA, Nov. 34 - Three members of a Survey Mars explorer crew suffered moderate injuries Tuesday when their search tractor rolled about halfway down a 1,200m slope while on a research expedition near the ancient Noctis Mons caldera.
“They were traversing a slope at an awkward angle, and the tractor started rolling,” Survey Mars geographer Stella Regina messaged from Ares Port. “They found something interesting and wanted to get closer.”
None of the injuries were life threatening but two of the six-person crew will need to recover before they can return to work.
“They’re safe in the tractor, which is no longer upside down, but they can’t do much for the moment,” Regina said. “We’re reviewing how the accident came about so we can see if there were any mechanical issues that might have contributed.”
Labyrinthia Supply Capt. Icario Fletcher said a rescue tractor and a scout tractor have been sent from the Grange Hall to the location about 110 km southwest, but a 160 km drive.
“They haven’t called for an air shuttle, but we’re sending a rescue crew. Still, it’s a four-sol drive,” Fletcher said.
- By Eun Isil, Noctis Correspondent
Tithonia Court hears evidence in Earth fleet assault
TITHONIA (URBS VALLIS), Nov. 35 - A man being held for aggravated assault attacked a female passenger aboard the Drover’s Star several times before he was put in the brig for the remaining 147 days of the journey, Tithonia Superior Court heard Wednesday.
Following Valles Marineris legal protocol the woman will not be identified unless she specifically requests it, and the man will only be identified if found guilty.
According to the evidence read in court by Drover’ Star Capt. Antares Morgan, the man first accosted the woman 97 sols into the voyage after an exercise session, and made contact with her two sols later, the court heard.
On the three subsequent occasions, he attempted to restrain her and was rebuffed, but the woman suffered injuries on the final occasion, which occurred as she was returning to her sleeping quarters through a narrow passageway.
Crew members removed the man from the passenger quarters and then transferred him to the brig aboard the flagship Constant Star.
“Due to his repeated offenses, he could not be returned to passenger quarters,” Morgan told the court.
The man is being held in confinement aboard the Mars Carousel until the case is settled.
- Susmita O’Reilly, City Correspondent
Calendar
Safety trainers, City guides wanted.
City officials are calling for volunteers with the appropriate credentials to act as safety trainers for the new arrivals in coming weeks. The City is also seeking residents willing to act as guides for small groups of new residents to acquaint them with their neighborhoods and the wider city. Contact City Safety for training, City Residence for guides.
La Bandita live
You’ll fall in love too. “La Bandita,” a one-woman play by the author of the romantic threedee, “La Bandita - Thief of Hearts” will be performed by writer Phoebe Nyx at the Geryon Agora Saturday 21:00. The thief of hearts tells how she met her match, sparking a fiery romance. Held over until further notice
A city flower
Celebrate the City’s new name at the Tithonia Gardens display of bright yellow, orange and red blossoms at its display of Tithonia flowers. Habtube 2, Terrace 4
City farmers' market
Going green with veggie envy? Get to the City farmer's market. Stalls available by appointment. Industrial Tube Terminal. Saturday 0900-1500
City Strings Quartet
Quartet performs selections from Mozart's "Night Music." WestHill Terrace 4 Friday-Saturday 19:00
“Jezero”
Adventure threedee of exploration on the shores of an ancient sea. Stage 3 Hab 1 Terrace 8 Nov. 43-49, 18:00, 20:00, 22:00
Melas Karaoke
You don't have to memorize the words, but you'll want to practice. Sing solo, in groups or just hum to yourself at the Bottom of the Sea cantina. Friday 20:00. Melas.
Marsbeat means dancing
You’ll want to dance. You’ll have to dance. The Rosettas bring their Marsbeat sound to the Bamboo Garden. Terrace 2 HabTube 3 Saturday 1600-1800.
Rock Hounds
Old Earth style trio, guitar bass and drums at the Ius Forum. Friday Sept. 25 21:00
Acoustic Song Share
Everyone gets a song Cafe du Mont. Geryon Agora Saturday 16:00
Volleyball
Get ready to jump without worrying about the ceiling. Learn to play volleyball at the new Hab3 beach. Saturday, Sunday sessions 08:00, 10:00, 12:00. North Beach Hab3 Terrace 1
Lawn bowling
Learn how to play the lawn bowling game of bocce (bot-chee). WestHill Terrace 2 by the terrace edge. 10 am. Message City Parks for information.
City Social
Mix and mingle with new arrivals and old hands. Hab 2. Terrace 4, by Tithonia Gardens. Every Friday 17:00
- Merry Grace, lifestyle correspondent
Classified Ads
SHIP REFITTING, BREAKING All craft, parts and refurb. PONTUS 100 751
DUST MAGNET. Won’t let the dust get past the airlock. CANDOR 286 87919
FURNITURE Printer Stock. And cushions for a comfy seat IUS 278 58897
WALL PRINTERS All shapes and contours. MELAS 285 45672
SURFSUIT Refurbishing. Fabric and boot repair, seal replacement, visor refurbishing, comms upgrades. COPRATES 297-14210
CARGO HANDLERS. Space experience required. Contract exemptions considered. PONTUS 100 419
ROCKET SCIENTIST. Engine upgrade project, Ex-contract only. PONTUS 100 637
SHUTTLE MECHANICS. Experienced preferred, but we’ll train you if you have the skills. Ex-contract only. PONTUS 100 635
CONSTRUCTION All specialties. Some outside. Ex-contract only. GERYON 278 68034
DRILLING specialists, supervisors and crew. Ex-contract only MELAS 285 13941
APPRENTICES Recycling systems. 8 annos and up. IUS 278 98559
APPRENTICES Metal smith, forging, casting, 8 annos (14 years) and up. URBS 269-37728
APPRENTICES Machine repair 8 annos (14 years) and up. NOCTIS 260 21188
APPRENTICES Hydroponics. 8 annos and up. URBS 269 44085
APPRENTICES Environmental systems. MELAS 285 74223
SPACE CAMP. Get ready for orbital work. All ages. ARES PORT 268 00910
BALLET Poise, strength, balance, beauty. Très grands jetés URBS 269 62577
RAAS / GARBA Dance performers for existing troupe. COPRATES 295 45788
CRICKET Mars style. Two teams. Unfamiliar? They’ll explain it. COPRATES 295 21508
MARTIAL ARTS. Conditioning and confidence. Weighted and natural. GERYON 278 71435
The header photo is the iconic mosaic of the Valles Marineris hemisphere of Mars from 2,500 km above the surface taken by the Viking Orbiter. (NASA/JPL-Caltech)
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Photomosaic: Viking Orbiter: NASA/JPL-Caltech