When in a simulated Martian habitat, it becomes readily apparent that trips into the great outdoors are few and far between. For Chicagoans, think of February; that's what it's like here so there is plenty of that feeling of "homeward bound" - emphasis on the 'bound'.

Any suburban mom would feel right at home though in a Martian base because, if you're not out on EVA, you're keeping the house in order. Today, I was Capsule Communicator (CapCom) for the EVA consisting of Jan Osburg and Anne Campeau. For the nearly 50 minutes of prep time, I was helping them get ready - kind of like sending the kids off to school. And just like in normal life with cell phones, we were in constant communication with the radios for the entirety of their 3 hour, 8km trek into the Utah desert.

Even though a suburban mom would do quite well out here, there's no word yet on the possibility of a sexy Martian gardener providing the intrigue for Desperate Housewives: Red Planet Edition. Either way, Martha Stewart would have loads of fun (after her initial 'what the %$&@?') making the Martian Habitat the home it should be - Martha Stewart and NASA, now that's what I call inter-disciplinary research.

Jason Sherwin, PAO
MDRS Crew 47