MARS TV

15/05/2026

🌘 🪐🔴 Mars Returns!
Mars has been invisible for four months, hiding behind the Sun since January. Today, on the morning of May 14, it reappears low in the eastern sky before sunrise — faint at magnitude 1.3 — forming a stunning predawn triangle with a razor-thin crescent Moon and Saturn!
This marks the start of an epic journey. Over the coming months, Mars will climb higher, grow dramatically brighter, and dominate the night sky. By February 2027, it reaches opposition — its brightest and closest approach. Every great show begins with this humble return: a tiny reddish dot just clearing the horizon.
How to see it:
Look east, 30–45 minutes before sunrise. Binoculars highly recommended. Clear eastern horizon needed. Southern Hemisphere viewers have the best view!
Don’t miss this celestial comeback — the Red Planet is waking up! 🚀

15/05/2026

Journalist Report
MDRS Crew 335
Matteo Calore, 04.30.26

Today is our last day on Mars. We woke up around 7:00 a.m. and started the day with pancakes. We were all a bit tired, but excited for our final EVA. We were finally heading to the Sea of Shells, and we were all curious to see this new territory. We have to say that reality exceeded our expectations.

When we arrived at the Mars Overlook, we were all amazed by the beauty and diversity of the landscape. The red gradients of Mars slowly faded from a light beige-brown into a dark grey and black, transporting us into a lunar landscape. We were no longer on Mars, but on the Moon, or perhaps on one of Mars’ moons.

We paused to take in this extraordinary view before slowly descending toward the Sea of Shells. There, we found ourselves walking on a carpet of shells of indeterminate age, mysterious fossils from a time unknown to us. We wondered what kind of shells they were and how they could have ended up there in such vast quantities. These questions remained unanswered. In the distance, we could see a black obelisk, almost like a spacecraft ready to launch into space.

We then made our way back slowly, taking in the Martian landscape one last time through our suits. As our Commander says, it is difficult to stop being amazed by the beauty, diversity, and sense of wonder that these places evoke.

Back at the Hub, we shared our final meal as astronauts. This afternoon, we ended the simulation and returned to Earth. It is a strange feeling to shift from one planet to another. To know that now you are surrounded by a civilization, by shops, by restaurants, and that you can simply get into a car and go wherever you want.

31/12/2025