Well, that’s just about everything I’m taking with me. It all made it into the bag, just barely, and the bag is just barely under the airline’s size and weight limits (assuming I can trust my yardstick and bathroom scale). I still need to buy a few things — I wore my wool tux pants the last time I did cold-weather travel but for Mars I think I want someting a little less formal — and the computer and other tech gear aren’t packed yet, but basically I’m set for my early-Friday departure.

I got some good news and some bad news from Mars today. The good news is that I will be allowed to post using Twitter from MDRS, both as myself (@daviddlevine) and as @MDRSupdates. The bad news is that the hab’s telescope has broken and most likely won’t be fixed until after our rotation. This is a disappointment — though it’s definitely in keeping with the history of Mars exploration, which includes as many failed as successful robot probes — and we’re trying to find out if there’s any other equipment we can use in its place.

One more day!