16:30: SOL 7 is a rest day at the station. Today is Sunday, and the entire crew is taking advantage of this day to recharge. The wake-up call is later, but that doesn’t mean the crew is any less active. First, many experiments are routine and continue daily, such as Orbital Architecture, LättaLL, Core Data, or Twins2. As we do every day, we had to take measurements, answer questionnaires, adjust the intensity of our lights, put on our daily sensors, etc.

Next, since we have more time, the workout session is longer and more intense than on other days. Cardio, strength training, or core exercises—all eight workouts prepared by Célyan made us sweat this morning! But there’s no time to rest; after breakfast, everyone starts a deep cleaning and organizing session.

The desert sand gets everywhere in the station, and without noticing it, living with seven people in this confined space is messier than it seems. After that, everyone goes about their business. We have more time to cook, and Meddi and I took advantage of it to prepare colorful cupcakes while Erin cooked tortillas for tonight.

We are all very busy and use our free time to work on personal projects. This week was challenging, but it was the first week of our incredible adventure, and this rest day concluded it beautifully—like the cherry on the top or the frosting on our cupcakes!