A brilliant clear sky dotted with stars and sliced by rings with biologicals sprouting across a sandy-colored landscape drives home how beautiful exploration can be. It’s also often lonely, but one learns to love the sound of the engines in supercruise and the comforting sound of a clean touchdown. Taken on Fedguia UT-Z c16-10 3 d.

“Hey little concha guy, are you lost?” Sometimes the little roly-poly concha biologicals are hard to find. This little guy was all alone on this hillside. Taken on Fedguia MH-D c15-13 3 d.

The most common biological of all is the bacteria. The splotches can be very large like this one, and if you’re lucky they will stand out in stark contrast with the scenery. Sometimes they blend in with the underlying ground, so much so that more than once I’ve given up on getting 3 samples and flown off.

Week 5 of the expedition ran from February 10th through 16th, 2024.