Mars One is an organization that is seeking to establish a permanent human settlement on

the planet Mars. This mission is breaking new ground for the human race. While the

technology may (or may not) be available, there are many other factors to consider.

Mars One has many decisions to make, but not much experience to base them on.

Your task is to consider some of the main problems facing Mars One,

and plan a successful Mars mission based on your best understanding and judgement.

You will need to use research to support some of your decisions.

You will need to consider the following areas:

SELECTING THE ASTRONAUT CREW

ASTRONAUT TRAINING

DESIGNING THE TRANSIT VEHICLE

CARGO MISSIONS

SETTLEMENT LAYOUT

FIRST CREW DEPARTURE

FIRST CREW LANDING

A crew of four people will be sent to Mars every two years.

Over 200 000 people applied to be a Mars One astronaut.

How would you eliminate candidates right away? (e.g., age? parents of young children?)

List your initial criteria for a Mars One astronaut:

Being the first humans to travel to a new planet would be dangerous and unpredictable.

What qualities will a person need to possess in order to cope with the stress and loneliness of this mission?

Quality Why is this quality important?

What tests could you design to see if candidates had these qualities?

(continued)

Design an on-line survey

that will help determine if a candidate would do well on

a Mars One mission.

Each question should help you decide if the

respondent is right for the job.

Think …. what questions will help you learn the information you need to know?

**Note that all of these candidates have already met your initial criteria (such as good health

and the required age), so your questions should focus on the important QUALITIES that you

identified.

Your survey should have 10 questions.

They can be any type of questions (e.g., multiple choice, short answer, ranking).

** Remember that you have to analyze all of the data collected … so keep it relatively simple.

Open Google Chrome.

In the top right corner, select “Drive” (you may have to click on the little 9-square grid to

make more options appear)

Enter your @hwdsb.on.ca email address then click “Sign in”. It will take you to a new

blue sign in page.

Enter your @hwdsb.on.ca email address and your personal password that you chose

earlier.

Once in Google Drive, click the red “CREATE” button on the left side. (it may say “NEW”)

Select “Google Forms” (you may have to click “More” to make the Forms option appear).

Under “Form Settings”, checkmark the first two boxes (but not the last three).

Remember the “Insert” option on the top toolbar is used to add new questions (and select

what type of question you want).

For the “Confirmation Page” at the end of the survey, type in a message to thank the

respondents and make sure all three boxes below that are UNCHECKED.

Email your survey to the class.

Print a copy of your survey and attach it in this duotang.

Analyze your survey results

to determine which classmate is the best Mars One candidate.

Remember:

The “Responses (#)” option at the top will show you a summary of your responses in

a series of graphs and charts.

The “View Responses” option at the top will show you every response in an Excel

Spreadsheet.

Based on my data, the best candidate for the mission is ___________________________.

Justify your reasons for selecting this candidate.

What did you find out about the class in general? What conclusions and inferences can you

make?

In under 3 minutes, share your findings with the class using a digital format (e.g., Smart

Notebook, Explain Everything app, PowerPoint, iMovie). You can include images of the Google Forms summary graphs by using the Screen Capture tool in

SmartNotebook or the Print Screen option on the computer.

Putting an image into your Google Drive allows you to share it between a computer and ipad.

(continued)

Would YOU be a good candidate to go on a Mars mission? Let’s find out what people think…

Ask your family members what qualities or personality traits you have that would be helpful if

you were a crew member on a mission to Mars. Have them record their thoughts below:

Family member What quality he/she feels you possess

that would be helpful on a Mars mission

How this quality would be helpful to you, or the crew, or the mission

Ask three other people (including one adult from the school) the same question. Have them record their thoughts below:

Name What quality they

feel you possess that would be helpful on a

Mars mission

How this quality would be helpful to you, or the crew, or the mission

What do YOU think? Share your thoughts to the questions below:

What qualities do you have that would help you be successful as a Mars One crew member?

What qualities do you have that would make it difficult for you to be a Mars One member?

Share this information in a way of your choosing. For example:

- a letter or video to Mars One coordinators explaining why you would/wouldn’t be a good choice

- a diagram or model of you with labels identifying your different qualities and how they would help or

hinder

- a t-table to list your qualities and how each quality would help or hinder

…be creative!

How do you prepare four people for a lonnnnnng one-way space voyage

followed by life on a deserted planet? (with only three companions!)

What preparation will they need? Consider the following areas:

How would you prepare the astronauts physically for this mission?

How would you prepare the astronauts mentally for this mission?

How would you prepare the astronauts emotionally for this mission?

How would you prepare the astronauts socially for this mission?

When the first Mars One crew leaves Earth, it will take them about 7 months to arrive at

Mars. That is a long time for 4 people to be in a small space, travelling farther and farther

from home. They will need to eat, sleep, exercise, and play during these months.

This is the current design for the Mars One Mission transit vehicle:

Use the internet to take a virtual tour of the International Space Station.

* Sunita Williams gives a great tour at www.wimp.com/orbitaltour/

While you are watching, note how the structural design meets the needs of the astronauts.

Eating

Sleeping

Exercise

Free time

Other

Propellants (to give thrust)

-will be left to orbit the Sun

The Lander habitat (will

land on Mars with the crew)

The Transit Habitat

-home for 6-8 months

-will be left to orbit the Sun

(continued)

Since there is no gravity in outer space, the crew in the Transit Vehicle will be weightless.

There will be no “up” or “down” or “ceiling” or “floor”.

Every centimetre of the wall space can be put to use (e.g., computer screens, sleeping

compartments, storage)

Since wall space can be put to good use, the inside of the Transit Vehicle should have as

much surface area as possible.

If the interior of the Transit Vehicle is a rectangular prism, determine what dimensions

(length, width, height) will give the most surface area and will allow for enough empty space

for the crew to move around.

If the volume of the Transit Vehicle is 144 m³, what length, width, and height will give the

most surface area?

Construct several possible models out of cubes.

Draw each rectangular prism on a separate piece of

isometric paper and label the dimensions

(remember each cube represents 6 m³).

Calculate and record the volume of each model.

Below, draw and label the rectangular prism that you feel

has the best dimensions for the interior of the Transit Vehicle.

Rather than use 144 cubes to

build your models,

use a scale of 1:6.

This means every cube

represents 6 meters³.

_____ cubes x 6 m³ = 144 m³

Justify your choice.

Use metre sticks, the trundle wheel, and masking tape to

show the length and width of your Transit Vehicle.

Do you think 4 people would have difficulty living in this space for

7 months?

Before the first crew is launched to Mars, there will be several cargo missions.

2 Rovers, 2 Living Units, 2 Life Support Systems, and a Supply Unit

will be sent to Mars ahead of the first crew.

The Transit Habitat will carry 3000 litres of water on board.

Approximately how long will it take 4 people to consume 3000 L of water?

Use a balancing scale to find the mass of a litre of water.

Approximately, what mass would the 3000 L of water on the Transit Habitat have?

What has approximately the same mass as 3000 L of water?

How much space will 3000 L of water take up? (What is its volume in cm³ and m³?)

What has approximately the same volume as 3000 L of water?

The Transit Habitat will carry close to 800 kg of dry food, 3000 L of water, and 700 kg of

oxygen. The Transit Habitat itself has a mass of about 20 000 kg.

What is approximately the total mass? What has approximately the same mass?

By the year 2033, the Mars One Mission plans to have 16 people living on Mars.

In a group of 4, design a plan for the layout of this settlement.

You will need to consider:

- the perimeter and area of the land you will use (keeping things close and

accessible but not too crowded)

- at least 4 living units

- the Life Support unit that is connected to the Living Units by a hose (it will generate

and transport water, air and electricity)

- inflatable sections that connect to the living units

- food production units

- the 2 Rovers with trailers (that help move and assemble things)

- the settlers can not leave the living units or inflatable sections without their space

suits (which will be cumbersome and limit their movements)… connecting tunnels

are helpful

- you do not have any heavy equipment (e.g., bulldozers, backhoes) or cement,

asphalt, bricks, etc. Everything must arrive in cargo transit capsules.

What else will your colony include?

Does it include all of the necessities to keep the settlers healthy and happy?

What can you include to make life on a barren planet enjoyable?

Once your group has decided on the size of the settlement, cut a piece of chart grid paper to

size to represent the space. Remember, you will need to use a scale (e.g., 1 square = 2 meters)

Make a scale blueprint plan of your settlement on the grid paper.

Build a model of your settlement based on your scale drawing.

Be creative… this will be a permanent home for the settlers. It should be a place that meets

their needs and gives them happiness.

Once you are finished building the model of your Mars colony,

use the small webcam to film a narrated tour of the

settlement.

Each group member will narrate one aspect of your settlement.

1. First, complete the chart on the next page to record what you have learned about the

Mars mission. (use point form)

2. Then, each member of your group will select one section of the chart to narrate for

your video tour.

3. Using your point form notes and the design of your Mars colony, write two paragraphs

on the “Narrator” page for the section you chose.

4. As you read your Narrator’s “script”, one of your group members will film the tour that

part of the tour. Move the small webcam through your colony

as if we are taking a walk through your buildings.

5. Save your four video clips on the laptop’s Desktop then upload them to your

Google Drive account.

6. Using a classroom computer, download the video clips into Windows Movie Maker.

7. Use Windows Movie Maker to edit, add effects, add a title and credits, redo narration

(if desired), etc.

8. Share your finished guided tour video with the class.

Narrator #1

Physical Characteristics of Mars:

Risks to Astronauts: (landing, storms,

radiation)

Narrator #2

Use of Rovers: (research, preparing/building,

transporting, collecting soil)

Other technology: (pumps, turbines, solar

panels, satellite/communication dishes)

Narrator #3

Life Support Systems: (oxygen, water)

Food:

Narrator #4

Meeting the Needs of the Astronauts:

other than food, oxygen and water (habitats, exercise, recreation, medical, waste disposal)

Narrator 1:

Welcoming statement (to greet passengers and let them know they are approaching Mars):

Mars has many interesting physical characteristics. __________________________

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Of course, there are many risks that astronauts face if they want to live on Mars. ___

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Narrator 2:

A very important piece of technology on the Mars mission is the Rover. __________

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There are many other technological tools and devices used by the Mars astronauts.

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Narrator 3:

Life support systems are needed to provide the astronauts with water and oxygen.

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The astronauts living on Mars will need to produce their own food so they can be self-

sufficient. ________________________________________________________________

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Narrator 4:

Keeping the astronauts healthy is an important part of the settlement’s design. ____

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Of course, the astronauts will need entertainment and recreation on Mars. ________

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Closing statement (to thank visitors; to let them know their tour is complete; to wish them well on

Mars):