Introduction...

The on-site experience will maximize student exposure to careers in aerospace, science, math, and technology. The focus will be on letting students see NASA engineers at work and participating in hands-on and team-building activities. We hope to integrate students into the NASA world for one week, and to introduce them to the people and the career opportunities available to them.

• Presentations by astronauts, engineers, controllers, and scientists give students a good overview of a variety of disciplines and career opportunities. One-on-one question-and-answer periods with these personnel will help students to formulate in their minds the kinds of career options open to them.

• Tours of JSC facilities by engineers working in those areas give students insight into the day-to-day workings of the space program. Tours of Mission Control, the shuttle and ISS mock-ups, the Neutral Bouyancy Laboratory (NBL), the robotics lab, and the shuttle/station simulators will give students an understanding of NASA's current goals.

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Goals...

• Students will be able to describe requirements to accomplish a human mission to the Moon or planet Mars, including rationales for why humans should first return to the Moon.

• Students will be able to discuss the physical and psychological issues (total health) involved in a human mission to the Moon or Mars.

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Objectives...

Students will be briefed on the following topics by subject matter experts, and they will be able to explain what is needed to accomplish a human mission to Mars:

• Prototyping and testing of systems on the Moon

• Interplanetary spacecraft design (propulsion and communication systems)

• Mars space suit requirements

• Moon/Mars habitat design

• Plant growth facilities

• Rover transportation

• Robotics

• In-situ resource utilization on Mars

• Human physical constraints involved in long-duration spaceflight

• Human psychological issues involved in long-duration spaceflight

Students will be able to discuss the following physical constraints and issues involved in long-duration spaceflight:

• Radiation hazards

• Microgravity, Lunar (1/6) and Mars (1/3) gravity issues

• Nutrition and exercise

Students will also be able to describe the following psychological adaptations and requirements of long-duration spaceflight:

• Communications

• Team and interpersonal relationships

• Recreation

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Team Projects...

Each week the students will be divided into four teams. Each team will have a designated color and a designated theme. The themes that will be explored during your experience focus on Mars exploration.

The Topic is a human Mission to Mars!

Mission Integration (Gray Team):
This team is responsible for pulling together the overall mission. Coordination of all the teams is vital for presentation of one mission to Mars. All of the following topics will need to be addressed:

• Mission Parameters / Overall Goals
• Landing site / Crew Selection
• Budget
• Space Law
• Communications

Getting There and Back (Red Team):
Why do we go? How do we go? What are the risks? Where are we going? How do we go safely?

• Rationale and risk assessment
• Prototyping and testing of systems on the Moon
• Interplanetary spacecraft design (propulsion, timelines, and communication systems)
• Radiation hazards

Living There (White Team):
How do we survive? What are the dangers? What are our physical needs? What are our psychological needs?

• Moon/Mars habitat design
• Plant growth facilities
• In-situ resource utilization on Mars (air, water, fuel)
• Radiation and climate hazards
• Mars (1/3) gravity issues
• Nutrition and exercise
• Recreation and interpersonal relationships

Working There (Blue Team):
What is our mission? What do we need? How will we do it? Where will we go? How will we communicate our discoveries? How will we work together as a team?

• Exploration: discovering a new world
• The search for life
• Laboratories and tools
• Space suit requirements
• Rovers and robots
• Team organization (work assignments)

Student teams will use the following tools to give a final team project presentation on each of the above themes (the PowerPoint, the oral presentation, and the poster, model, system. or facility design):

• Subject Matter Expert Briefings, Interviews and Tours

• Mentor Knowledge

• Internet Resources (including links provided for pre-service instruction)

• Books and CD-ROMs

Each team will consist of 10-12 students, a teacher, a NASA engineer mentor, and a NASA engineer co-op student. Students will meet their mentors, teacher/ counselors and co-ops via e-mail and on-line discussions.

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