Mars of the Mind
Mission

Mission

Part One: Mars Questions

Write a one-page (500 word) summary that answers the 3 questions below and your 3 research questions.

1. How does Mars look using just the naked eye? What features can you make out, or what characteristics can you describe? 

2. How does Mars look with a small telescope, like the one Galileo may have used? What new features can you detect? 

3. How does Mars look through large ground-based telescopes? What new features can you detect? 

Research the answers to three of your own questions about the geology, climate, and possibility of life on Mars.  Imagine you are an explorer getting ready to visit the red planet. What are some of the things you would like to discover about the planet? Base your three questions on the geological portrait of the planet you have acquired from this lesson. 

Think of one question of your own for each of these three topics:

• Geology (volcanoes, tectonics, cratering, water, ice caps)
• Climate (weather, temperature, storms)
• The possibility of life

Use the links in each of those sections of the lesson to help you research the answers to your questions. You must use at least one source per question and cite it after your three answers. 

Part Two: Mars Math 

Questions designed by Bernard Harris, Astronaut

You have been asked to evaluate two plans for a human mission to Mars each with a crew of ten astronauts. 

	Time to Mars	Time on Mars	Time Back to Earth
Plan 1	150 days	619 days	110 days
Plan 2	224 days	30 days	291 days

1.  Based on previous experiments in space, we estimate that astronauts may lose on average, 0.28 grams of bone calcium for each day in zero gravity. At this rate how much calcium would each astronaut lose before reaching Mars with Plan 1 (to the nearest gram)?  With Plan 2?

2. We believe astronauts may regain calcium while they are on Mars (in 1/3 gravity), but we don't know the rate. For Plan 1, how much calcium would they have to regain each day to have recovered all of their calcium by the time they leave Mars (to the nearest thousandths of a gram)? For Plan 2?

3. We have to bring all the life-support supplies for each astronaut. Each astronaut needs 60 pounds of supplies per day.  How many kilograms of these supplies would we need to lift for Plan 1? For Plan 2?

4.  It currently costs about $6.60 for each gram that must be lifted off of Earth. What would the cost be for carrying the supplies for each plan? 

5. By recycling, we could reduce the amount of food, water and oxygen to 18 percent of the amount that otherwise would be required.  With recycling, what would be the cost for lifting supplies for each plan?

Here are a few on-line Math sites that might help you!

Ask Dr. Math

The Math Forum

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The Math Help Desk

and check out, Interactive Algebra!

Rubric Assignment 7

Your assignment will be graded on your essay, answer to the math problem and quiz score using the following rubric. If your assignment is late, points will be deducted as follows:

•  If assignment is one day late, 1 point will be deducted.

•  If assignment is two or three days late, 2 points will be deducted.

•  If assignment is four or five days late, 3 points will be deducted.

•  If assignment is six or more days late, 4 points will be deducted