Mission to Mars

Hi all,

One of the next logical steps in manned space exploration is to land on Mars.  This was the expected next step after we won the Space Race by landing on the Moon, but as we have learned, President Nixon opted to direct NASA's efforts towards the space shuttle instead.  There is now a renewed interest in pursuing the goal of sending a manned mission to Mars, but this will be an extremely expensive, difficult, and dangerous mission.

Objective:  Student will assess the feasibility of a manned mission to Mars in writing by considering the technological, financial, and medical obstacles that stand in the way of mission success.

Start by reading about the feasibility of the mission here: http://www.space.com/24268-manned-mars-mission-nasa-feasibility.html

Now, let's read about Mars One, a non-profit corporation that aims to establish a semi-permanent human colony on Mars in the 2020's.  Start with the "Risks and Challenges" page and then move on to familiarize yourself with their missions and timeline:  http://www.mars-one.com/mission/risks-and-challenges

After we have read these resources and discussed them briefly, we will get some basic background information on Mars and the trip there by watching the Nature Channel's The Universe - Mars: The Red Planet in class (you can also watch it on your own here).