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Pages

1Where is Mars?2How long will it take to get to Mars?3Getting to Mars4How do rockets get off the ground?5Producing Thrust6What happens when rocket fuel burns?7Your mission to Mars!8Our need for oxygen9How oxygen gets to our cells10The effects of gravity11How low gravity affects bones12Preventing bones and muscles from becoming weak13Living and working in space14What do astronomers know about Mars?15A space-craft view of Mars16Exploring Mars17Energy for exploration18The rocky surface of Mars19More about the surface of Mars20The Martian atmosphere21The importance of water22The water cycle on Earth23Is there water on Mars?24Surviving on Mars25Your Martian home26Farming on Mars27Soil on Mars28Plants for Mars29Getting energy on Mars30Where will you go next?

Practicals

1Modelling the solar system in the school yard2Rocket Practical3Investigate the Energy in Fuels4Making a Telescope5What factors affect the output of a solar cell?6Modelling Diffusion7Examining Slides of Blood8What bones are like without calcium salts9Flame Test to Identify Metals10The Different States of Water11Water Purification for Human Consumption12Factors Affecting Germination13Solar Cells for Devices14Mars Bingo
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Your spacecraft is quite small, so you will soon need to build yourself a proper home on Mars. It will need to give you shelter from extreme cold, extreme heat, radiation, and also dust storms! Hopefully, it will also be comfortable, with heating inside, and sources of air and water.

What will your Martian home look like?

What features will your home need to have? Click on the button below to launch a drawing pad. Draw out what your martian house would look like, before saving what you've drawn as an image. Use the sticky notes feature to label key points.

Where will you get the materials to build your home? You may have brought some building materials from Earth, but you will need to learn how to make use of the rocky materials on Mars, and you will probably use robots to help you. You will also need to plan how to get enough food to eat.

How would you obtain drinking water on Mars? (You might like to look back to the section on ‘Water on Mars’, p23)
Water could be obtained by melting ice from the polar ice-caps (that might involve some long journeys!)
What else would you need to do to the melted ice before it would be safe to drink?
It would need to be purified by filtering and distilling (as in practical exercise number 11).
Would food be readily available on Mars?
No! Scientists believe that there are no plants or animals on the surface of Mars

More Information!

You can find out more about research into the use of rocky materials on Mars

Find Out More >