Moon, Mars, and Beyond

In the 3rd block you will start researching your specialty. You will be working independently on the computer, reviewing literature, answering questions of increasing complexity, and gaining the knowledge that you will need in order to plan your mission. You will get to work on your specialty in class 4 times. You are encouraged to read-up at home. Many carefully selected references have been provided.

Eight specialties are offered. In co-ordination with your team and your teacher you will choose a specialty that is relevant to your destination and that is of interest to you. Below is a brief overview of the specialties:

Transportation - How to get from planet earth to your destination and back.
Terraforming - Turning your destination in a friendlier place that can satisfy human needs.
Space Health - Some destinations, such as the ISS have zero gravity and all have harmful radiation. There are extreme temperatures and lack of oxygen. How do we make sure we are safe while in space?
Robots and Rovers - Robots are required in order to do tasks that humans cannot do and rovers are the vehicles that will take you around your destination.
Exploring - This is what you will be doing after you get to your destination. Many experiments have already been done on the ISS. What might you do on Moon, or Mars?
Radiation Damage - We are constantly being bombarded by ionizing radiation. Although radiation can neither be seen nor felt, it can be very dangerous. On earth, the atmosphere protects us. In space the radiation is very harmful to humans and to electronic equipment. One of our challenges is to find ways of protecting our equipment and ourselves.
Astro-biology - This fascinating specialization deals with searching for life outside of planet earth.
Commercial Opportunities - These are things that you will do to grow rich. You can start a touring company, mine for minerals, grow crystals, and much more.