Mission: Destination Mars
A base on Deimos or Phobos? Your students decide.
Researchers are ready to explore Mars, but there’s one problem—more than 40 million miles separate Earth from the Red Planet. This distance makes it impossible to travel back and forth between the two planets while completing our research. We need to build a base on one of the Red Planet’s moons, Deimos or Phobos, that will allow us to send a spacecraft to the surface of Mars and back in the fastest and safest way possible.
Your students will work in teams to select which moon is best to build our base by analyzing three sets of data collected by rovers on Deimos and Phobos.
The team’s research efforts come to a halt when they encounter a critical emergency. To successfully explore Mars’ moons and complete the mission, your students must work together to protect the rovers and restore communication, analyze the data from their experiments, and select a moon to build a base.
In our interactive Destination Mars simulation, students are placed into teams to conduct research and collaborate to find solutions to urgent challenges, while experiencing real-world STEM careers. Featuring Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger Former NASA Astronaut.
Mission Type: Virtual
Mission Goal: Understand the conditions that are needed on a planet to support life.
Target Audience: 3rd through 6th grade
Crew Size: 16-26 people
Program Length: Approximately 1 hour
Price: $300
Learning Objectives:
Learn about the two moons of Mars: Phobos and Deimos
Understand and analyze the surface features of Mars and its two moons
Troubleshoot and solve problems using the engineering design process
Collaborate with peers to achieve a common goal
Enhance scientific vocabulary
Educator Notes:
Pre- and post-lesson activities available
Delivered in real-time by Challenger Learning Center Flight Directors
Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) aligned
Common Core State Standards (CCSS) aligned
Internet connection required
Device with audio/video capability required
No personal student data collected
Educational Materials:
