Surveying the Land

Mars Orbiter

Goals

  • Gather 25 satellite images of 6 different landing sites.

  • Create composite images of Martian surface.

  • Communicate your results to the Team Mission: Mars crew after you finish.

    Send Results

  • Gather 25 satellite images of 6 different landing sites.

  • Create composite images of Martian surface.

  • Communicate your results to the Team Mission: Mars crew after you finish.

Send Results

Materials

  • Handheld CubeSat satellite, connected to a power supply
  • Mars Dust Storm mat
  • Tablet with wireless Internet access
  • Handheld CubeSat satellite, connected to a power supply
  • Mars Dust Storm mat
  • Tablet with wireless Internet access

Mission Briefing

  1. Connect to the CubeSat following these instructions. Once you do, you’ll still be able to see this web page but you won’t be able to refresh or visit any other sites. 
    • Choose one of the six potential landing sites to explore. These are represented by the colored ellipses on the map of Mars.
    • Flip the switch to turn on the CubeSat. A green light will tell you when it’s ready to transmit data back to Earth.
    • Open your device’s wireless network settings and connect to the MarsOrbiterTelemetry Network. You may need to wait a few seconds for it to appear.
  2. Pass the CubeSat over the dust storm until all 25 images are visible on that page.
  3. Choose your difficulty level — 1, 2, or 3 — and move the individual images until the composite is complete. Wait for the image to scramble before you try to solve it.
  4. Once you assemble the composite image, a pop-up window will give you key information about the site.
  5. You may attempt each site at different difficulty levels, but make sure to check out all six potential future landing sites.
  6. Once you’ve reviewed them all, decide which one should be our next landing site on Mars.

Choose where to go first below!

[imagelinks id="2"]

Send Results

Great job! Now that you’ve explored the images from the orbiter, explore how a Mars rover sends data back to Earth in the Mars Rover section below.

Exploring Further

NASA data visualizers like Joshua Stevens interpret the data that are transmitted back to Earth in order to create images that people can see and understand. They work to learn about our solar system (and beyond) through satellite information. Let’s explore some of the other missions that have been underway on Mars!

EXPLORE MARS!

You explored some of the features on the surface of Mars. The mission team will select their next landing site based on what they are trying to learn about the planet. What information about Mars do you think you could learn from each of the potential sites? Where do you think the next landing site for Mars should be and why? What could we expect to learn about Mars from this landing site? Select a site and think about how you might report this to Team Mission: Mars as our next potential landing site.

Be sure to explore other parts of the surface of Mars on Google Mars! (It’s just like Google Earth, but on Mars!)

  • RESOURCES

    • There are some parts we skipped to help you get right to making your photo composites. Check out the video from DNews to see how images are transmitted across space.

    • Note: While our model orbiter is revealing images hidden by a dust storm, the real Mars orbiters cannot see visible light through clouds. However, they are able to gather other data, such as infrared radiation, through cloud cover.

Mission Briefing

  1. Connect to the CubeSat following these instructions. Once you do, you’ll still be able to see this web page but you won’t be able to refresh or visit any other sites. 
    • Choose one of the six potential landing sites to explore. These are represented by the colored ellipses on the map of Mars.
    • Flip the switch to turn on the CubeSat. A green light will tell you when it’s ready to transmit data back to Earth.
    • Open your device’s wireless network settings and connect to the MarsOrbiterTelemetry Network. You may need to wait a few seconds for it to appear.
  2. Pass the CubeSat over the dust storm until all 25 images are visible on that page.
  3. Choose your difficulty level — 1, 2, or 3 — and move the individual images until the composite is complete. Wait for the image to scramble before you try to solve it.
  4. Once you assemble the composite image, a pop-up window will give you key information about the site.
  5. You may attempt each site at different difficulty levels, but make sure to check out all six potential future landing sites.
  6. Once you’ve reviewed them all, decide which one should be our next landing site on Mars.

Choose where to go first below!

[imagelinks id="2"]

Great job! Now that you’ve explored the images from the orbiter, explore how a Mars rover sends data back to Earth in the Mars Rover section below.

Exploring Further

NASA data visualizers like Joshua Stevens interpret the data that are transmitted back to Earth in order to create images that people can see and understand. They work to learn about our solar system (and beyond) through satellite information. Let’s explore some of the other missions that have been underway on Mars!

EXPLORE MARS!

You explored some of the features on the surface of Mars. The mission team will select their next landing site based on what they are trying to learn about the planet. What information about Mars do you think you could learn from each of the potential sites? Where do you think the next landing site for Mars should be and why? What could we expect to learn about Mars from this landing site? Select a site and think about how you might report this to Team Mission: Mars as our next potential landing site.

Be sure to explore other parts of the surface of Mars on Google Mars! (It’s just like Google Earth, but on Mars!)

  • RESOURCES

    • There are some parts we skipped to help you get right to making your photo composites. Check out the video from DNews to see how images are transmitted across space.

    • Note: While our model orbiter is revealing images hidden by a dust storm, the real Mars orbiters cannot see visible light through clouds. However, they are able to gather other data, such as infrared radiation, through cloud cover.

Mars Rover

Goals

  • Program a model Mars Rover.

  • Collect data about surface features of Mars using the LEGO Color Sensor.

  • Communicate your results to the Team Mission: Mars crew after you finish.

    Send Results

  • Program a model Mars Rover.

  • Collect data about surface features of Mars using the LEGO Color Sensor.

  • Communicate your results to the Team Mission: Mars crew after you finish.

Send Results

Materials

  • LEGO® MINDSTORMS® EV3 robotics set
  • Tablet with LEGO® Programming app
  • Surveying Mars mat
  • LEGO® MINDSTORMS® EV3 robotics set
  • Tablet with LEGO® Programming app
  • Surveying Mars mat

Mission Briefing

  1. Your mission is to simulate the analysis that rovers perform on Mars. You’ll program a model rover to drive near targets of different colors that represent various surface features, such as craters or volcanoes.
  2. Use the LEGO color sensor and program your rover to make an output when it detects a certain color. Examples of outputs include changing the onscreen display or making a sound. This output will model how the rover transmits data to NASA scientists back on Earth.
  3. You are limited to three parallel passes over the Martian surface.
  4. Click “Unit Plans” and open the “Robot Trainer” activities. Complete the “Moves and Turns” and “Colors and Lines” lessons. These will help you figure out how to write the code for your Mars Rover. Use the Driving Base in the “Build” menu as a guide for building your robot—or create your own design!
  5. Test your rover to see how it works! Your rover should send data back to NASA as it passes over each colored ellipse. You may want to start out trying to identify one color and add more to your program as you improve your skills.
  6. Once you’ve detected all six regions, communicate your results. Show someone—a parent, sibling, friend, or caregiver—how your model Mars rover sends data back to Earth.

Send Results

Now that you’ve accomplished your goal, find out more about space careers in the Exploring Further section below.

 

  1. Your mission is to simulate the analysis that rovers perform on Mars. You’ll program a model rover to drive near targets of different colors that represent various surface features, such as craters or volcanoes.
  2. Use the LEGO color sensor and program your rover to make an output when it detects a certain color. Examples of outputs include changing the onscreen display or making a sound. This output will model how the rover transmits data to NASA scientists back on Earth.
  3. You are limited to three parallel passes over the Martian surface.
  4. Click “Unit Plans” and open the “Robot Trainer” activities. Complete the “Moves and Turns” and “Colors and Lines” lessons. These will help you figure out how to write the code for your Mars Rover. Use the Driving Base in the “Build” menu as a guide for building your robot—or create your own design!
  5. Test your rover to see how it works! Your rover should send data back to NASA as it passes over each colored ellipse. You may want to start out trying to identify one color and add more to your program as you improve your skills.
  6. Once you’ve detected all six regions, communicate your results. Show someone—a parent, sibling, friend, or caregiver—how your model Mars rover sends data back to Earth.

Send Results

Now that you’ve accomplished your goal, find out more about space careers in the Exploring Further section below.

 

Exploring Further

Scientists from NASA’s Deep Space Network are responsible for ensuring that we are able to receive information from Mars and other places in the solar system.

After you learned this history, what do you predict future missions will find on Mars? How can we use the findings from Mars to help us understand the history of our solar system and specifically our own planet? 

Scientists from NASA’s Deep Space Network are responsible for ensuring that we are able to receive information from Mars and other places in the solar system.

After you learned this history, what do you predict future missions will find on Mars? How can we use the findings from Mars to help us understand the history of our solar system and specifically our own planet? 

  • RESOURCES
    • How NASA’s ChemCam on the Curiosity rover helped scientists learn more about Mars’ soil!

  • RESOURCES
    • How NASA’s ChemCam on the Curiosity rover helped scientists learn more about Mars’ soil!

Congratulations! You have successfully helped Team Mission: Mars learn about potential landing sites on the Red Planet. Thanks for your help!

THE LAUNCH PAD
GETTING TO MARS
PLANETARY ORBITS
SURVEYING THE LAND

THIS MATERIAL PRODUCED BY ORLANDO SCIENCE CENTER AND THE UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA IS BASED UPON WORK SUPPORTED BY NASA UNDER COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT AWARD NUMBER NNX16AM34G.

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