In 2013 Kiwi school kids had the rare opportunity to follow a mock Mars Mission at the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) in the Utah desert for the duration of two weeks.
Education Log-MDRS
The following log is written to give a record of what type of questions were being asked by the students and teachers who interacted with the crew in SIM. The method of communication was via “Chatroll” an online tool of instant messaging.
Early morning sky at MDRS
Chat Log Mission Heights School Auckland - UNedited
MelanieNewfield: Here, we have to bring water in on a trailer,and then the engineer has to pump it from one tank to another.But on Mars you would have to get it from the soil or the ground, and also recycle everything.
MelanieNewfield: Martian soil has lots of useful things in it. It contains useful chemicals that you could use to make water and fuel, you could mine it to make metals for building and tools.
LZ2: Where do you go to the toilet and would it be the same on Mars
Feb 8 2013, 9:33 AM
MelanieNewfield: Wow, great question. We have a toilet, but it wasn't working so we had to use plastic bags for a whole week - just like astronauts did on the Apollo mission.
MelanieNewfield: There are some creatures that live at MDRS. Emma found a spider this morning. Also there are a few very tough plants and lichens and bacteria
Feb 8 2013, 9:36 AM
MelanieNewfield: On Mars we might get something like bacteria and lichen living underground or inside rocks, but probalby not on the surface.
MelanieNewfield: Earth animals could only live inside a special habitat, like humans. But some creatures have been found on earth in amazing places, like in lakes under the ANtarctic ice sheet. SO maybe some are alive on Mars too
MelanieNewfield: Mars has less gravity on earth, so you would feel very light. But there is a 6 month space journey to get to Mars, and you would be weightless the whole time. So when you arrived on Mars you would feel like you were very heavy
MelanieNewfield: Dust on Mars contains poisons that could hurt people if you brought it inside. So we need to know how to stop getting dust inside. Also it damages equipment as well
MelanieNewfield: Also, I visit Auckland quite often. If you would like me to come to your school and show you some of my photos, let Hari know and she can organise that.
MDRS (guest): it was hard as we are working lots of hours here
Feb 8 2013, 3:07 PM
MDRS (guest): and there are different routines
Feb 8 2013, 3:07 PM
MDRS (guest): like you have to do space chores
Feb 8 2013, 3:07 PM
MDRS (guest): and engineering reports
Feb 8 2013, 3:08 PM
MDRS (guest): and you must cook every day
Feb 8 2013, 3:08 PM
WEGC3 (guest): can you go outside on mars without floating away?
Feb 8 2013, 3:08 PM
WEGC (guest): what are space chores ???
Feb 8 2013, 3:08 PM
MDRS (guest): you should be able to but you would still be able to jump really high
Feb 8 2013, 3:08 PM
MDRS (guest): space chores are like cleaning
Feb 8 2013, 3:08 PM
MDRS (guest): but with a space flavour
Feb 8 2013, 3:08 PM
WEGC3 (guest): coooool!
Feb 8 2013, 3:08 PM
MDRS (guest): there is lots of dust on Mars
Feb 8 2013, 3:08 PM
MDRS (guest): as there is here at MDRS
Feb 8 2013, 3:09 PM
WEGC2 (guest): how do you take water up to mars to water your plants that are growing and to drink??
Feb 8 2013, 3:09 PM
MDRS (guest): you would have to make the water there
Feb 8 2013, 3:09 PM
WEGC2 (guest): how?
Feb 8 2013, 3:09 PM
MDRS (guest): we also suspect that there is a lot of water underground
Feb 8 2013, 3:09 PM
MDRS (guest): of course you would have to filter it
Feb 8 2013, 3:09 PM
MDRS (guest): from CO2 and CH3
Feb 8 2013, 3:09 PM
WEGC3 (guest): is the eat
Feb 8 2013, 3:10 PM
WEGC (guest): what is the average temperature on mars ???
Feb 8 2013, 3:10 PM
MDRS (guest): the highest temperature is 20 degrees in summertime
Feb 8 2013, 3:10 PM
MDRS (guest): a bit like Wellington
Feb 8 2013, 3:10 PM
WEGC2 (guest): do you have showers???
Feb 8 2013, 3:11 PM
MDRS (guest): the lowest is lower than in Antarctica
Feb 8 2013, 3:11 PM
MDRS (guest): we have showers every couple of days
Feb 8 2013, 3:11 PM
MDRS (guest): otherwise just wipes
Feb 8 2013, 3:11 PM
WEGC3 (guest): is the earth on mars fertile?
Feb 8 2013, 3:11 PM
MDRS (guest): *take showers
Feb 8 2013, 3:11 PM
MDRS (guest): the earth on Mars we believe is quite loaded with lots of salts
Feb 8 2013, 3:12 PM
MDRS (guest): so a first take would be yes but will have to be ameliorated
Feb 8 2013, 3:12 PM
MDRS (guest): first
Feb 8 2013, 3:12 PM
WEGC3 (guest): what is the difference between Utah and Mars??
Feb 8 2013, 3:12 PM
MDRS (guest): Mars has lower gravity
Feb 8 2013, 3:12 PM
MDRS (guest): I guess
Feb 8 2013, 3:13 PM
MDRS (guest): Utah is actually the closest or one of hte closest places on Earth to Mars
Feb 8 2013, 3:13 PM
MDRS (guest): which is why is used as analog for Mars research
Feb 8 2013, 3:13 PM
WEGC (guest): how does it feel to be isolated from civilisation
Feb 8 2013, 3:13 PM
WEGC (guest): ??????
Feb 8 2013, 3:13 PM
MDRS (guest): it feels weird
Feb 8 2013, 3:13 PM
MDRS (guest): but in the same time peaceful
Feb 8 2013, 3:14 PM
MDRS (guest): I guess is up to everyone and their own personality type
Feb 8 2013, 3:14 PM
MDRS (guest): that's why crews for space exploration are carefully selected
Feb 8 2013, 3:14 PM
WEGC2 (guest): how do you have internet
Feb 8 2013, 3:14 PM
WEGC2 (guest): ?
Feb 8 2013, 3:15 PM
MDRS (guest): yes which is why we can communicate now
Feb 8 2013, 3:15 PM
MDRS (guest): but it's very poor
Feb 8 2013, 3:15 PM
MDRS (guest): so we only have 450 MB of data allowance per day
Feb 8 2013, 3:15 PM
MDRS (guest): in which we have to squeeze our daily reports
Feb 8 2013, 3:15 PM
WEGC2 (guest): how come you have internet if you won't have internet on mars???
Feb 8 2013, 3:16 PM
MDRS (guest): the place here on Earth is a simulation of what it would mean to be on Mars
Feb 8 2013, 3:16 PM
MDRS (guest): however there are strict rules
Feb 8 2013, 3:16 PM
WEGC2 (guest): ok
Feb 8 2013, 3:16 PM
MDRS (guest): for healt and safety
Feb 8 2013, 3:16 PM
MDRS (guest): *health
Feb 8 2013, 3:17 PM
WEGC3 (guest): do you ever get bored of each other?
Feb 8 2013, 3:17 PM
MDRS (guest): which is why we are not allowed to stay by ourselves in the jab etc
Feb 8 2013, 3:17 PM
MDRS (guest): OH NO!!!
Feb 8 2013, 3:17 PM
MDRS (guest): not this crew
Feb 8 2013, 3:17 PM
MDRS (guest): you get too tired of work perhaps
Feb 8 2013, 3:17 PM
MDRS (guest): but not even have time for bored
Feb 8 2013, 3:17 PM
WEGC3 (guest): Okay
Feb 8 2013, 3:17 PM
WEGC (guest): are there height reqierments for patrons who want to participate in the program???
Feb 8 2013, 3:17 PM
MDRS (guest):
Feb 8 2013, 3:17 PM
MDRS (guest): well I guess perhaps not too many basketball players would be accepted but in general no
Feb 8 2013, 3:18 PM
MDRS (guest): you mean for MDRS or Mars
Feb 8 2013, 3:19 PM
WEGC3 (guest): * MDRS
Feb 8 2013, 3:19 PM
WEGC2 (guest): do you believe in aliens ???
Feb 8 2013, 3:19 PM
MDRS (guest): I hope there are aliens out there yes
Feb 8 2013, 3:20 PM
WEGC2 (guest): lol
Feb 8 2013, 3:20 PM
MDRS (guest):
Feb 8 2013, 3:20 PM
WEGC2 (guest): why do you want there to be aliens
Feb 8 2013, 3:21 PM
WEGC2 (guest): what would you do if you found aliens
Feb 8 2013, 3:21 PM
MDRS (guest): why not
Feb 8 2013, 3:21 PM
MDRS (guest): I would be really happy if that would happen
Feb 8 2013, 3:21 PM
MDRS (guest): it would mean we are not alone
Feb 8 2013, 3:21 PM
WEGC2 (guest): k
Feb 8 2013, 3:21 PM
WEGC2 (guest):
Feb 8 2013, 3:21 PM
MDRS (guest): so far we don't know of any other place that may have life on it
Feb 8 2013, 3:21 PM
WEGC (guest): DO U LIKE MARS BARS ???? lol
Feb 8 2013, 3:22 PM
MDRS (guest): so if we found life on other places in our Solar System or Universe it would help us understand how life formed
Feb 8 2013, 3:22 PM
MDRS (guest): yes I love Mars bars
Feb 8 2013, 3:22 PM
WEGC3 (guest): We have to go thank SOOOOOO MUUUUUCH have fun on Mars
Feb 8 2013, 3:23 PM
MDRS (guest): thank you and hope to have the chance to visit you as well perhaps
Feb 8 2013, 3:23 PM
WEGC (guest): Thank you for taking the time to talk to us
Feb 8 2013, 3:23 PM
MDRS (guest): thank you for being here
Feb 8 2013, 3:23 PM
MDRS (guest): Mars over and out
Feb 8 2013, 3:24 PM
WEGC (guest): Over and out from the East Girls (9ANS)
"This is an exciting opportunity for students around the country to talk to real scientists doing real exploratory work at the Mars Desert Research Station in Utah," said Kiwispace Education Coordinator Haritina Mogosanu. A crew member on two previous MDRS missions and Flight Director for TasMars, Mogosanu said "students don't need a passion for Mars, just a passion for knowledge".
"The varied work done by the crews at MDRS covers human interaction, geology and geography, palaeontology nutrition, engineering, biosecurity and more," she said. "There are so many areas of the New Zealand science curriculum covered."
The TasMars 2013 Team - following on from last year's KiwiMars mission - was stationed at MDRS two-week analogue mission to study planetary science, engineering, biosecurity and human factors at the mock Mars base.
Two members of the crew (David Willson and Jen Blank) are from NASA AMES Research Center in the heart of Silicon Valley in California. Willson is an Australian engineer working on future Mars sample return instrument concepts. Blank is a geochemist and member of the Mars Science Laboratory science team working with the Curiosity rover that landed on Mars last August. The other two members are Melanie Newfield, a biosecurity manager at New Zealand's Ministry for Primary Industries, and Emma Braegen, an aeronautical engineer from Australia working for BAE Systems.
Courtesy of the KiwiSpace Foundation, all schools around New Zealand have a chance to interact live with the team at the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) via the mission's chat facility page.
The TasMars crew will remain at the base until 10 February.