The Mission
Are we there yet?
A return trip to Mars would take between 640 - 910 days. The distance between Mars and Earth varies. A Mars year is almost twice as long as an Earth year, and while Earth's orbit is very nearly circular, Mars' orbit is more 'eccentric'. At its closest Mars is 50 million kilometres from Earth, and at its furthest 402 million kilometres apart when Mars and Earth are on opposite sides of the Sun. Mars missions are launched to take advantage of the close approach between Earth and Mars.
The Mission Team
In real life, astronauts undertake years of rigorous training. Astronauts are highly trained scientists who must practice every aspect of the mission, including ground based communications in Mission Control.
At VSSEC, the Mission team consists of astronauts who'll face the challenges of collecting samples and data on the Mars surface, and Mission Controller officers (MCO) who'll be responsible for monitoring and communicating with the astronauts. Mission Control is linked by audio-visual communications to the astronauts on the Mars surface.
TASK: Can you think of a way astronauts could communicate with Mission Control if audio communications were lost? Hint: Can Mission Control still see the astronauts?
Hazards
The two greatest dangers facing the astronauts on Mars are dust storms and solar storms.
Dust Storms
Winds on Mars can reach 600 km/hr. Dust storms can last for months, lowering visibility and making it difficult to see, and damaging spacesuits and machinery. Astronauts must evacuate the surface and take refuge until the storm has passed.
Solar Storms (Coronal Mass Ejection)
During a solar storm huge quantities of ionised gas can escape from the sun's surface and be hurled into space as a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME). CME's can last for days. Ionising radiation is extremely dangerous to the human body and can damage cells and DNA.
Earth's magnetic field protects us from most dangerous solar radiation, but on Mars, without a protective magnetic field, astronauts would be exposed to potentially lethal levels of radiation. Astronauts must evacuate the surface and take refuge until the storm has passed.
TASK: What is the procedure for astronauts caught on the Mars surface during dust storms and Coronal Mass Ejections?
We can see CME's reacting with the Earth's magnetic field and atmosphere as aurora.
TASK: Why is space radiation so dangerous in space and on Mars? What protects Earth from most dangerous radiation?
Enjoy the beauty of the aurora...
CONGRATULATIONS! You've just completed the first part of your mission training. Next we'll look at the different roles of the astronauts on Mars, the equipment they'll use and the tasks they'll complete.