Who here has ever thought about going to another planet? Right now, scientists are still working on the technology needed to send people to other worlds, but we still learn a lot about other planets because of robotic probes and rovers we send. You might have seen pictures taken recently on the surface of Mars or other places.
- If you could send a robot to check out another part of our solar system, where would you send it? What interests you about that part in particular? (Answers will vary.)
Let’s imagine, for a moment, that our class was put in charge of sending a robotic probe to land on another planet. Let’s try to think of all the things our robot would need in order to explore.
- How would our spacecraft get to the other planet? How would we communicate with it? (A robotic probe would need any number of the following: a radio, a camera, a heat shield, a parachute, rocket thrusters, batteries, solar panels, or more.)
In recent years, scientists have sent many robotic probes to explore the planet Mars. Getting the probes to Mars was no small feat, but these probes have been part of an even bigger mission: getting people to the planet.
Scientists are currently exploring what factors would be necessary for humans to survive on this planet. To get a better idea of all the factors they’re considering in their research, let’s watch the following video about the technologies NASA is designing to help humans survive on Mars.
Play the following video for your students [2:03]: 6 NASA Technologies to Get Humans to Mars
- Even with all these technologies designed to help people live on Mars, what other things would people need in order to happily live there? (Possible answers might include: consistent food sources, water, homes, community, a sense of purpose, etc.)
It’s a lot of fun to think of what people might need if they were to live on another planet. But today we’re going to talk about Someone who came to this planet, to give us what we need. Let’s learn more.
