1) Has a child ever been in space? (answered by Mary)
No, there has never been a child in space. There are a few people who
have taken a ride into space who were not astronauts, but none of them
were children. Space flight is very difficult and dangerous. To pursue
a career as an astronaut you have to be a scientist, engineer, or test
pilot, all of which take many years of education and training. So, if
you think you might like to be an astronaut some day, now is the time to
start studying lots and lots of math and science.
2) What was the first mission to Mars? (answered by Pam)
The very first attempt to go to Mars was a Soviet mission called Marsnik
1 and Marsnik 2 that launched in 1960. You can find a series of articles
on this website that explains about the various missions to Mars. It's
called
"Rocky Road". For
information about the first mission to Mars, go to the page labeled
The 1960s and scroll
down to the first installment. If you are looking for the first
successful mission to Mars, check out the American mission called
Mariner 4. It was launched in 1964.
3) Where did Mars get its name? (answered by Diane)
Mars got its name from the mythical Roman god of War. Interestingly
enough, its moons Phobos (panic) and Demios (fear) were named after the
twins who accompanied Mars in battle.
4) Why doesn't Earth have a lot of craters like Mars? (answered by Pam)
Violent processes created our solar system and the Earth probably
withstood a huge number of impacts. But what makes Earth different is
erosion. Wind, rain, oceans and earthquakes are constantly moving and
reshaping the face of our planet. Mars has winds that carry shifting
dust clouds, so there may be some erosion happening today. Long ago,
the erosion may have been more dramatic due to huge floods and gigantic
seas. But Mars has not had the continuous level of erosion that is
needed to wipe away the scars of ancient impacts.
5) Can we follow the travel of MER every day on this site? Another
site? (answered by Pam)
Once the rovers land on Mars (January, 2004), you will be able to follow
their progress on this site and by viewing the Jet Propulsion Lab's
Mars
Rover web page.
6) Do you have any hands on activities for elementary students so they
can learn more about robotics? I am an elementary teacher preparing
for the topic. (answered by Diane)
You can find a hands-on activity book posted on the Arizona State
University's Mars
Education site.
Click on "download" and scroll to the bottom of the page for a document
labeled "Mars Activities: Teacher Resources and Classroom Activities."
ASU is also coming out with a Robotics Education poster in the near
future with accompanying activities that will be available through this
website, as well as on the JPL and ASU pages.
