Human Mission to Mars

mars

No Prior Orbit Experience Necessary


This one-of-a-kind course at FAU is open to all undergraduate students willing to be crew members for the University’s expedition to Mars. Plan your mission with faculty from across four colleges. Learn about propulsion when lifting off from Earth and landing on Mars, the psychological and physiological impacts of the 100 million mile journey, colonizing and surviving on the red planet and much more.


Watch the Human Mission to Mars Class Feature on CBS 12 News West Palm Beach (Fall 2019)

 
 

PBS Star Gazers: Mission to Mars

Star Gazers brings you Star Gazers: Mission to Mars!
An all-star panel of space experts will discuss what it takes to travel to Mars.

NASA Scientist Jim Rice, Ph.D., Speaks to FAU Human Mission to Mars Class

Scientist Jim Rice, Ph.D., spoke to the inaugural Mission to Mars class in Fall 2019.

Robert Zubrin, Ph.D., Speaks to FAU Human Mission to Mars Class

Click here to watch  Robert Zubrin's public talk,  The Case for Space, at Florida Atlantic University on November 15, 2019.



Course Information: Fall 2024 Human Mission to Mars   |  Subject: IDS |  CRN: 14687  |  Course Number: 2382  |  Section: 001  |  Credit Hours: 3  |  Meeting Times: Wednesday and Friday from 2:00-3:20 p.m.  

Note: The Human Mission to Mars course credits can count as an elective towards a student's degree.


Key Elements of the Mission

Propulsion

Liftoff from Earth, landing on Mars, liftoff from Mars and landing on the Earth

Timing of Mission

Minimize travel time – use of the Hohmann transfer orbit

Psychology

Effects of long-term spaceflight on human consciousness

Sociology

Effects of long-term spaceflight on human relationships and groups of humans

Nutrition

Food and nutritive sustenance on the way there

Physiology

Physical effects of extended spaceflight on the human body

Creating a Colony

Key components of building and functioning a Martian colony – building materials, design, functionality

Food on Mars

Growing food on Mars – within the atmosphere-controlled colony

Ethics

Are there ethical issues related to a human mission to Mars?

Project Driven

Each student will join a small group to collaboratively develop efficient and systematic solutions to problems being posed. Each group member will have opportunities to serve as the project lead, coordinating activities of the group.

The course is taught in a non-lecture, active learning format. Time spent in class is centered around group discussions, projects, and developing the deductive thought process that scientists use to solve problems.

Mission Objectives:

  • To explore the challenges and opportunities offered by the planned human missions to Mars.
  • Explore the process of scientific inquiry and creativity (including failures) to address a problem or challenge.
  • Apply the scientific method to embrace uncertainty associated with the critical evaluation of a problem or challenge.
  • Develop hypothesis-driven solutions integrating multiple disciplines.
  • Communicate scientific outcomes through team work and community building.

Proposed Mission Schedule

Week 1

Ata Sarajedini, Ph.D., Professor of Physics, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science

Why Mars? Why colonize? Why is the multidisciplinary approach being taught in this course so important? What are the student learning outcomes and why are they important? Brief history of Mars exploration from the ground and in space.

Week 2-3

Salvatore Lepore, Ph.D., Professor of Chemistry, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Luc Wille, Ph.D., Professor and Chair of the Department of Physics, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science

Introduce the “Mars Direct” argument and the general strategy for a sustainable Mars mission, including issues such as propulsion, timing of the trip to Mars and the return trip, living off the land and preparation for survival, using Martian resources for the return trip, and food and nutritive sustenance on the way to Mars.

Week 4

Michael Zourdos, Ph.D., Chair and Professor, Department of Exercise Science and Health Promotion, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science 

Physical effects of extended spaceflight on the human body covering topics such as land-based modeling of spaceflight, NASA exercise countermeasures program.

Week 5

Monty Watson, Graduate Teaching Assistant in Geosciences, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science

Growing food on Mars within the atmosphere-controlled colony and how to harness the water required to do so.

Week 6-7

Robin Vallacher, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology and Director of Dynamical Social Psychology Lab, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science

Effects of long-term spaceflight on human consciousness, human relationships and groups of humans.

Week 8-9

Anthony Abbate, AIA, LEED AP, Associate Provost for FAU Broward Campuses and Director and Professor, School of Architecture, College for Design and Social Inquiry
Daniel Meeroff, Ph.D., Associate Chair and Professor of Civil, Environmental and Geomatics Engineering, College of Engineering & Computer Science

Key components of building and functioning a Martian colony – building materials, design, functionality, atmospheric control. 

Week 10

Nwadiuto Esiobu, Professor of Biology, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science

Microbiomes in the gut. Overview of Earthly origins, microbes in Man and Mars, emphasizing the indispensable roles human microbes play on earth, in space and Mars? Strategic solutions for human microbiome issues - depletion, low diversity, virulence, stress, mood changes and social impact, etc. 

Week 11

Xing-Hai Zhang, Ph.D., Professor of Biological Sciences, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science

What is needed to grow plants on Mars (water, mineral nutrients)? Reviewing enclosed ecosystems (oxygen released from plants, self-sustaining system). Building a Martian garden (medium system, plant species, transgenic plants for Mars).

Week 12

Ann Branaman, Ph.D., (or designee) Professor and Chair of the Department of Sociology, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters

Ethical and political issues related to a human mission to Mars. 

Week 13+

Guest Speakers
Poster Symposium
Ata Sarajedini, Ph.D., Professor of Physics, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science

Wrap-up and conclusions. 

Contact

For information about the course, please contact Ata Sarajedini, Ph.D., at  asarajedini@fau.edu.


Check out the Human Mission to Mars Class Research Symposium Photo Album Here! 

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Student-led teams from the Human Mission to Mars course presented their research on Mars exploration at a research symposium.

Additional Information
The Charles E. Schmidt College of Science offers unparalleled experiential learning opportunities to prepare the next generation of scientists and problem solvers.
Address
Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Florida Atlantic University
777 Glades Rd, SE-43
Boca Raton, FL 33431
Fax: (561) 297-3292