mISSion imaginaTIon

Design Challenge THREE

Cabin fever

Imagine being stuck inside your home for six months to a year. That gives you a general idea about life aboard the International Space Station.

Now think about this: What if you had to spend two years inside a spacecraft?

Each astronaut has their own personal space, but it is only about the size of a bathroom stall. There are also two bathrooms, exercise areas, multiple laboratories, and observation windows looking down on the world.

This design has been working well in low-Earth orbit for 15 years, but how would you adapt the design to support a mission to Mars?

Downloads

Before you start

Make sure you have the Adult Sponsor/Educator Guide and the Design Notebook.

Fun Facts

In space there is no up or down

When living in zero gravity, there is no such thing as a “floor” or “ceiling.” Some other things to think about for this Design Challenge include:

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  Workout areas, crew cabins, laboratories and restrooms on the space station are located in very, very close proximity.

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  Short wavelength light — such as the backlight from your cell phone — inhibits your body from producing melatonin.

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  LED lighting on the space station enables astronauts to customize their work and personal areas.

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  On a Mars mission, there can be a 20-minute delay — in both directions — for radio messages between the spacecraft and Earth.

Other Design Challenges

Design Challenge One

What's for dinner?

Design a plan for feeding astronauts on a journey to Mars and back.

View Challenge »

Design Challenge Two

Keep it clean

Think twice before you wish on that shooting star — it might actually be waste from the space station.

View Challenge »

Design Challenge Four

Shields up!

Millions of pieces of orbital debris have the potential to collide with things like satellites, the space station or an astronaut out on a spacewalk.

View Challenge »