“Mission Mars” is a new exhibit at Space Center Houston created to educate the public on the challenges of traveling to Mars. Space Center Houston is hopeful that this exhibit will inspire the future youth of today to one day make Mars travel a reality.
Space Center Houston’s senior exhibit developer Carmina Mortillaro developed this new exhibit with the intention of informing the public on what the scientists and engineers at NASA Johnson Space Center are doing to reach the red planet by the 2030s. Inspiring the children of today to prosper in the world of space flight and engineering.
“Mission Mars” examines many of the things that separate Mars from Earth and its moon such as the weather, days in a year and the science of sustaining life on Mars. The display also addresses the perceptions people have about Mars, such as little green aliens.
Mortillaro noted that the movie “The Martian” resembles what goes on at NASA in trying to achieve a real mission to Mars.
“It’s funny that pop culture shows [fictionalized life on Mars], but now we’re at the point [today where] pop culture shows us that Mars is a destination for exploration,” Mortillaro said.
Mortillaro is excited for the public to see “Mission Mars;” she’s especially optimistic about the public’s reaction to the attraction featuring three Mars meteors.
“In the entire world, there is about 150 Mars meteorites, and for us to have them here is great,” Mortillaro said. “Only a handful of people have these; collectors were generous to lend us these three meteorites, [it] is something the public will see for a limited time.”
Mortillaro jokes that people will see the meteorites and think they are fake because they are not red, but she explains that the dust on the surface of the planet is rusted. Mortillaro says that not only can they tell the meteorites are from Mars because of the hydrogen footprint from entering Earth’s atmosphere; scientists determined that one of the meteorites was from a volcanic land on Mars because of its layering.
Visitors to Space Center Houston will have a chance to touch a piece of land from another planet until springtime at Space Center Houston.
Guests will also have the opportunity to interact with a variety of displays about Mars. One display shows what it’s like to leave a footprint on Mars and another showcases the difference in gravity.
“People always want to know what the gravity up on Mars [is like,] so these backpacks are calibrated to show the differences,” Mortillaro said.
Other information available about Mars, such as weather conditions, include how drastic it can be with climates all the way down into the negative hundred degrees.
Mortillaro said many things have to be considered in planning a real mission to Mars such as fuel, weight and cosmic radiation.
“I couldn’t even put it in [to a] number,” Mortillaro said. “I can tell you and show you some of it, but NASA has a lot to work with to get there by the 2030s.”
The Space Launch System (SLS) has a 45-foot scale model at the exhibit, and it is the rocket ship that will take a manned mission to Mars. Mortillaro said this is the best rocket ship at this moment with the probability of taking humans to Mars. The display shows all the variables NASA is taking in to account to fly to Mars.
“There [are] a lot of complications that [go] into space travel and many variables, but this right here is a start to get the knowledge out there,” Mortillaro said. “It’s our mission to inspire the public–whether we inspire them to think it’s possible or inspire them through telling them what space exploration is all about–to believe in something they didn’t believe before or to be involved in making it a reality.”
Meridyth Moore, public relation specialist for Space Center Houston, said, “Space Center Houston is a museum that displays the great achievements by NASA. We’re here to educate and inspire the future.”
Mission Mars will be open during normal operating hours of Space Center Houston, but Mars meteorites will only be available until springtime. For more information, visit www.spacecenter.org.