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This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/.
Science Debate Kit:Mars Mission
Science Debate Kit:
For more activities and debate kits in this series go to debate.imascientist.org.uk
Mars Mission
Kit No. 9
Learning notes Learning notes Learning objective:• To practise discussing and debating issues and expressing an opinion.
• Understand more of the technical, physiological, social and ethical issues around human space exploration.
Other learning outcomes:• Consider social, ethical and factual issues in an integrated way.
• Think about different points of view.
• Learn to back up their opinions with facts.
Curriculum points covered:Working scientifically• Understanding of the limitations of science and ethical issues which may arise.• Evaluating personal, social, economic, and environmental implications and making decisions based on evidence and arguments.• Evaluating risks and the perception of risks in the wider societal context.
Facilitation tipsEnsure pupils know there is no right or wrong answer.Be observant of ones who want to speak and are not getting a chance.Encourage students to give a reason for their opinions.
For groups who may need extra support you can put the following prompt sentences upon the board: “I think we should/shouldn’t send humans to Mars because...………………….” “I think ……………… is the most important point to think about.”
You can use all eight characters, or fewer, as you wish.
The minimum is the four essential characters (in bold), this gives two for and two against.
Debate Kit: Mars MissionShould we send a human mission to Mars?A structured practice debate on a controversial topic.The different ‘rounds’ of the debate help students think through the issues and reconsider their opinions.The structure also shows them how to build a discussion and back up their opinions with facts.
KS4: These debate kits have been used with ages 11-18
CharactersYes – We should send a human space mission to Mars
• Bill McIntosh – Spacecraft engineer• Sarah Oakes – Politician and space enthusiast• Sudarat Jaa – Planetary geologist
• Derek Amundsen – Physiologist
No – We should not send a human space mission to Mars
• Penny O'Hara – Helicopter pilot• Robert Pinxton – Astrobiologist• Greta Stevens – Spacecraft engineer
• Kai Buchanan – Ecologist
This
wor
k is
lice
nsed
und
er th
e C
reat
ive
Com
mon
s A
ttrib
utio
n-N
onC
omm
erci
al-S
hare
Alik
e4.
0 In
tern
atio
nal L
icen
se. T
o vi
ew a
cop
y of
this
lice
nse,
visi
t http
://cr
eativ
ecom
mon
s.or
g/lic
ense
s/by
-nc-
sa/4
.0/.
Que
stio
n:
Shou
ld w
e se
nd a
hum
an m
issi
on t
o M
ars?
Teac
her N
otes
Less
on p
lan
The
diffe
rent
‘rou
nds’
of t
he d
ebat
e he
lp s
tude
nts
th
ink
thro
ugh
the
issu
es a
nd re
cons
ider
thei
r opi
nion
s.
The
stru
ctur
e al
so s
how
s th
em h
ow to
bui
ld a
dis
cuss
ion
and
back
up
thei
r opi
nion
s w
ith fa
cts.
Star
ter:
5 m
inut
es.
Wha
t do
they
kno
w a
bout
hum
ans
in s
pace
? W
hen
did
the
first
hum
ans
visi
t spa
ce?
Are
ther
e an
y hu
man
s in
spa
ce
now
? Th
inki
ng a
bout
wha
t the
y kn
ow a
bout
hum
an b
odie
s,
wha
t are
all
the
thin
gs th
at o
ur b
odie
s ne
ed, t
hat a
re h
ard
to
get i
n sp
ace?
Mai
n A
ctiv
ity: 3
5 m
inut
es.
1) S
plit
stud
ents
into
as
man
y gr
oups
as
char
acte
rs y
ou
wan
t to
cove
r.2)
Giv
e th
em th
eir c
hara
cter
car
ds –
one
per
gro
up, a
nd
give
them
a fe
w m
inut
es to
read
them
ove
r.3)
Get
one
stu
dent
in e
ach
grou
p to
read
out
thei
r firs
t se
ctio
n to
the
rest
of t
he c
lass
. Wha
t are
the
clas
s’s
initi
al th
ough
ts?
Is th
ere
one
posi
tion
they
iden
tify
with
or
reje
ct? Th
ese
deba
te k
its h
ave
been
us
ed w
ith a
ges
11-1
8.
KS4:
hosp
ital i
n a
whe
elch
air w
hen
they
get
bac
k to
Ear
th (w
hich
is
why
you
nev
er s
ee tr
ium
phan
t ret
urni
ng a
stro
naut
s w
avin
g fo
r th
e ne
ws
cam
eras
).
The
long
est a
nyon
e ha
s sp
ent o
n th
e IS
S is
one
yea
r.
We
don’
t kno
w w
hat t
he e
ffect
of t
wo
year
s or
mor
e w
ould
be.
As p
art o
f the
rese
arch
for t
his
kit,
we
spok
e to
Chr
is W
elch
, Pr
ofes
sor o
f Ast
rona
utic
s an
d Sp
ace
Engi
neer
ing
at th
e
Inte
rnat
iona
l Spa
ce U
nive
rsity
in S
trasb
ourg
. He
said
, “Th
ere
are
so m
any
varia
bles
in h
ow a
hum
an m
issi
on to
Mar
s w
ould
wor
k,
it’s a
fasc
inat
ing
prob
lem
. To
be h
ones
t, it’s
wha
t spa
cecr
aft
engi
neer
s do
whe
n w
e ar
e bo
red:
des
ign
diffe
rent
fant
asy
miss
ions
to
Mar
s, to
see
if w
e ca
n fin
d a
new
way
of m
akin
g it
wor
k.”
For e
xam
ple,
with
pre
sent
tech
nolo
gy it
wou
ld ta
ke ro
ughl
y 7
mon
ths
to g
et fr
om E
arth
to M
ars,
if th
e jo
urne
y is
tim
ed to
take
ad
vant
age
of w
hen
they
are
clo
sest
to e
ach
othe
r. (T
he n
eare
st
they
eve
r get
is a
bout
54.
6 m
illion
km
, the
furth
est a
part
they
ev
er g
et is
abo
ut 4
01 m
illion
km
, whe
n th
ey a
re a
t opp
osite
en
ds o
f the
ir or
bit,
and
the
Sun
is in
bet
wee
n th
em).
So if
tim
ed
right
, peo
ple
coul
d go
to M
ars
and
stay
a s
hort
time
(a c
oupl
e
of w
eeks
), an
d th
en s
et o
ff ba
ck w
hile
the
two
plan
ets
are
rela
tivel
y cl
ose.
Or t
hey
coul
d w
ait o
n M
ars
for a
bout
a y
ear
until
they
can
hit
anot
her c
lose
app
roac
h. (T
here
is ro
ughl
y 26
m
onth
s be
twee
n cl
oses
t app
roac
hes,
but
obv
ious
ly y
ou h
ave
to s
et o
ff m
onth
s be
fore
hand
, hea
ding
for w
here
you
kno
w th
e pl
anet
is g
oing
to b
e w
hen
you
get t
here
.)
Oth
er v
aria
bles
are
how
big
a c
raft
we’
d se
nd, w
heth
er th
e w
hole
cra
ft w
ould
land
on
the
surfa
ce, o
r (m
ore
likel
y) th
e bu
lk
of th
e cr
aft w
ould
sta
y in
orb
it ar
ound
Mar
s an
d a
smal
l lan
der
mod
ule
wou
ld la
nd o
n th
e pl
anet
. Wha
t kin
d of
hab
itats
as
trona
uts
wou
ld li
ve in
on
Mar
s, a
nd h
ow th
ese
wou
ld g
et
ther
e/be
bui
lt. W
hat f
uel t
he re
turn
trip
wou
ld u
se. I
t’s p
ossi
ble
to s
end
robo
tic c
raft
with
car
go to
Mar
s be
fore
the
hum
an
mis
sion
, so
that
sup
plie
s ar
e w
aitin
g th
ere
whe
n th
e as
trona
uts
arriv
e. B
ut th
e as
trona
uts
wou
ld s
till h
ave
to fi
nd th
ese
on
the
surfa
ce a
nd a
ssem
ble
habi
tats
, etc
.
At b
est t
here
wou
ld b
e a
20 m
inut
e la
g fo
r com
mun
icat
ions
to
Mar
s. A
t som
e po
ints
the
Sun
wou
ld b
e be
twee
n M
ars
and
Earth
and
the
astro
naut
s w
ould
be
inco
mm
unic
ado
for d
ays
or w
eeks
. The
cre
w w
ould
pro
babl
y be
four
or fi
ve p
eopl
e. It
w
ould
be
a di
fficu
lt m
issi
on p
sych
olog
ical
ly. S
pace
age
ncie
s ar
e w
orki
ng w
ith p
sych
olog
ists
who
stu
dy ‘i
sola
ted
and
cont
aine
d en
viro
nmen
ts’ (
for e
xam
ple,
the
Anta
rctic
rese
arch
bas
e) to
hel
p th
em w
ork
out h
ow to
cho
ose
and
how
to tr
ain
astro
naut
s fo
r a
mis
sion
like
this
.
Oth
er re
sour
ces:
The
UK
Spac
e Ag
ency
and
its
partn
ers
have
put
toge
ther
a
prog
ram
me
of e
duca
tion
activ
ities
rela
ted
to th
e Pr
inci
pia
mis
sion
. pr
inci
pia.
org.
uk/g
et-in
volv
ed/
ESER
O-U
K pr
ovid
es fr
ee re
sour
ces,
sup
port
and
info
rmat
ion
for
teac
hers
to e
nhan
ce th
e te
achi
ng a
nd le
arni
ng o
f STE
M u
sing
spa
ce a
s a
cont
ext.
stem
.org
.uk/
eser
o/
We
have
col
lect
ed a
rang
e of
reso
urce
s w
hich
can
be
used
with
this
kit
at: d
ebat
e.im
asci
entis
t.org
.uk/
mar
s-de
bate
-kit-
reso
urce
s/
6pp
A6 In
stru
ctio
ns S
heet
s (M
ars)
FIN
AL.in
dd
120
/04/
2016
12
:12
• How
to la
unch
a s
pace
craf
t int
o sp
ace,
from
the
surfa
ce o
f M
ars
for t
he re
turn
jour
ney.
We’
ve h
ad lo
ts o
f pra
ctic
e at
la
unch
ing
spac
ecra
ft fro
m E
arth
, but
we’
ll ha
ve n
o ch
ance
to
prac
tice
on M
ars.
We’
ll pr
obab
ly h
ave
to m
ine
fuel
from
Mar
s in
som
e w
ay (a
s w
e w
on’t
be a
ble
to ta
ke e
noug
h w
ith u
s), b
ut
we
don’
t kno
w w
hat,
how,
or w
hen.
• We
don’
t kno
w e
noug
h ab
out t
he lo
ng te
rm p
hysi
olog
ical
ef
fect
s of
spa
ce tr
avel
and
how
to m
itiga
te th
em.
• We
also
don
’t re
ally
kno
w h
ow to
kee
p hu
man
s al
ive
all t
he
way
ther
e, o
n M
ars,
and
then
all
the
way
bac
k –
prov
idin
g ai
r, w
ater
, foo
d, k
eepi
ng th
em w
arm
, com
batti
ng th
e ef
fect
s of
m
icro
grav
ity, d
ealin
g w
ith w
aste
. Eith
er w
e ne
ed to
dev
elop
m
uch
bette
r tec
hnol
ogy
than
we
have
now
to d
o al
l the
se
thin
gs. O
r we
send
an
enor
mou
s cr
aft,
whi
ch w
ill be
un
feas
ibly
exp
ensi
ve to
bui
ld a
nd la
unch
. In
a s
ense
, it’s
mai
nly
the
send
ing
bodi
es in
to s
pace
(and
sa
fely
bac
k) th
at m
akes
it d
ifficu
lt, a
s w
e’ve
alre
ady
sent
nu
mer
ous
robo
tic c
raft.
Hum
an b
odie
s ar
e of
cou
rse
op
timis
ed fo
r the
tem
pera
ture
/pre
ssur
e/gr
avity
/radi
atio
n
leve
ls fo
und
on E
arth
. It’s
sai
d it
take
s a
day
on E
arth
to
reco
ver f
rom
eac
h da
y in
spa
ce.
Bein
g in
ext
rem
ely
low
gra
vity
mea
ns re
duce
d lo
adin
g an
d
disu
se o
f wei
ght-b
earin
g tis
sues
- m
uscl
es w
aste
aw
ay a
nd
bone
s lo
se m
ass.
Flu
id is
no
long
er p
ulle
d in
to th
e lo
wer
bod
y by
gra
vity
, so
pool
s in
the
uppe
r bod
y. T
he b
ody
resp
onds
by
redu
cing
blo
od v
olum
e. W
hen
astro
naut
s re
turn
to 1
g, th
ey
don’
t hav
e en
ough
blo
od v
olum
e an
d th
eir h
eart
mus
cles
and
ci
rcul
atio
n ar
e w
eak.
Cre
w o
n th
e In
tern
atio
nal S
pace
Sta
tion
(ISS)
exe
rcis
e fo
r 2.5
hou
rs a
day
, but
they
are
still
take
n of
f to
4) T
ake
it in
turn
s to
read
out
thei
r fac
t. D
oes
it ch
ange
the
way
they
thin
k?5)
Rea
d th
e is
sue.
Any
diff
eren
t fee
lings
?6)
Eac
h te
am a
sks
thei
r que
stio
n to
the
char
acte
r of t
heir
choi
ce.
Sup
port
: To
help
stu
dent
s yo
u ca
n pu
t the
follo
win
g pr
ompt
se
nten
ces
up o
n th
e bo
ard:
“I
thin
k w
e sh
ould
/sho
uldn
’t se
nd h
uman
s to
Mar
s
beca
use…
……
……
… ”
“I th
ink
……
……
……
is th
e m
ost i
mpo
rtant
poi
nt to
thin
k ab
out.”
Plen
ary:
10
min
utes
Vote
for w
hich
pos
ition
they
agr
ee w
ith m
ost (
if th
ere
is o
ne).
Why
? W
hich
arg
umen
ts w
ere
the
mos
t per
suas
ive?
Not
e –
Pupi
ls c
an s
tay
in ro
les
all t
he w
ay th
roug
h th
e de
bate
, or
onl
y fo
r the
firs
t rou
nd if
you
pre
fer.
If it’s
all
the
way
thro
ugh,
gi
ve th
em a
cha
nce
to e
xpre
ss th
eir o
wn
opin
ion
at th
e en
d
and
in th
e pl
enar
y.
For g
roup
s w
ho a
re n
ot c
onfid
ent a
t cla
ss d
iscu
ssio
n, it
m
ight
hel
p to
hav
e th
em s
tart
by d
iscu
ssin
g th
e qu
estio
n
and/
or th
eir c
hara
cter
’s p
ositi
on in
pai
rs, a
nd th
en c
ompa
re
note
s in
four
s. T
hey’
ve th
en h
ad c
hanc
e to
rehe
arse
som
e of
w
hat t
hey
wan
t to
say
befo
re h
avin
g to
do
it in
fron
t of
the
who
le c
lass
.
Bac
kgro
und
note
sN
B, t
hrou
ghou
t thi
s ki
t we
have
avo
ided
any
use
of t
he w
ords
‘m
anne
d’ o
r ‘un
man
ned’
, in
line
with
offi
cial
Nas
a st
yle
guid
e.
Inte
rest
ing
disc
ussi
on o
f thi
s ht
tps:
//sto
rify.
com
/ela
kdaw
alla
/fin
ding
-new
-lang
uage
-for-
hum
an-m
issi
ons
Mar
s is
the
four
th p
lane
t fro
m th
e su
n in
our
sol
ar s
yste
m.
It is
a ‘t
erre
stria
l pla
net’
(i.e.
Ear
thlik
e), m
eani
ng it
is c
ompo
sed
mai
nly
of s
ilica
te ro
cks
and
met
als
and
has
a so
lid p
lane
t su
rface
(unl
ike
the
‘Gia
nt p
lane
ts’ l
ike
Jupi
ter a
nd S
atur
n).
It ha
s a
thin
atm
osph
ere.
Mar
s fa
cts-
at-a
-gla
nce
• Mea
n ra
dius
: 3,3
90 k
m (a
bout
53%
that
of E
arth
)• M
ass:
6.4
2 x
1023
kg
(or 6
42 s
extill
ion
kg, a
bout
11%
that
of E
arth
)• S
urfa
ce g
ravi
ty: 3
.71m
/s2 (
abou
t 38%
that
of E
arth
)• A
vera
ge te
mpe
ratu
re o
f atm
osph
ere:
-63°
C (c
f 15°
C fo
r Ear
th)
• Len
gth
of y
ear:
687
Earth
day
s• L
engt
h of
day
: 24h
r 40m
ins
Hum
an m
issi
ons
to M
ars?
Ther
e ar
e m
any
argu
men
ts fo
r and
aga
inst
sen
ding
hum
ans
to
Mar
s (th
is is
why
we
mad
e it
the
basi
s of
a d
ebat
e ki
t!).
But
pra
ctic
ally
spe
akin
g, w
e’d
have
to s
olve
a lo
t of i
ssue
s fir
st.
Thin
gs w
e do
n’t k
now
yet
:• H
ow b
est t
o sh
ield
ast
rona
uts
from
cos
mic
radi
atio
n on
the
jour
ney
ther
e an
d w
hile
on
the
surfa
ce o
f Mar
s.
6pp
A6 In
stru
ctio
ns S
heet
s (M
ars)
FIN
AL.in
dd
220
/04/
2016
12
:12
• How
to la
unch
a s
pace
craf
t int
o sp
ace,
from
the
surfa
ce o
f M
ars
for t
he re
turn
jour
ney.
We’
ve h
ad lo
ts o
f pra
ctic
e at
la
unch
ing
spac
ecra
ft fro
m E
arth
, but
we’
ll ha
ve n
o ch
ance
to
prac
tice
on M
ars.
We’
ll pr
obab
ly h
ave
to m
ine
fuel
from
Mar
s in
som
e w
ay (a
s w
e w
on’t
be a
ble
to ta
ke e
noug
h w
ith u
s), b
ut
we
don’
t kno
w w
hat,
how,
or w
hen.
• We
don’
t kno
w e
noug
h ab
out t
he lo
ng te
rm p
hysi
olog
ical
ef
fect
s of
spa
ce tr
avel
and
how
to m
itiga
te th
em.
• We
also
don
’t re
ally
kno
w h
ow to
kee
p hu
man
s al
ive
all t
he
way
ther
e, o
n M
ars,
and
then
all
the
way
bac
k –
prov
idin
g ai
r, w
ater
, foo
d, k
eepi
ng th
em w
arm
, com
batti
ng th
e ef
fect
s of
m
icro
grav
ity, d
ealin
g w
ith w
aste
. Eith
er w
e ne
ed to
dev
elop
m
uch
bette
r tec
hnol
ogy
than
we
have
now
to d
o al
l the
se
thin
gs. O
r we
send
an
enor
mou
s cr
aft,
whi
ch w
ill be
un
feas
ibly
exp
ensi
ve to
bui
ld a
nd la
unch
. In
a s
ense
, it’s
mai
nly
the
send
ing
bodi
es in
to s
pace
(and
sa
fely
bac
k) th
at m
akes
it d
ifficu
lt, a
s w
e’ve
alre
ady
sent
nu
mer
ous
robo
tic c
raft.
Hum
an b
odie
s ar
e of
cou
rse
op
timis
ed fo
r the
tem
pera
ture
/pre
ssur
e/gr
avity
/radi
atio
n
leve
ls fo
und
on E
arth
. It’s
sai
d it
take
s a
day
on E
arth
to
reco
ver f
rom
eac
h da
y in
spa
ce.
Bein
g in
ext
rem
ely
low
gra
vity
mea
ns re
duce
d lo
adin
g an
d
disu
se o
f wei
ght-b
earin
g tis
sues
- m
uscl
es w
aste
aw
ay a
nd
bone
s lo
se m
ass.
Flu
id is
no
long
er p
ulle
d in
to th
e lo
wer
bod
y by
gra
vity
, so
pool
s in
the
uppe
r bod
y. T
he b
ody
resp
onds
by
redu
cing
blo
od v
olum
e. W
hen
astro
naut
s re
turn
to 1
g, th
ey
don’
t hav
e en
ough
blo
od v
olum
e an
d th
eir h
eart
mus
cles
and
ci
rcul
atio
n ar
e w
eak.
Cre
w o
n th
e In
tern
atio
nal S
pace
Sta
tion
(ISS)
exe
rcis
e fo
r 2.5
hou
rs a
day
, but
they
are
still
take
n of
f to
4) T
ake
it in
turn
s to
read
out
thei
r fac
t. D
oes
it ch
ange
the
way
they
thin
k?5)
Rea
d th
e is
sue.
Any
diff
eren
t fee
lings
?6)
Eac
h te
am a
sks
thei
r que
stio
n to
the
char
acte
r of t
heir
choi
ce.
Sup
port
: To
help
stu
dent
s yo
u ca
n pu
t the
follo
win
g pr
ompt
se
nten
ces
up o
n th
e bo
ard:
“I
thin
k w
e sh
ould
/sho
uldn
’t se
nd h
uman
s to
Mar
s
beca
use…
……
……
… ”
“I th
ink
……
……
……
is th
e m
ost i
mpo
rtant
poi
nt to
thin
k ab
out.”
Plen
ary:
10
min
utes
Vote
for w
hich
pos
ition
they
agr
ee w
ith m
ost (
if th
ere
is o
ne).
Why
? W
hich
arg
umen
ts w
ere
the
mos
t per
suas
ive?
Not
e –
Pupi
ls c
an s
tay
in ro
les
all t
he w
ay th
roug
h th
e de
bate
, or
onl
y fo
r the
firs
t rou
nd if
you
pre
fer.
If it’s
all
the
way
thro
ugh,
gi
ve th
em a
cha
nce
to e
xpre
ss th
eir o
wn
opin
ion
at th
e en
d
and
in th
e pl
enar
y.
For g
roup
s w
ho a
re n
ot c
onfid
ent a
t cla
ss d
iscu
ssio
n, it
m
ight
hel
p to
hav
e th
em s
tart
by d
iscu
ssin
g th
e qu
estio
n
and/
or th
eir c
hara
cter
’s p
ositi
on in
pai
rs, a
nd th
en c
ompa
re
note
s in
four
s. T
hey’
ve th
en h
ad c
hanc
e to
rehe
arse
som
e of
w
hat t
hey
wan
t to
say
befo
re h
avin
g to
do
it in
fron
t of
the
who
le c
lass
.
Bac
kgro
und
note
sN
B, t
hrou
ghou
t thi
s ki
t we
have
avo
ided
any
use
of t
he w
ords
‘m
anne
d’ o
r ‘un
man
ned’
, in
line
with
offi
cial
Nas
a st
yle
guid
e.
Inte
rest
ing
disc
ussi
on o
f thi
s ht
tps:
//sto
rify.
com
/ela
kdaw
alla
/fin
ding
-new
-lang
uage
-for-
hum
an-m
issi
ons
Mar
s is
the
four
th p
lane
t fro
m th
e su
n in
our
sol
ar s
yste
m.
It is
a ‘t
erre
stria
l pla
net’
(i.e.
Ear
thlik
e), m
eani
ng it
is c
ompo
sed
mai
nly
of s
ilica
te ro
cks
and
met
als
and
has
a so
lid p
lane
t su
rface
(unl
ike
the
‘Gia
nt p
lane
ts’ l
ike
Jupi
ter a
nd S
atur
n).
It ha
s a
thin
atm
osph
ere.
Mar
s fa
cts-
at-a
-gla
nce
• Mea
n ra
dius
: 3,3
90 k
m (a
bout
53%
that
of E
arth
)• M
ass:
6.4
2 x
1023
kg
(or 6
42 s
extill
ion
kg, a
bout
11%
that
of E
arth
)• S
urfa
ce g
ravi
ty: 3
.71m
/s2 (
abou
t 38%
that
of E
arth
)• A
vera
ge te
mpe
ratu
re o
f atm
osph
ere:
-63°
C (c
f 15°
C fo
r Ear
th)
• Len
gth
of y
ear:
687
Earth
day
s• L
engt
h of
day
: 24h
r 40m
ins
Hum
an m
issi
ons
to M
ars?
Ther
e ar
e m
any
argu
men
ts fo
r and
aga
inst
sen
ding
hum
ans
to
Mar
s (th
is is
why
we
mad
e it
the
basi
s of
a d
ebat
e ki
t!).
But
pra
ctic
ally
spe
akin
g, w
e’d
have
to s
olve
a lo
t of i
ssue
s fir
st.
Thin
gs w
e do
n’t k
now
yet
:• H
ow b
est t
o sh
ield
ast
rona
uts
from
cos
mic
radi
atio
n on
the
jour
ney
ther
e an
d w
hile
on
the
surfa
ce o
f Mar
s.
6pp
A6 In
stru
ctio
ns S
heet
s (M
ars)
FIN
AL.in
dd
220
/04/
2016
12
:12
This
wor
k is
lice
nsed
und
er th
e C
reat
ive
Com
mon
s A
ttrib
utio
n-N
onC
omm
erci
al-S
hare
Alik
e4.
0 In
tern
atio
nal L
icen
se. T
o vi
ew a
cop
y of
this
lice
nse,
visi
t http
://cr
eativ
ecom
mon
s.or
g/lic
ense
s/by
-nc-
sa/4
.0/.
Que
stio
n:
Shou
ld w
e se
nd a
hum
an m
issi
on t
o M
ars?
Teac
her N
otes
Less
on p
lan
The
diffe
rent
‘rou
nds’
of t
he d
ebat
e he
lp s
tude
nts
th
ink
thro
ugh
the
issu
es a
nd re
cons
ider
thei
r opi
nion
s.
The
stru
ctur
e al
so s
how
s th
em h
ow to
bui
ld a
dis
cuss
ion
and
back
up
thei
r opi
nion
s w
ith fa
cts.
Star
ter:
5 m
inut
es.
Wha
t do
they
kno
w a
bout
hum
ans
in s
pace
? W
hen
did
the
first
hum
ans
visi
t spa
ce?
Are
ther
e an
y hu
man
s in
spa
ce
now
? Th
inki
ng a
bout
wha
t the
y kn
ow a
bout
hum
an b
odie
s,
wha
t are
all
the
thin
gs th
at o
ur b
odie
s ne
ed, t
hat a
re h
ard
to
get i
n sp
ace?
Mai
n A
ctiv
ity: 3
5 m
inut
es.
1) S
plit
stud
ents
into
as
man
y gr
oups
as
char
acte
rs y
ou
wan
t to
cove
r.2)
Giv
e th
em th
eir c
hara
cter
car
ds –
one
per
gro
up, a
nd
give
them
a fe
w m
inut
es to
read
them
ove
r.3)
Get
one
stu
dent
in e
ach
grou
p to
read
out
thei
r firs
t se
ctio
n to
the
rest
of t
he c
lass
. Wha
t are
the
clas
s’s
initi
al th
ough
ts?
Is th
ere
one
posi
tion
they
iden
tify
with
or
reje
ct? Th
ese
deba
te k
its h
ave
been
us
ed w
ith a
ges
11-1
8.
KS4:
hosp
ital i
n a
whe
elch
air w
hen
they
get
bac
k to
Ear
th (w
hich
is
why
you
nev
er s
ee tr
ium
phan
t ret
urni
ng a
stro
naut
s w
avin
g fo
r th
e ne
ws
cam
eras
).
The
long
est a
nyon
e ha
s sp
ent o
n th
e IS
S is
one
yea
r.
We
don’
t kno
w w
hat t
he e
ffect
of t
wo
year
s or
mor
e w
ould
be.
As p
art o
f the
rese
arch
for t
his
kit,
we
spok
e to
Chr
is W
elch
, Pr
ofes
sor o
f Ast
rona
utic
s an
d Sp
ace
Engi
neer
ing
at th
e
Inte
rnat
iona
l Spa
ce U
nive
rsity
in S
trasb
ourg
. He
said
, “Th
ere
are
so m
any
varia
bles
in h
ow a
hum
an m
issi
on to
Mar
s w
ould
wor
k,
it’s a
fasc
inat
ing
prob
lem
. To
be h
ones
t, it’s
wha
t spa
cecr
aft
engi
neer
s do
whe
n w
e ar
e bo
red:
des
ign
diffe
rent
fant
asy
miss
ions
to
Mar
s, to
see
if w
e ca
n fin
d a
new
way
of m
akin
g it
wor
k.”
For e
xam
ple,
with
pre
sent
tech
nolo
gy it
wou
ld ta
ke ro
ughl
y 7
mon
ths
to g
et fr
om E
arth
to M
ars,
if th
e jo
urne
y is
tim
ed to
take
ad
vant
age
of w
hen
they
are
clo
sest
to e
ach
othe
r. (T
he n
eare
st
they
eve
r get
is a
bout
54.
6 m
illion
km
, the
furth
est a
part
they
ev
er g
et is
abo
ut 4
01 m
illion
km
, whe
n th
ey a
re a
t opp
osite
en
ds o
f the
ir or
bit,
and
the
Sun
is in
bet
wee
n th
em).
So if
tim
ed
right
, peo
ple
coul
d go
to M
ars
and
stay
a s
hort
time
(a c
oupl
e
of w
eeks
), an
d th
en s
et o
ff ba
ck w
hile
the
two
plan
ets
are
rela
tivel
y cl
ose.
Or t
hey
coul
d w
ait o
n M
ars
for a
bout
a y
ear
until
they
can
hit
anot
her c
lose
app
roac
h. (T
here
is ro
ughl
y 26
m
onth
s be
twee
n cl
oses
t app
roac
hes,
but
obv
ious
ly y
ou h
ave
to s
et o
ff m
onth
s be
fore
hand
, hea
ding
for w
here
you
kno
w th
e pl
anet
is g
oing
to b
e w
hen
you
get t
here
.)
Oth
er v
aria
bles
are
how
big
a c
raft
we’
d se
nd, w
heth
er th
e w
hole
cra
ft w
ould
land
on
the
surfa
ce, o
r (m
ore
likel
y) th
e bu
lk
of th
e cr
aft w
ould
sta
y in
orb
it ar
ound
Mar
s an
d a
smal
l lan
der
mod
ule
wou
ld la
nd o
n th
e pl
anet
. Wha
t kin
d of
hab
itats
as
trona
uts
wou
ld li
ve in
on
Mar
s, a
nd h
ow th
ese
wou
ld g
et
ther
e/be
bui
lt. W
hat f
uel t
he re
turn
trip
wou
ld u
se. I
t’s p
ossi
ble
to s
end
robo
tic c
raft
with
car
go to
Mar
s be
fore
the
hum
an
mis
sion
, so
that
sup
plie
s ar
e w
aitin
g th
ere
whe
n th
e as
trona
uts
arriv
e. B
ut th
e as
trona
uts
wou
ld s
till h
ave
to fi
nd th
ese
on
the
surfa
ce a
nd a
ssem
ble
habi
tats
, etc
.
At b
est t
here
wou
ld b
e a
20 m
inut
e la
g fo
r com
mun
icat
ions
to
Mar
s. A
t som
e po
ints
the
Sun
wou
ld b
e be
twee
n M
ars
and
Earth
and
the
astro
naut
s w
ould
be
inco
mm
unic
ado
for d
ays
or w
eeks
. The
cre
w w
ould
pro
babl
y be
four
or fi
ve p
eopl
e. It
w
ould
be
a di
fficu
lt m
issi
on p
sych
olog
ical
ly. S
pace
age
ncie
s ar
e w
orki
ng w
ith p
sych
olog
ists
who
stu
dy ‘i
sola
ted
and
cont
aine
d en
viro
nmen
ts’ (
for e
xam
ple,
the
Anta
rctic
rese
arch
bas
e) to
hel
p th
em w
ork
out h
ow to
cho
ose
and
how
to tr
ain
astro
naut
s fo
r a
mis
sion
like
this
.
Oth
er re
sour
ces:
The
UK
Spac
e Ag
ency
and
its
partn
ers
have
put
toge
ther
a
prog
ram
me
of e
duca
tion
activ
ities
rela
ted
to th
e Pr
inci
pia
mis
sion
. pr
inci
pia.
org.
uk/g
et-in
volv
ed/
ESER
O-U
K pr
ovid
es fr
ee re
sour
ces,
sup
port
and
info
rmat
ion
for
teac
hers
to e
nhan
ce th
e te
achi
ng a
nd le
arni
ng o
f STE
M u
sing
spa
ce a
s a
cont
ext.
stem
.org
.uk/
eser
o/
We
have
col
lect
ed a
rang
e of
reso
urce
s w
hich
can
be
used
with
this
kit
at: d
ebat
e.im
asci
entis
t.org
.uk/
mar
s-de
bate
-kit-
reso
urce
s/
6pp
A6 In
stru
ctio
ns S
heet
s (M
ars)
FIN
AL.in
dd
120
/04/
2016
12
:12
• How
to la
unch
a s
pace
craf
t int
o sp
ace,
from
the
surfa
ce o
f M
ars
for t
he re
turn
jour
ney.
We’
ve h
ad lo
ts o
f pra
ctic
e at
la
unch
ing
spac
ecra
ft fro
m E
arth
, but
we’
ll ha
ve n
o ch
ance
to
prac
tice
on M
ars.
We’
ll pr
obab
ly h
ave
to m
ine
fuel
from
Mar
s in
som
e w
ay (a
s w
e w
on’t
be a
ble
to ta
ke e
noug
h w
ith u
s), b
ut
we
don’
t kno
w w
hat,
how,
or w
hen.
• We
don’
t kno
w e
noug
h ab
out t
he lo
ng te
rm p
hysi
olog
ical
ef
fect
s of
spa
ce tr
avel
and
how
to m
itiga
te th
em.
• We
also
don
’t re
ally
kno
w h
ow to
kee
p hu
man
s al
ive
all t
he
way
ther
e, o
n M
ars,
and
then
all
the
way
bac
k –
prov
idin
g ai
r, w
ater
, foo
d, k
eepi
ng th
em w
arm
, com
batti
ng th
e ef
fect
s of
m
icro
grav
ity, d
ealin
g w
ith w
aste
. Eith
er w
e ne
ed to
dev
elop
m
uch
bette
r tec
hnol
ogy
than
we
have
now
to d
o al
l the
se
thin
gs. O
r we
send
an
enor
mou
s cr
aft,
whi
ch w
ill be
un
feas
ibly
exp
ensi
ve to
bui
ld a
nd la
unch
. In
a s
ense
, it’s
mai
nly
the
send
ing
bodi
es in
to s
pace
(and
sa
fely
bac
k) th
at m
akes
it d
ifficu
lt, a
s w
e’ve
alre
ady
sent
nu
mer
ous
robo
tic c
raft.
Hum
an b
odie
s ar
e of
cou
rse
op
timis
ed fo
r the
tem
pera
ture
/pre
ssur
e/gr
avity
/radi
atio
n
leve
ls fo
und
on E
arth
. It’s
sai
d it
take
s a
day
on E
arth
to
reco
ver f
rom
eac
h da
y in
spa
ce.
Bein
g in
ext
rem
ely
low
gra
vity
mea
ns re
duce
d lo
adin
g an
d
disu
se o
f wei
ght-b
earin
g tis
sues
- m
uscl
es w
aste
aw
ay a
nd
bone
s lo
se m
ass.
Flu
id is
no
long
er p
ulle
d in
to th
e lo
wer
bod
y by
gra
vity
, so
pool
s in
the
uppe
r bod
y. T
he b
ody
resp
onds
by
redu
cing
blo
od v
olum
e. W
hen
astro
naut
s re
turn
to 1
g, th
ey
don’
t hav
e en
ough
blo
od v
olum
e an
d th
eir h
eart
mus
cles
and
ci
rcul
atio
n ar
e w
eak.
Cre
w o
n th
e In
tern
atio
nal S
pace
Sta
tion
(ISS)
exe
rcis
e fo
r 2.5
hou
rs a
day
, but
they
are
still
take
n of
f to
4) T
ake
it in
turn
s to
read
out
thei
r fac
t. D
oes
it ch
ange
the
way
they
thin
k?5)
Rea
d th
e is
sue.
Any
diff
eren
t fee
lings
?6)
Eac
h te
am a
sks
thei
r que
stio
n to
the
char
acte
r of t
heir
choi
ce.
Sup
port
: To
help
stu
dent
s yo
u ca
n pu
t the
follo
win
g pr
ompt
se
nten
ces
up o
n th
e bo
ard:
“I
thin
k w
e sh
ould
/sho
uldn
’t se
nd h
uman
s to
Mar
s
beca
use…
……
……
… ”
“I th
ink
……
……
……
is th
e m
ost i
mpo
rtant
poi
nt to
thin
k ab
out.”
Plen
ary:
10
min
utes
Vote
for w
hich
pos
ition
they
agr
ee w
ith m
ost (
if th
ere
is o
ne).
Why
? W
hich
arg
umen
ts w
ere
the
mos
t per
suas
ive?
Not
e –
Pupi
ls c
an s
tay
in ro
les
all t
he w
ay th
roug
h th
e de
bate
, or
onl
y fo
r the
firs
t rou
nd if
you
pre
fer.
If it’s
all
the
way
thro
ugh,
gi
ve th
em a
cha
nce
to e
xpre
ss th
eir o
wn
opin
ion
at th
e en
d
and
in th
e pl
enar
y.
For g
roup
s w
ho a
re n
ot c
onfid
ent a
t cla
ss d
iscu
ssio
n, it
m
ight
hel
p to
hav
e th
em s
tart
by d
iscu
ssin
g th
e qu
estio
n
and/
or th
eir c
hara
cter
’s p
ositi
on in
pai
rs, a
nd th
en c
ompa
re
note
s in
four
s. T
hey’
ve th
en h
ad c
hanc
e to
rehe
arse
som
e of
w
hat t
hey
wan
t to
say
befo
re h
avin
g to
do
it in
fron
t of
the
who
le c
lass
.
Bac
kgro
und
note
sN
B, t
hrou
ghou
t thi
s ki
t we
have
avo
ided
any
use
of t
he w
ords
‘m
anne
d’ o
r ‘un
man
ned’
, in
line
with
offi
cial
Nas
a st
yle
guid
e.
Inte
rest
ing
disc
ussi
on o
f thi
s ht
tps:
//sto
rify.
com
/ela
kdaw
alla
/fin
ding
-new
-lang
uage
-for-
hum
an-m
issi
ons
Mar
s is
the
four
th p
lane
t fro
m th
e su
n in
our
sol
ar s
yste
m.
It is
a ‘t
erre
stria
l pla
net’
(i.e.
Ear
thlik
e), m
eani
ng it
is c
ompo
sed
mai
nly
of s
ilica
te ro
cks
and
met
als
and
has
a so
lid p
lane
t su
rface
(unl
ike
the
‘Gia
nt p
lane
ts’ l
ike
Jupi
ter a
nd S
atur
n).
It ha
s a
thin
atm
osph
ere.
Mar
s fa
cts-
at-a
-gla
nce
• Mea
n ra
dius
: 3,3
90 k
m (a
bout
53%
that
of E
arth
)• M
ass:
6.4
2 x
1023
kg
(or 6
42 s
extill
ion
kg, a
bout
11%
that
of E
arth
)• S
urfa
ce g
ravi
ty: 3
.71m
/s2 (
abou
t 38%
that
of E
arth
)• A
vera
ge te
mpe
ratu
re o
f atm
osph
ere:
-63°
C (c
f 15°
C fo
r Ear
th)
• Len
gth
of y
ear:
687
Earth
day
s• L
engt
h of
day
: 24h
r 40m
ins
Hum
an m
issi
ons
to M
ars?
Ther
e ar
e m
any
argu
men
ts fo
r and
aga
inst
sen
ding
hum
ans
to
Mar
s (th
is is
why
we
mad
e it
the
basi
s of
a d
ebat
e ki
t!).
But
pra
ctic
ally
spe
akin
g, w
e’d
have
to s
olve
a lo
t of i
ssue
s fir
st.
Thin
gs w
e do
n’t k
now
yet
:• H
ow b
est t
o sh
ield
ast
rona
uts
from
cos
mic
radi
atio
n on
the
jour
ney
ther
e an
d w
hile
on
the
surfa
ce o
f Mar
s.
6pp
A6 In
stru
ctio
ns S
heet
s (M
ars)
FIN
AL.in
dd
220
/04/
2016
12
:12
This
wor
k is
lice
nsed
und
er th
e C
reat
ive
Com
mon
s A
ttrib
utio
n-N
onC
omm
erci
al-S
hare
Alik
e4.
0 In
tern
atio
nal L
icen
se. T
o vi
ew a
cop
y of
this
lice
nse,
visi
t http
://cr
eativ
ecom
mon
s.or
g/lic
ense
s/by
-nc-
sa/4
.0/.
Que
stio
n:
Shou
ld w
e se
nd a
hum
an m
issi
on t
o M
ars?
Teac
her N
otes
Less
on p
lan
The
diffe
rent
‘rou
nds’
of t
he d
ebat
e he
lp s
tude
nts
th
ink
thro
ugh
the
issu
es a
nd re
cons
ider
thei
r opi
nion
s.
The
stru
ctur
e al
so s
how
s th
em h
ow to
bui
ld a
dis
cuss
ion
and
back
up
thei
r opi
nion
s w
ith fa
cts.
Star
ter:
5 m
inut
es.
Wha
t do
they
kno
w a
bout
hum
ans
in s
pace
? W
hen
did
the
first
hum
ans
visi
t spa
ce?
Are
ther
e an
y hu
man
s in
spa
ce
now
? Th
inki
ng a
bout
wha
t the
y kn
ow a
bout
hum
an b
odie
s,
wha
t are
all
the
thin
gs th
at o
ur b
odie
s ne
ed, t
hat a
re h
ard
to
get i
n sp
ace?
Mai
n A
ctiv
ity: 3
5 m
inut
es.
1) S
plit
stud
ents
into
as
man
y gr
oups
as
char
acte
rs y
ou
wan
t to
cove
r.2)
Giv
e th
em th
eir c
hara
cter
car
ds –
one
per
gro
up, a
nd
give
them
a fe
w m
inut
es to
read
them
ove
r.3)
Get
one
stu
dent
in e
ach
grou
p to
read
out
thei
r firs
t se
ctio
n to
the
rest
of t
he c
lass
. Wha
t are
the
clas
s’s
initi
al th
ough
ts?
Is th
ere
one
posi
tion
they
iden
tify
with
or
reje
ct? Th
ese
deba
te k
its h
ave
been
us
ed w
ith a
ges
11-1
8.
KS4:
hosp
ital i
n a
whe
elch
air w
hen
they
get
bac
k to
Ear
th (w
hich
is
why
you
nev
er s
ee tr
ium
phan
t ret
urni
ng a
stro
naut
s w
avin
g fo
r th
e ne
ws
cam
eras
).
The
long
est a
nyon
e ha
s sp
ent o
n th
e IS
S is
one
yea
r.
We
don’
t kno
w w
hat t
he e
ffect
of t
wo
year
s or
mor
e w
ould
be.
As p
art o
f the
rese
arch
for t
his
kit,
we
spok
e to
Chr
is W
elch
, Pr
ofes
sor o
f Ast
rona
utic
s an
d Sp
ace
Engi
neer
ing
at th
e
Inte
rnat
iona
l Spa
ce U
nive
rsity
in S
trasb
ourg
. He
said
, “Th
ere
are
so m
any
varia
bles
in h
ow a
hum
an m
issi
on to
Mar
s w
ould
wor
k,
it’s a
fasc
inat
ing
prob
lem
. To
be h
ones
t, it’s
wha
t spa
cecr
aft
engi
neer
s do
whe
n w
e ar
e bo
red:
des
ign
diffe
rent
fant
asy
miss
ions
to
Mar
s, to
see
if w
e ca
n fin
d a
new
way
of m
akin
g it
wor
k.”
For e
xam
ple,
with
pre
sent
tech
nolo
gy it
wou
ld ta
ke ro
ughl
y 7
mon
ths
to g
et fr
om E
arth
to M
ars,
if th
e jo
urne
y is
tim
ed to
take
ad
vant
age
of w
hen
they
are
clo
sest
to e
ach
othe
r. (T
he n
eare
st
they
eve
r get
is a
bout
54.
6 m
illion
km
, the
furth
est a
part
they
ev
er g
et is
abo
ut 4
01 m
illion
km
, whe
n th
ey a
re a
t opp
osite
en
ds o
f the
ir or
bit,
and
the
Sun
is in
bet
wee
n th
em).
So if
tim
ed
right
, peo
ple
coul
d go
to M
ars
and
stay
a s
hort
time
(a c
oupl
e
of w
eeks
), an
d th
en s
et o
ff ba
ck w
hile
the
two
plan
ets
are
rela
tivel
y cl
ose.
Or t
hey
coul
d w
ait o
n M
ars
for a
bout
a y
ear
until
they
can
hit
anot
her c
lose
app
roac
h. (T
here
is ro
ughl
y 26
m
onth
s be
twee
n cl
oses
t app
roac
hes,
but
obv
ious
ly y
ou h
ave
to s
et o
ff m
onth
s be
fore
hand
, hea
ding
for w
here
you
kno
w th
e pl
anet
is g
oing
to b
e w
hen
you
get t
here
.)
Oth
er v
aria
bles
are
how
big
a c
raft
we’
d se
nd, w
heth
er th
e w
hole
cra
ft w
ould
land
on
the
surfa
ce, o
r (m
ore
likel
y) th
e bu
lk
of th
e cr
aft w
ould
sta
y in
orb
it ar
ound
Mar
s an
d a
smal
l lan
der
mod
ule
wou
ld la
nd o
n th
e pl
anet
. Wha
t kin
d of
hab
itats
as
trona
uts
wou
ld li
ve in
on
Mar
s, a
nd h
ow th
ese
wou
ld g
et
ther
e/be
bui
lt. W
hat f
uel t
he re
turn
trip
wou
ld u
se. I
t’s p
ossi
ble
to s
end
robo
tic c
raft
with
car
go to
Mar
s be
fore
the
hum
an
mis
sion
, so
that
sup
plie
s ar
e w
aitin
g th
ere
whe
n th
e as
trona
uts
arriv
e. B
ut th
e as
trona
uts
wou
ld s
till h
ave
to fi
nd th
ese
on
the
surfa
ce a
nd a
ssem
ble
habi
tats
, etc
.
At b
est t
here
wou
ld b
e a
20 m
inut
e la
g fo
r com
mun
icat
ions
to
Mar
s. A
t som
e po
ints
the
Sun
wou
ld b
e be
twee
n M
ars
and
Earth
and
the
astro
naut
s w
ould
be
inco
mm
unic
ado
for d
ays
or w
eeks
. The
cre
w w
ould
pro
babl
y be
four
or fi
ve p
eopl
e. It
w
ould
be
a di
fficu
lt m
issi
on p
sych
olog
ical
ly. S
pace
age
ncie
s ar
e w
orki
ng w
ith p
sych
olog
ists
who
stu
dy ‘i
sola
ted
and
cont
aine
d en
viro
nmen
ts’ (
for e
xam
ple,
the
Anta
rctic
rese
arch
bas
e) to
hel
p th
em w
ork
out h
ow to
cho
ose
and
how
to tr
ain
astro
naut
s fo
r a
mis
sion
like
this
.
Oth
er re
sour
ces:
The
UK
Spac
e Ag
ency
and
its
partn
ers
have
put
toge
ther
a
prog
ram
me
of e
duca
tion
activ
ities
rela
ted
to th
e Pr
inci
pia
mis
sion
. pr
inci
pia.
org.
uk/g
et-in
volv
ed/
ESER
O-U
K pr
ovid
es fr
ee re
sour
ces,
sup
port
and
info
rmat
ion
for
teac
hers
to e
nhan
ce th
e te
achi
ng a
nd le
arni
ng o
f STE
M u
sing
spa
ce a
s a
cont
ext.
stem
.org
.uk/
eser
o/
We
have
col
lect
ed a
rang
e of
reso
urce
s w
hich
can
be
used
with
this
kit
at: d
ebat
e.im
asci
entis
t.org
.uk/
mar
s-de
bate
-kit-
reso
urce
s/
6pp
A6 In
stru
ctio
ns S
heet
s (M
ars)
FIN
AL.in
dd
120
/04/
2016
12
:12
Robert Pinxton –AstrobiologistI am a scientist who looks for evidence of life on other planets. The more I study, the more I realise that we just don't know what life on other planets would be like. Everything we know is based on the life we see here on Earth. We could be completely missing living things, just because they are nothing like what we recognise. There could be life on Mars, and we could accidentally contaminate the planet and destroy it.
Fact: Some interstellar dust is made of organic molecules. Some people think that life on Earth is all descended from viruses brought by comets.
Issue: We can't be sure there is no life on another planet before we get there. But we could destroy that life by going to look.
Question: What right do we have to go and contaminate other planets, just out of curiosity, like a spoilt child?
IAS Mars Debate Debate Cards (Robert Pinxton) 20th Apr .pdf 1 20/04/2016 13:26
Penny O'Hara – Helicopter pilotI was a mountaineer in my youth, and climbed some of the most dangerous mountains in the world. Now I fly a mountain rescue helicopter. I understand what makes people want to explore and take risks, but looking back, I was an idiot. Every day in microgravity, people's muscles and bones get weaker, their hearts get weaker. Every day on the journey and on Mars they'd be exposed to levels of cosmic radiation that we don't know how to shield them from. We don't even know the long term effects of these things.
Fact: It takes about a day on Earth to recover from a day in space. So two years in space would take two years to recover.
Issue: I don't think we as a society should send people on such a dangerous mission, even if they say they want to go.
Question: Would the people who are so keen on the idea be happy if their brother or sister was going on the trip?
C
M
Y
CM
MY
CY
CMY
K
Derek Amundsen – PhysiologistPhysiologists study how the bodies of living organisms work. I specialise in how the human body responds to extreme conditions. We can learn so much by studying what happens to our bodies in space. And it's a fascinating challenge, working out how to design spacecraft and equipment to protect human bodies from space radiation, low temperatures, and the effects of microgravity. The hard thing about a mission to Mars is keeping humans alive on the space flight and when we get there.
Fact: Humans have evolved to live in the tropics. Our bodies are comfortable at 28°C, 1g of gravity, and 1 atmosphere of pressure. We can live in colder climates, because we invented clothes and houses.
Issue: We can find out so much we can't here on Earth.
Question: We could learn so much about health by studying the body's response to new environments. Are we really going to pass up this opportunity?
C
M
Y
CM
MY
CY
CMY
K
IAS Mars Debate Debate Cards (Derek Amundsen) 20th Apr .pdf 1 20/04/2016 13:24
Kai Buchanan –EcologistI study desertification – how land turns into desert and stops being able to produce food or support plants and animals. Deserts are growing all over the world. I'm horrified that people talk about a Mars mission like it's a lifeboat for humans. We can't just give up on Earth, our home, and run away to another planet. We should stay here and put our energy into trying to fix this one.
Fact: It costs £10,000 per kg just to launch things into a low Earth orbit. A mission to Mars will cost hundreds of billions of pounds.
Issue: I think that money and all that brain power would be better spent trying to solve our problems here on Earth.
Question: Shouldn't we work out how to live sustainably on this planet before colonising a new one?
IAS Mars Debate Debate Cards (Kai Buchanan) 20th April.pdf 1 20/04/2016 13:24
Bill McIntosh –Spacecraft engineer I've spent my life studying and designing spacecraft. Of course I want us to send people to Mars! Partly just because it would be really amazing to see. But far more seriously - sooner or later we need to leave Earth, or we'll all be wiped out. Mars would be a first step and staging post.
Fact: So many things could destroy life on Earth. Climate change, nuclear war, we could be wiped out by an asteroid, like the dinosaurs, and we're overdue a super-volcano eruption. Or, if we last that long, our sun will burn out in 4.5 billion years.
Issue: While all the humans are on Earth, it's like we've got all our eggs in one basket. It's too easy for us to get obliterated!
Question: How else can we develop all the technology and knowledge we need to send humans into the rest of the solar system?
C
M
Y
CM
MY
CY
CMY
K
Sarah Oakes – Politician and space enthusiastI think sending humans to Mars could be the Moon landings for a new generation. More than that, it's an incredible, amazing goal. Mars could be the start of the next phase for humanity. It will inspire so many people, and new inventions. I think it is our human destiny to do this. It could bring us together as a species, give us a common goal.
Fact: Many famous and successful scientists and engineers today were inspired by seeing the Moon landings when they were children.
Issue: The space race had dozens of spin-offs – technology that was developed for the space programme, but then has been useful on Earth too. Including lifesaving ways to detect cancer cells and many other medical improvements.
Question: Are we really going to just sit here on Earth, while there's a whole universe out there to explore?
Sudarat Jaa –Planetary geologistIt's so tantalising seeing the bits of data that the Mars Rover has sent back. But it's so limited. Robots can't 'think on their feet', they can't interpret what they see and think of another question to ask or experiment to do. I'm just itching for us to send up a geologist with a hammer! We know Mars used to be more like Earth, with water and an atmosphere. What happened to it? Finding out could tell us a lot about Earth and our possible future.
Fact: It can take weeks of programming just to get the Mars Rover to go back ten metres and take another look at an interesting-looking rock they passed.
Issue: A team of people could find out more in a week than robot probes could in years.
Question: Don't you think we should go to Mars to learn as much as possible about what Earth's future might hold?
IAS Mars Debate Debate Cards (Sudarat Jaa) 20th Apr .pdf 1 20/04/2016 12:23
Greta Stevens – Aerospace engineerI totally agree we need to send humans into space as a safeguard, like a sort of lifeboat if something happens to Earth. But I think Mars is the wrong mission. Too far away, too inhospitable, too difficult! We should start with a colony on the Moon.
Fact: We can get to the Moon in 3 days. The quickest journey to Mars would be about 7 months one way. And that's when Mars and Earth are at their closest, which only happens about every 2 years.
Issue: It's so much easier to get to the Moon, and to bring people or equipment back if there are any problems.
Question: What happens if someone falls ill or a crucial piece of equipment fails on Mars? It could be years before we could get there to help.
C
M
Y
CM
MY
CY
CMY
K
IAS Mars Debate Debate Cards (Greta Stevens) 20th Apr.pdf 1 20/04/2016 12:21
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