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Design a Mars Mission Habitat

A Project Proposal to Percy Julian Middle School

Anne Endres

Applicant for School Librarian

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Design a Mars Mission Habitat

District 97, as part of its strategic goals, has expressed its desire to create empowered and
passionate scholars. To advance its goals for equity and inclusion, the district also seeks to
provide opportunities for girls and students of color to participate in science, technology,
engineering, and math (STEM) programs in its schools. The project we describe below advances
both of these important goals by providing Science Club members at Percy Julian Middle School
Science the chance to design a human habitat for a Mars mission.

Description of the Project

This project would be an engineering challenge for students in the Science Club to design
and build a prototype of a human habitat for a short-term mission to Mars. Over a period of 16
weeks, Science Club members would be asked to develop a list of requirements for a Mars
habitat, then design a two-dimensional plan (sketches or blueprints) of the habitat, create a three-
dimensional model (either a 3D computer model or a physical scale model), and finally construct
a full-scale prototype of the facility. The capstone of the project would be for the eight-grade
members of the Science Club to then serve as “astronauts on a mission” by inhabiting the facility
overnight to evaluate its livability and functionality.
The Percy Julian Middle School Media Center would serve as the design center for this
project. Students would use the media center’s materials, databases, computers, and makerspace
as resources during the design phase, under supervision from Mrs. Endres (your school librarian
candidate), Ms. Brown (science teacher and Science Club advisor), and Mr. Rodrigues (art
teacher). Once the Science Club members have finalized the design of their habitat, construction
of a full-size habitat mockup would take place on the auditorium stage. Mr. McGlynn (stage
manager of the auditorium), together with Mrs. Endres and Ms. Brown, would oversee the
students as they build this full-scale mockup. The mockup would be built in much the same way
as building a set for a play. Existing theater flats and props would be used to much of the
environment. Other school equipment would be reused wherever possible, such as chairs, tables,
computers and other materials. A modest budget would be used to purchase or construct
additional custom components that may be needed.
Near the end of the semester, once the habitat has been completed, each science class
would come to tour the habitat and learn about space travel. Our graduating Science Club
students would then put the environment to the test by completing an overnight mission in the
habitat. This simulation would provide final validation that the habitat provides a livable space
for the mission.

Detailed Description
A week-by-week description of events is as follows:
Week 1: Understand the problem. Students would be given these basic requirements
for the habitat: It must be designed to support and protect six astronauts who will live and work
on Mars for a 40-day mission, and it must be designed such that it would be feasible for NASA
(or a similarly resourced space agency) to build the habitat. Students would then have time to ask
questions and start developing a list of requirements for the habitat.
Weeks 2 and 3: Brainstorm ideas and solutions. Students would work to identify
possible ways to design and construct the habitat, clarifying the list of requirements along the
way.
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Weeks 4 and 5: Plan the habitat. Students create a two-dimensional plan (sketches or
blueprints) of the habitat. At the end of Week 5, the other science teachers (other than Ms.
Brown) will visit the designers, review progress to date, and provide feedback.
Week 6: Finalize the habitat plan. Students make any design revisions called for in the
teachers’ feedback and produce a final set of plans.
Weeks 7–9: Build a detailed 3D model. Students construct a 3D model of the facility
using either computer-aided design (CAD) software or by creating a physical scale model of the
habitat. At the end of Week 9, the science teachers will again visit the design lab to review the
model and provide feedback.
Weeks 10–14: Build a full-size mockup of the habitat. On the auditorium stage, the
students will construct a working mockup of the habitat. (Work is scheduled for Week 10 to take
place after the spring musical.) The overall goal for this stage is for students to simulate the Mars
habitat as completely as possible. Certain features will be designated as out of scope; for
instance, students will not need to create working bathrooms or meal preparation areas.
Otherwise, they will work to make the living and working areas as detailed, realistic, and
functional as possible.
Week 15: Demonstrations and mission simulation. Science classes will come visit the
mockup to learn about the project and issues concerning space travel. An open house will allow
parents and community members the chance to do the same. Finally, our graduating 8th-grade
“astronauts” will spend the night in their habitat, simulating a mission to validate the livability of
the habitat. (Mrs. Endres and Ms. Brown will monitor the astronauts’ health and safety during the
overnight mission by acting as “mission control.”)
Week 16: Tear-down. The mockup will be disassembled before the auditorium is
prepared for commencement weekend.

Project Plan
Smart Goal
During the Spring 2022 semester, Science Club members will design and build a full-
sized prototype of a human habitat for a Mars expedition, then test the design by inhabiting the
prototype for 12 hours and simulating mission activities.

Budget and Funding

Supplies to make scale models $200.00
Supplies to build a full-size prototype $600.00
 Paint (3 gallons @ $30 each= $90.00)
 Custom flats (12 flats @ $20 each = $240.00)
 Lumber for bunk beds, hatches, and control panels ($200.00)
 Miscellaneous ($70.00)
Air mattresses for overnight mission $120.00
 (6 @ $20 each = $120.00)
Crew uniforms $610.00
 Polo shirts for 8th grade overnight mission crew (6 @ $35 each= $210.00)
 T-shirts for remaining Science Club members (20 @ $200 each= $400.00)
Meals for overnight mission $150.00
TOTAL $1680.00
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Supplies furnished by school: Items available from the school for use in the project,
school library makerspace supplies, computers, school auditorium, theatre flats, tables, and
chairs.
Supplies furnished by families: Sleeping bags and pillows for overnight mission, pants
and shoes to complete student crew uniforms.
Funding: The Oak Park Education Foundation has committed a grant of $500.00 for the Mars
habitat mission. The Julian PTO has agreed to match this grant with another $500.00. Remaining
costs will be paid from the of the Science Club budget and a Science Club bake sale fundraiser at
the Fall Academic Fair.

Team Members
 Mrs. Endres: Librarian, projectco-leader, and Mars mission advisor
 Ms. Brown: Science teacher, Science Club sponsor, project co-leader, and Mars
mission advisor
 Mr. Rodrigues: Art teacher, 3D model and prototype specialist
 Mr. McGlynn: Auditorium manager, prototype construction manager
 Science Teachers: Advisors and project reviewers
 Science Club members: Habitat designers and mission crew
Other Stakeholders
 Parents
 Mr. Christian: School principal
 Science class students
Outcomes
During the Spring 2022 semester, Science Club members will design and build a full-
sized prototype of a human habitat for a Mars expedition, then test the design by inhabiting the
prototype for 12 hours and simulating mission activities. Deliverables will include:
 List of requirements for habitat (Week 3)
 2-D plan (Week 6)
 3-D scale model (Week 9)
 Full-size prototype (Week 14)

Project Timeline
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Assessment Plan
The project will have three different assessments to gauge mission progress and student
learning. Assessments will be monitored by the advisors and science teachers. During the 16-
week semester, there will be three deliverables that will require assessment. Each assessment will
be slightly different depending on the deliverable.
 Assessment #1: Plan Review (Week 6). The advisors and science teachers will review the
two-dimensional plans for the habitat (computer drawings or paper sketches) for
completeness and suitability for mission success.
 Assessment #2: Scale Model Review (Week 6). The advisors and science teachers will
review the three-dimensional model for the habitat (computer renderings or physical
scale model) for completeness and suitability for mission success.
 Assessment #3: Overnight Mission (Week 15). The advisors will review the success or
failure of the overnight mission,
A list of success criteria (subject to change during the design phase) is given below. Each
criterion will be assessed on a pass/fail basis since Mars in an unforgiving environment.
Each of the success criteria will be on a pass/fail Full Sized Prototype. This aspect of the
project will also be based on the initial checklist of requirements, as well as student
participation and engagement during the project.

Checklist of Requirements

1. The habitat design provides for the management of the internal atmosphere (oxygen and
carbon dioxide)
2. The habitat design provides heating and thermal protection from the Martian cold
3. The habitat design provides adequate storage for food and water
4. The habitat design provides meal preparation facilities
5. The habitat design provides for solid waste disposal
6. The habitat design provides adequate toilet and personal hygiene facilities
7. The habitat design provides adequate crew sleeping quarters
8. The habitat design provides adequate workspace and research facilities
9. The habitat design provides a suitable airlock area for egress/ingress with the outside
10. The habitat design provides adequate windows or viewports
11. The habitat design provides adequate power and lighting
12. The habitat design provides communication with Earth