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Photo Credit: NASA /JPL-CALTECH

On November 26, 2018, the NASA InSight probe is scheduled to make a landing on the surface of Mars. Here are 5 interesting facts you can share about this exciting event:

1. InSight is short for: Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport. 2. InSight was launched on May 5, 2018. 3. InSight’s mission is to study the interior of Mars. 4. When InSight reaches Mars, it will be traveling at nearly 4 miles/second. 5. InSight’s landing site is Elysium Planitia, Mars.

Mapping Mars Missions Learning about a planet takes time – lots of time. Knowledge is gained and built upon as we advance in technology. We start with flybys in which spacecraft photograph the planet as they pass by. We expand with orbiters that orbit around the planet and gather specific information. We advance to landers and rovers that actually touch the surface of a planet and investigate the surroundings.

Future missions could include crafts like airplanes and balloons that could fly over long distances, subsurface explorers that could travel into the planet, and sample return missions that actually bring samples of rocks, soil, and atmosphere back to Earth. Ultimately, humankind hopes to one day travel to distant planets and walk on a surface outside of the Earth and its moon.

Let’s explore some past, present, and future Missions to Mars.

NASA Mars Flyby Missions include: Mariner 4 Mariner 6 Mariner 7

Instructions: Research Mariner 4, Mariner 6, and Mariner 7 and record what you learned in the spaces below. Draw a picture of the mission vehicle or attach a photo from the internet.

What I learned about Mariner 4:

What I learned about Mariner 6:

What I learned about Mariner 7:

© 2018 Apologia Educational Ministries, Inc. www.apologia.com 5 Instructions: Add a drawing of these spacecrafts passing by Mars. Include any information you discovered, including the year of the mission:

Once we gather enough information about a planet, we can expand our knowledge of the planet’s surface by placing spacecraft in orbit around the planet. Do some research on these missions and record what you learned about them on the following pages.

Mariner 9 Viking 1-2 Mars Global Surveyor 2001 Mars Odyssey Mars Express Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution

© 2018 Apologia Educational Ministries, Inc. www.apologia.com 7 Instructions: In each area below record what your learned about each mission listed on page 7. If there is room, draw a picture of the mission vehicle or print a photo from the internet and attach it.

Mariner 9 Mission Type: ______

Launch: ______

Launch Vehicle: ______

Launch Location: ______

Orbit Insertion: ______

Mission Status: ______

Other information about this mission:

______

Viking 1-2 Mission Type: ______

Launch: ______

Launch Vehicle: ______

Launch Location: ______

Orbit Insertion: ______

Mission Status: ______

Other information about this mission:

______

Launch: ______

Launch Vehicle: ______

Launch Location: ______

Orbit Insertion: ______

Mission Status: ______

Other information about this mission:

______

2001 Mars Odyssey Mission Type: ______

Launch: ______

Launch Vehicle: ______

Launch Location: ______

Orbit Insertion: ______

Mission Status: ______

Other information about this mission:

______

Launch: ______

Launch Vehicle: ______

Launch Location: ______

Orbit Insertion: ______

Mission Status: ______

Other information about this mission:

______

Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Mission Type: ______

Launch: ______

Launch Vehicle: ______

Launch Location: ______

Orbit Insertion: ______

Mission Status: ______

Other information about this mission:

______

Launch: ______

Launch Vehicle: ______

Launch Location: ______

Orbit Insertion: ______

Mission Status: ______

Other information about this mission:

______

See if you can find all of the underlined words in the puzzle below.

Mars is the fourth planet from our sun following Mercury, Venus and Earth. It is part of the inner planets. The inner planets are called terrestrial planets because they are rocky planets. Mars has two moons called Phobos and Deimos.

The outer planets in our solar system include Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune. There are, of course, several dwarf planets that include Pluto and Ceres, as well as others. Mars is called the Red Planet because of the iron on its surface. There are both North and South polar ice caps on Mars.

Olympus Mons on Mars is the largest mountain in our solar system, and Valles Marineris is the largest canyon. The atmosphere on Mars is not like Earth’s. The temperature on Mars ranges from -125˚ F in the winter to 23˚ F in the summer. Mars experiences large dust storms. You can see Mars in the night sky without a telescope.

A K P E N U T P E N L N S Z C K V V S X O I E P O C S E L E T U F G B N A E M O N S A V M P U R A N U S N W O H L N R T P H O B O S N O M S U P M Y L O L U O U O N H R T E M P E R A T U R E I E S T L U S O I D I S O U T H T O M A R S A S P I E G R E K X V Y E I N N E R U M T T Q B R L S I R E T I P U J Z X V K A U S S W E Y A M Z U R E D P L A N E T R R U Y U C P S O L A R S Y S T E M G U I N D E B W H J S T G S N O O M V S L X N U E E B B E R E H P S O M T A G O Q F E C V A T B C O S D W V Y R U C R E M M R D H R W Z T E R R E S T R I A L M M E I P B T S B S W F R A W D D D N O R T H S K P H

As technology advances, we have the ability to do more. This includes landing on the surface of other planets to explore more! Use the links below to read about these missions to the surface to Mars:

Photo Credit: NASA /JPL-CALTECH/MSSS Photo Credit: NASA /JPL Photo Credit: NASA /JPL-CALTECH Photo Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UA/Lockheed Martin Viking 1-2 Pathfinder Mars Exploration Phoenix Rovers

Photo Credit: NASA /JPL-CALTECH/MSSS Photo Credit: NASA /JPL-CALTECH Photo Credit: ESA Photo Credit: NASA /JPL-CALTECH Mars Science InSight NASA In ESA's 2020 Mission Plans Laboratory ExoMars Rover and then have fun spending some time at this NASA website exploring Mars up close.

Missions to other planets take lots of time and lots of money. Once a spacecraft is launched successfully, it is on its way! Because of this, it is important that engineers and scientists do as much research as they can up front to understand their mission and create a spacecraft that can perform its duty flawlessly. You don’t want your lander to tip over, bounce around a lot, or damage instruments you are going to use to explore Mars.

You will need: zz Your imagination zz Craft supplies, such as cardboard, Styrofoam cups, bubble wrap, construction paper, chenille sticks, etc. zz Tape and glue

You will do: 1. Brainstorm: What task with your Mars craft be asked to complete? Record your ideas in the Mission Task section on page 15. 2. Research: Will you need to create a new technology to complete your task? Record or draw your ideas on page 15. 3. Come up with a mission name and emblem to use on a badge. Record your mission name and draw your mission emblem on page 16. 4. Design: Using craft materials and recycled items (detergent bottle, water bottles, cereal boxes, plastic forks and spoons, construction paper, just to name a few ideas) build a model of your explorer. You may need several prototypes to get it right so that it survives your testing in the next step. 5. Get ready for launch and landing. Here are some vehicle testing ideas. As you adjust your vehicle by adding or subtracting items, take a photo and attach them on page 17. a. Drop your spacecraft from about your waist height and see what happens. Does it tumble or break? That would not be good for a Mars landing. b. Look at all the craft items you have available. How could you stabilize and cushion your spacecraft so that it could land properly? Think about ways you could add shock-absorbers (straws work well). c. Test each idea until you can safely drop your spacecraft from your waist height and it lands upright with all of its instruments intact.

Take it Further! There is a reason NASA works really hard to land on flat surfaces. Drop your lander onto some bumpy pillows or create a crater and see if you can successfully complete a landing there.

Print out extra copies of the Mission Testing Log page and attach photos of your Take it further! Tests, draw pictures of what you did, or write what you tested and what happened.

Mission Tasks:

New Technologies the Mission Will Require. Describe or draw your ideas in the space below.

Mission Name: ______

The official mission badge:

As you adjust the design of your mission vehicle, attach a photo or draw a picture of how you adjusted the vehicle in the spaces below. Print more copies if you do a lot of testing and take it further!

Now imagine that you want to design a Mars community where humans could live. What would you need to build an ecosystem to protect people and provide the materials to grow food?

Enjoy NASA’s Space Place website and research Biosphere 2 in Arizona to learn more and explore some ideas for designing your own Mars habitat.

In the space below or on a separate piece of paper, create a picture of your Mars habitat. Include details of how it would provide the means necessary to sustain life. Devise a plan for how you would get the materials to Mars to build such a community.

Coloring Pages (younger students) Follow the links to these NASA coloring pages: zz Curiosity Rover (PDF, 3.89 MB) zz ATLAS Rocket (PDF, 81 KB) zz MAVEN Orbiter & Curiosity Rover (PDF, 84 KB) zz MAVEN Orbiter at Mars (PDF, 65 KB)

Paper Spacecraft Models (older students) Follow the links to these NASA pages for instructions to build these spacecrafts: zz Mars Pathfinder zz 2001 Mars Odyssey (PDF, 771 KB) zz Mars Global Surveyor (PDF, 6 KB) zz Phoenix Mars Lander

NASA graphic comic on Mars exploration

Work with NASA to Explore Mars (older students) If you genuinely have an interest in doing Mars research, follow this link to apply as a student to work with NASA equipment.

Below is an artist’s rendering of InSight. Use the mars.nasa.gov/insight/mission/instruments website to research Insight, label the parts, and write about the purpose of each.

Photo Credit: NASA /JPL-CALTECH

Instrument Deployment Arm: Instrument Context Camera:

Grapple: Pressure Inlet:

RISE Antennas: Temperature/Wind Sensors:

SEIS Instrument: Heat Flow Probe:

HP3 instrument:

During its descent to the surface of Mars, InSight will use a parachute. The graphic below shows entry, descent, and landing sequence. You can read more about the landing sequence on the NASA website.

Photo Credit: NASA

You will need: zz String: cotton, nylon, clear craft cord, or other types of string to test zz Paper plate zz Piece of tissue paper zz Small plastic toys (dinosaurs, insects, etc.) zz Other items to make a parachute: plastic shopping bag, coffee filter zz A thin plastic table cloth (found in the party supply section of discount stores) zz Scissors zz Marker zz Tape zz Ruler

You will do: 1. Cut a 12” square out of the tissue paper and a 12” square out of the plastic table cloth. 2. Cut 8 12” pieces of string 3. Use tape to attach a piece of string to the corner of each square. 4. Gather the other 4 ends of the string and attach to the plastic toy using a medium- sized piece of tape. 5. Drop your parachute from a high place. You may require adult supervision for this step. 6. Did one parachute travel further than the other? Did one parachute take longer to reach the ground than the other?

© 2018 Apologia Educational Ministries, Inc. www.apologia.com 23 Take it Further! 1. Cut a 12” square out of the tissue paper and a 12” square out of the plastic table cloth. 2. Cut 8 12” pieces of string 3. Use a paper plate to draw a circle on the 12” tissue paper square and the 12” plastic table cloth square. 4. Imagine there is a big square drawn on your circles, attach a piece of tape to each of the four corners of this square. 5. Gather the other 4 ends of the string and attach to the plastic toy using a medium- sized piece of tape. 6. Drop your round parachutes from a high place. You may require adult supervision for this step.

7. Did one parachute travel further than the other? Did one parachute take longer to reach the ground than the other? 8. Now drop your square plastic parachute and then your round plastic parachute? How do they compare? 9. Drop your square tissue paper parachute and then your square plastic parachute? How do they compare? 10. Using a coffee filter, make a parachute by attaching 4 12” pieces of string and attaching a plastic toy. How does this coffee filter parachute compare to the others? 11. Use a plastic shopping bag and string to make a parachute. How does it perform compared to the other parachutes? 12. Test different sizes and weights of plastic toys. 13. Test different types of string.

CONCLUSIONS My test show that the ______parachute worked best. DISCUSSIONS

You’ve learned a lot about exploration of Mars, and it would be a shame if you didn’t share it with your friends and family! This is a fun way to treat your family to your new knowledge. Please make sure no one has allergies before you serve them.

You will need: zz Adult supervision zz 3 T melted butter zz 1 10-ounce package of marshmallows zz 6 cups crispy rice cereal zz Red food coloring zz Vegetable oil

You will do: 1. Use a stovetop (low heat) or microwave to melt the butter and marshmallows, stirring regularly until smooth. 2. Add a few drops of red food coloring to dye your mixture red, like Mars. 3. Add the cereal and stir until it is coated well. 4. Put a little bit of oil on your hands to coat them, and roll your cookie treats into equal planet-shaped balls. 5. Serve up your treats with a little lecture on all that you learned about Mars.

© 2018 Apologia Educational Ministries, Inc. www.apologia.com 25 STAR LIGHT, STAR BRIGHT Rachael Yunis I was recently blessed with the opportunity to look up at a night’s sky so glorious that I forgot that my feet were fixed upon the Earth. I was standing in a dark, barren desert, and the stars were so numerous that I lost my breath. That night, I not only saw, but also experienced, the heavens, and I felt God’s omnipotent presence. This is no surprise.

God’s signature is visible throughout creation. The Bible tells us, “Ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities–his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.” Romans 1:20, NLT

Experiencing God’s signature, in all of its majesty, brings us closer to our Creator and inspires us to strive for greater things. At Apologia Science, we believe the words of the Bible, “The Lord merely spoke, and the heavens were created. He breathed the word, and all the stars were born.” Psalm 33:6, NLT

I think about that verse, and try to understand everything that it is teaching us. Not only our star, the sun, not only all of the stars in our Milky Way Galaxy, but all of the stars in all of the galaxies in the entire universe – born by the breath of God.

This isn’t just a beautiful, poetic interpretation of creation. There are still so many questions that science strives to answer. Each answer leads us closer to a deeper understanding of our universe. We need not fear a competition between science and belief. Our Creator made an orderly universe that follows the laws that He established. Science merely uses that order to gain insight.

As scientists continue to explore our universe, I hope that the next time you glance up at the night’s sky it isn’t just to locate the Big Dipper or Orion’s belt. I pray that all of your future star gazing be an effort to get lost in creation and science.

I leave you with a quote from Arthur Compton, Nobel Prize winner in Physics, 1927 and the Franklin Medal in 1940.

For myself, faith begins with a realization that a supreme intelligence brought the universe into being and created man. It is not difficult for me to have this faith, for it is incontrovertible that where there is a plan there is intelligence—an orderly, unfolding universe testifies to the truth of the most majestic statement ever uttered—‘In the beginning, God.’

© 2018 Apologia Educational Ministries, Inc. www.apologia.com 26 ASTRONOMY 2nd Edition Explore the farthest reaches of God’s creation with our award-winning astronomy course. We begin with a tour of our solar system, including our sun, the planets, the asteroid belt, dwarf planets, and the Kuiper belt. Then we set off across the stars and galaxies of the night sky as they reveal the marvel and might of our loving Creator. Many exciting activities help young explorers discover and enjoy the scientific process.

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Psalm 19:1 (niv)

Highly-qualified teachers, including Doctorate, Master, and Bachelor of Science, M.A. Apologetics, and theologians Real time and recorded class options available. Select the format that best fits your student’s schedule! Discounts for military, missionary,or multiple student families

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