Water Supply Team
Martian Environment and Challenges
We need water to survive - without it, life cannot exist. The human body is over 90 percent
water. A person can survive for many days with little or no food but cannot go for more than a
few days without water. Water will be needed for other functions on the planet as well.
You will not be able to bring enough water with you from Earth. This is not practical or costefficient. For the colony to survive, alternate methods of obtaining this resource must be found.
A constant source of drinking water is necessary. Water does not exist on Mars except in very
limited and fairly inaccessible areas like the polar ice caps. These areas aren't close to the
Marsville colony so a water recycling and conservation program is essential.
Activity
Your team is responsible for designing and building a working prototype (model) of a water
supply system. You will be expected to provide enough water for all the Marsville inhabitants.
There will be approximately 50 scientists and researchers in the beginning but more explorers
can be expected over the course of the mission. The colony should be able to support up to 150
people. Your design must include water management systems for purification, storage, recycling
and production. Without water, the colony will not survive.
Use the Team Blog to consult with other teams to find out what water requirements they have.
How might you work together with the food production and delivery teams? You might consider
communicating with the energy teams.
Getting Started
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Define the requirements of your system.
Examine how these are currently met on Earth.
Explore the limitations/opportunities of the Martian environment.
Gather feedback from other teams and mentors using the Team
Blog.
Design and construct your working prototype using the
requirements listed below.
Evaluate the design. Does it provide the greatest good and the
least harm to the persons and things affected?
View the Water Supply Tips to learn more
System Requirements
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System model must be no larger than 1 metre x 1 metre x 1
metre.
It must include a working component such as an electrical switch
to turn a fan on and off or doors that open and close using a
simple hydraulic system.
Prototype must incorporate at least four Mars facts.
Materials used should be as representative as possible of the
materials that would be used for the real design.
System should work under the conditions of the Martian
environment.
System should operate with other life-support systems within the
colony.
Questions to Ask
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How much water does the average person use every day? Think
about all the activities that you do every day that involve water.
Which of these activities could you eliminate for one day, one
week or longer?
How long can a person live without water?
How much water will be required per person at the Mars
settlement?
How will it be obtained from the Mars environment?
How will you transport the water to the colony?
What forms of energy would be available to heat and purify the
water?
What materials can you use in your prototype?
What groups or agencies could you contact to get further
information about your topic?
Tips for Building Water Supply Systems
Here are some ideas to help you learn more about your life-support system. Make sure you
divide up the topics and share your findings on the Team Blog.
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Examine the many uses of water on Earth.
Research to find out how water is used for energy.
Record the amount of water used for one day for one person here
on Earth. How would this compare to your needs on Mars?
Calculate how much water is used by one household over the
course of a week, a month and a year. Discuss methods for
reducing this amount (such as showers versus baths).
Find out how much it costs to use this amount of water (water
bills). Survey other Marsville sites to see the differences.
Examine different methods of producing water on Earth.
Conduct experiments on condensation and evaporation. Pose
challenges to other water supply teams using the Team Blog.
Look at how water is created on the space shuttle and the
International Space Station. Can the same methods be used on
Mars?
How does the lower gravity of Mars affect water circulation?
Invite a scientist or engineer to class to help you create water
circulation devices.
Work with simple hydraulic systems to discover how water can be
used as a form of energy. How suitable are these methods for
the Mars environment?
Look at water management programs in the community
(reservoirs, holding tanks, lake water). How do different parts of
the country manage their water supply? Explain the reasons for
these different methods.
How can we alter water from the sea or oceans so that it can be
used by humans? Can we do this on Mars?
Find out how Cartesian wells work. Ask an on-line mentor for
assistance.
Look at how people in desert environments survive with a
minimum amount of water resources. How have desert animals
adapted to survive in these conditions?
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Work with the other system teams to discover what water supply
needs must be taken into account for the Marsville settlement.