Communications Team
Martian Environment and Challenges
Communication will be vital to the Marsville colony. You will need several different types of
communication systems. It must be possible to talk to:
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Others inside the colony.
Workers outside the Marsville structure.
To Mission Control on Earth.
To arriving and departing spacecrafts.
Methods of communication we use on Earth may not work the same way under the conditions of
Mars.
Marsville will be a very busy place so clear communication systems will be essential. The
communication team will need to co-ordinate, manage and monitor arriving and departing
spacecraft, exploration activities on the planet and communications with Earth. Spacecraft from
Earth will be bringing supplies, other crew members and equipment. They will need to be given
directions to the colony and guided during take-off and landing. The Communications team must
provide for communication within the Marsville community, communication to and from Earth
and communication to vehicles travelling around and outside the settlement.
Activity
Your team is responsible for designing and building a working prototype (model) of a
communications system for the Marsville settlement. This system must provide communication
within the habitats and the colony, communications to and from Earth and communications with
incoming and outgoing spacecraft and land-based vehicles. The design must take the conditions
of Mars into account to make sure that is can operate at all times. Some form of backup
communication system will also be required.
Use the Team Blog to consult with the other teams. How might you work together with the
different teams to design an efficient communication system?
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 Communication 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.
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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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What different ways do we have for communicating with each
other on Earth?
What methods work best for short distances and long distances?
What are the strong points and weak points for each one?
What types of communication will be required within the Marsville
community?
What kind of communication will be required between Earth and
the settlement?
What types of Earthly communication systems would work on
Mars and which would not? What features might have to be
modified?
How can methods used by NASA for communicating with
astronauts on the Space Shuttle Discovery help in your plans?
Which element of communication will be most critical - linking to
Earth or linking within the colony? Why?
What materials can you use in your designs that would best
replicate the materials to be used on Mars?
Who could you contact to get further information about your
topic?
Tips for Building Communication 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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Research forms of communication systems used throughout
history.
Investigate the development of voice communication, written
communication, fibre optics, Internet, etc.
Research common methods of communication in use now and the
technology needed to support them. Consult with on-line
mentors.
Develop a variety of written codes and send coded messages to
other CNM participants using the Team Blogs. Challenge them to
come up with answers and create a new code of their own.
Devise a "Canadian Code" that would allow all CNM participants
to communicate confidentially.
Invite a guest speaker to discuss the topic of telecommunications
and how the technology is changing the way the world operates.
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Investigate communication devices used by physically challenged
individuals to help them in their daily lives.
Invite people who do mouth paintings or use Bliss symbol boards
for communication to your class to discuss what features are
needed in such a design.
Investigate sign language and learn to communicate using this
method. Why would this skill be useful on Mars?
Survey the class, school and CNM participants across Canada to
find out how many languages are spoken.
Citizens of Marsville will be from every part of the world. Develop
a new language for Mars and send messages to other Martian
explorers.
Create coded systems to be used in Marsville such as special
graphics that represent different areas within the colony. Design
these on the computer and post your diagrams on your Team
Blog. Challenge others to determine the meaning of each
representation.
Watch NASA videotapes of early Moon landings to discover how
astronauts communicated with each other on the lunar surface
and also with their Apollo spacecraft.
Research the use of different types of communication and
weather satellites. Find out how these satellites send information
back to Earth.
Write the script for a news report about the first landing on Mars
and post in the Team Blog.
Invent new musical instruments suitable for the Martian
environment.
Work with the other system teams to see what communication
needs they will require.