Canadian Astronaut Mike McKay Visits Mars

Toronto, Ontario - The countdown is on for almost 5,000 Canadian students who, with the help of Canada's leading space engineers, are preparing for a space adventure to Mars. In just 10 days these students will blast off to the Red Planet and create the first habitation on Mars. They will be guided in their journey by former Canadian astronaut Major Mike McKay.

For the last three months, students in seven centres across the country have been using the Internet to learn what it will take to live on Mars. They have been part of a special program called the Canadian National Marsville program.

Marsville lessons address:

• the challenges and opportunities of building a life on Mars;
• the responsible use of Martian resources;
• building habitats based on the Martian environment and human needs;
• working on scientific experiments and developing engineering prototypes to used on Mars.

Mission teams from across the country have been solving simulation-based problems using the Marsville curriculum. Teams of 6-8 students have designed and constructed a working model of one of the life-support systems required for the colony. These systems are:

• Air Supply
• Communications
• Energy Supply
• Food Production and Delivery
• Recreation
• Temperature Control
• Transportation
• Waste Management
• Water Supply

Other student teams have used LEGO building materials and computer-controlled software to design and construct a Marsville All Terrain Vehicle that will be tested on the colony. Their models must be capable of performing a series of scientific explorations while on the planet. Students will use the Internet to drive a similar rover in other parts of the country as well as in Pasadena, California through The Planetary Society.

On April 24, 1999, all the mission teams in each of the Canadian sites will gather to construct their own Marsville settlement and conduct further scientific and technological challenges. On Link-up Day, the Canadian sites will be connected through advanced communication systems to allow the explorers to "meet" their fellow space travellers across Canada and to compare solutions. Major Mike McKay will join the explorers from Ottawa and share his experiences as a former member of the Canadian Astronaut Program with the rest of the country via the videoconference capabilities provided by Bell Canada at each Marsville location.

One of the most rewarding aspects of the program is the involvement of expert mentors. These volunteers work directly with teachers and students and offer real life experiences for the participants. Marsville mentors come from many organizations including Spar Aerospace, the Canadian Space Agency, Northern Telecom, National Research Council, Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Centre for Remote Sensing, Allied Signal, as well as many educational institutions. University students also support the program through organizations such as SEDS Canada and "Let's Talk Science".

Marsville was developed by the Challenger Center for Space Science Education, which was in turn created to honour the space shuttle crew lost in the 1986 Challenger accident. That mission, STS-51L, was the first space shuttle education mission. Canadian National Marsville has been modified to feature the Canadian Space Program and the many contributions of Canadians in space. 1999 marks the seventh year for the Canadian program which has grown from one Canadian centre to include seven link-up centres across the country.

This science and technology project is sponsored by a variety of organizations. The Education Network of Ontario, as the prime sponsor, provides all teachers, students and mentors across the country with Internet accounts. This allows for unlimited email access for all CNM participants, special newsgroups or conference areas to discuss their plans, and the ability to create team web sites on the ENO server. The CNM web site is used by all participants as a method of acquiring vital information needed for the project as well as an area for students to showcase their research plans. This year's web site can be viewed at http://mars99.enoreo.on.ca.

Sponsors of the Canadian National Marsville Program are:

Education Network of Ontario
Spar Aerospace
Bell Canada
Canadian Space Agency
TVOntario
Tandex Technologies
Allied Signal
AT Plastics
Ontario Science Centre