Virtual Space Camp
July 1999
Mars can be reached by students through their imagination, modeling,
and through the Red Rover Goes to Mars Project
Mars Space Crew With Mars Rover
Mars Rover picking up rocks
Another Rover Model
Building LEGO scale projects, and planning for a Mars rover and Colony was completed
by the mission team at Virtual Space Camp
July 19-23, 1999
Marshall University   Math Department Smith   Hall 516
Linda Hamilton, instructor
Program through Marshall University Continuing Education
 
 Various Rovers were built and set up on two floors of Smith Hall and software was set up with three groups of students at homes and a Marshall University Marshall Academy class.  The software and hardware was set up by students of the Virtual Space Camp mission team.  Now we know all too well about some of the complications NASA has to solve to get a mission together.
The first day was planning and building day.  Two TV stations came.  The second day the Rover was driven in a remote Mars site.   Students from Homer Hickam's high school visited and drove the Rover.  Wednesday the mission crew went to Dr. Norton's Scanning Electron Microscope to get a feel for how a small Nano experiment on mars could bring in much information.  During the week occasional videos of toys in space and other Space films were watched as students built.  Wednesday the Mars base took shape with pneumatics for door and air control, cranes and conveyer for water recovery and structure building.  Thursday was software day for programming the components of the Mars Base.  Communication was established among five places for driving Rovers at our two sites.  Friday was the day for recording what had been accomplished and presenting our work to interested parents and other visitors.
  At Virtual Space Camp, team members and others made  Rovers and drove them from Far sites and the Mars Base.
Linda Hamilton
July 1999