Virtual Space Camp

PART II

How did we make it livable?

We built a machine to circulate and control air and a green house with temperature sensors and a fan to keep the plants at the right temps for growing and producing food.
We also built sealed corridors with UV ray blocking roofs to get from one area to the other, and a large pneumatic door to seal our habitat from the outside elements.  We built a crane for picking up rocks with water crystals, a conveyer belt to move the rocks inside, and machines to process the water crystals in the rocks into drinkable water. We had an outside garage for the rovers and to provide safe access to the out side.  Many different types of rovers were constructed to measure and explore our surroundings. 

How did we make it enjoyable?

Culture and personal expression was very important to us so we built a music-making machine.  We also had an exercise area, bedrooms, bathrooms, a mess hall, and a computer room.
 
How did we organize and manage our community?

Everybody had specific tasks to perform on a daily basis.  Each specialist also had control of a specific piece of equipment or had a job such as community relations or programming.  Mrs. Hamilton was our mission supervisor.    

What did it mean to be a citizen in our community?

We learned a lot about working together and that each person has to contribute to make the community livable and enjoyable.

What major artistic inspirations did you have?

The music-making machine combined our musical inspirations and the computer into a cultural activity and fun way to pass the time.

What major technical and scientific factors did we take into account?

When designing our Mars base we took into the account the atmosphere and UV rays, the temperature, the fact that we would have to grow our own food and find a way to get water from the small supply present on Mars.

What did you learn about the community around you?

We learned that personal differences need to be set aside in order for us to work together and that great things can be accomplished when we cooperate with each other. 

What do you want the community of the future to be like?

We think that it is important to continue space research so that we could really be able to visit Mars and set up a real research base there.  It would be neat if we would be able to construct the base remotely with robots so that it would be habitable for the first explorers when they arrived for the first time on Mars.

PART III

Description of the Picture:

The picture shows our Mars base and one of the rovers.  The white areas are the living quarters, the bathroom, computer room, exercise area, mess hall, and the communication base.  The glassed in area is the green house and the blue tank is the air processor.  There are two cranes used to find and transport rocks with water crystals to the conveyer belt and the machines to remove the water from the rocks.  To your far left is the music machine and next to that are the pneumatic door and the rover garage.