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If You Could Travel To Mars, Would You Go
Houston TX (SPX) May 29, 2009 On May 30, 2009, the John P. McGovern Museum of Health and Medical Science, also called The Health Museum, will launch the U.S. premiere of Facing Mars. The exhibit features interactive stations that encourage visitors to "walk on Mars," test and launch rockets, "fly over" the Martian landscape and consider the implications humans face in their quest to reach the Red Planet. Facing Mars will be on display through September 7. This innovative exhibit focuses on the real challenges of sending human explorers to Mars. With more than 28 experiences, Facing Mars combines a range of hands-on experiences with compelling artifacts, such as a rare Mars meteorite from West Africa and stunning imagery to engage participants in the physical, psychological and scientific challenges involved in journeying to Mars. "How many of us have wondered what it would be like to travel in space? Facing Mars gives our visitors the opportunity to explore the many challenges that confront us when we set out to travel to another planet," said Jon Iszard, President and CEO of The Health Museum. Facing Mars addresses questions such as: "What happens to your face in space?", "How can you protect astronauts from cosmic rays and solar radiation?" and "Who would you choose for a Mars crew?" Visitors become a rocket scientist for the day and explore the challenges of aerodynamic stability. They experience what it is like "to walk on Mars" at a station that subtracts 60 percent of their weight to simulate Martian gravity. Visitors also explore some of the potential psychological and emotional stresses that astronauts may face on their journey, examining how contagious emotions can be and discovering where their own personal space threshold lies. "The passion and curiosity of the engineers and scientists who contributed to Facing Mars, including many who are a part of NASA and the Johnson Space Center, give a tremendous boost to this exhibit. Learning about the attempts to understand both Mars and the challenges that long duration space flights represent is truly fascinating, and really adds to the experience of the exhibit," said Phil Lindsey, Vice President of Exhibits and Business Development at The Health Museum. Visitors will take the spotlight in this monochromatic environment, reflecting the fact that the greatest challenges in the journey to Mars are human ones. Through the creative use of lighting and sensory cues, visitors will place themselves in the roles of astronauts confronting the various challenges of exploring Mars. When visitors arrive at the exhibit's entrance they will be asked the seemingly simple question "Would You Go To Mars?" and their responses will be digitally counted as they enter through a YES or NO gate. At the exhibit's exit, the question is repeated: "Would You Still Go to Mars?" - this time eliciting from visitors a more reflective answer. In challenging visitors to bring their own perspectives to the human toll of long space voyages as well as engaging them in the complex engineering and science involved, Facing Mars will take visitors on an inspiring personal, practical and philosophical voyage of discovery. Facing Mars was developed by the Ontario Science Center and is sponsored locally by Southwest Airlines. Share This Article With Planet Earth
Related Links The John P. McGovern Museum of Health And Medical Science Mars News and Information at MarsDaily.com Lunar Dreams and more
A One-way Ticket To MarsMoffett Field CA (SPX) May 27, 2009 I'd like to talk about how to cut the cost of going to Mars. And there's one very obvious way, which is a one-way mission. Isn't this a crazy idea, a one-way mission to Mars? Who could possibly volunteer for such a thing? Isn't this a suicide mission? Well, the answer is: no, this is not a suicide mission. Going to Mars on a return journey obviously involves a high level of risk. ... read more |
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