Mission to Mars Simulator
The Mission to Mars Simulator is Desktop Educational Game Application run by the Victorian Space Science Educational Centre to simulate a Mission Control room designed to engage students to work as a team. Year 9 and 10 students are encouraged to use their problem solving and team work skills to successfully complete the Mission simulation, while trying to achieve the most possible points.
The Mission to Mars Simulator is an integral part of the Mission to Mars program that is run at the Victorian Space Science Education Centre
About the Mission to Mars Program
The Mission to Mars program is a day-long space science experience for Year 9 and 10 students. Students need to work as a team and use their problem solving skills if they’re going to successfully complete the Mission.
The simulation is run with two teams of six students; each student on each team has a separate unique role. The students choose to be a Mission Director, Electrical/Environment and Cruise Systems Officer, Extravehicular Activities Systems Engineer, Data Processing and Systems Engineer, Payload Deployment Systems Engineer or Biomedical Science Officer. Known as Mission Control Officers, their role fully immerses the student in the environment and scenario and offers them an educational, and more importantly, enjoyable and fun experience.
Mission Control Officers control the system and are responsible for the safety of the astronauts and success of the scientific mission on the surface of Mars; by monitoring the astronauts’ vital signs and spacesuit functions, as well as local and solar environmental conditions and spacecraft data.
Aerion Technologies' involvement
Aerion Technologies was contacted to develop the Mission to Mars software in Microsoft Visual C++.
The system was developed with a mySQL database that contained simulated human vital signs for the 6 astronauts that landed on Mars. Using an algorithm the data was manipulated by a server program and pushed to the client programs (the students). When the simulated human vital signs exited the safe range the client programs were alerted and the user was required to solve a randomly selected scientific problem to bring the vital signs back to a safe level. Points are awarded for correctly answering Math and Physic questions. Once the simulation is complete, the points are tallied and a winner is decided
For more information on the Mission to Mars Program, please visit the Victorian Space Science Education Centre
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