Step 1 of 9
What does Mars throw at us?
List the biggest challenges: thin air, cold, radiation, no liquid water.
Design a Mars Colony
Your real-world mission
Design a Mars Colony
Design a colony where 20 people could live safely on Mars for one year.
- ⏱ 3 weeks
🎒 You'll need
- Paper and pencils
- Recycled boxes or building blocks
- Ruler
🚀 What to do
Step 2 of 9
Survival list
Work out the five things your colonists cannot live without.
Step 3 of 9
Zone the colony
Decide which modules you need and how they connect.
Step 4 of 9
Do the numbers
Estimate water and food needed for 20 people for a year.
Step 5 of 9
Build the model
Make a scale model or detailed labelled drawing of your colony.
Step 6 of 9
Stress test
Ask: what happens in a dust storm, or if the greenhouse fails?
Step 7 of 9
Version 2
Change two things in your design to fix the weaknesses you found.
Step 8 of 9
Mission briefing
Pitch your colony as if presenting to a space agency.
Step 9 of 9
Mission log
Record what surprised you most about living on Mars.