This project enabled students to work with LEGO Mindstorm robotics kits, learning to build a robot, as well as learning about NASA's upcoming Mars Exploration Rover Missions (launched in May and June, 2003). After their use in this project, the kits and all material purchased were donated to Spritridge, so that other students can become involved in LEGO robotics projects as well.

NASA requires a 50% matching sponsor for their grants, and for that, the Eastside Astronomical Society stepped in with its support. Many thanks are in order for both Kirman Taylor and Judy Mason for making this happen ! We are very grateful to you, and to all our members, for their generous support in helping to promote astronomy and science learning in our local schools.

"The Rover has Landed!" project was intended to simulate, in a classroom environment, much of what's involved in carrying out a spacecraft mission to Mars, and specifically to simulate a NASA Mars Exploration Rover (MER) mission. The primary goals were, 1) to introduce students to many of the challenges faced in an actual rover mission to Mars, 2) demonstrate that missions are organized into specialized teams, each contributing and cooperating with each other in order to achieve success, and (3) to get students excited and knowledgeable about NASA's Mars Exploration Program.

The project was conducted over 5 separate dates, with each session being about 1 hour long. Students were faced with as much planning, decision making, manufacturing, testing, and overall experience of operating a Mars rover, as was possible in a concentrated and instructional format.

Part I - Mission Overview & Team Assignments - April 3: Students were first shown an animation video to get an idea of what our mission (and the real one) would be like. Then, we had a quick Viking/Pathfinder slideshow to see what the surface of Mars looks like. We discussed what we might want to investigate on our mission, and why it could be important. Students were then divided into 4 separate teams: Geology, Weather, Imaging and Navigation. Each team was given an understanding of what would be most important to them, and to decide what specific goal they would want our rover to accomplish. Geology wanted to find rocks or landforms showing evidence of water, Weather decided to learn more about dust devils, Imaging just wanted spectacular images, and Navigation wanted absolute safety and the least amount of maneuvering over surface obstacles.

Part II - Landing Site Selection & Rover Assembly - April 24: We discussed some important considerations for selecting an "ideal" landing site. The class was then shown 4 separate Mars Global Surveyor images on an overhead projector and told to decide on one of them. They were also shown where exactly on Mars these sites were located using a Mars globe. We examined each in detail and asked the students to strongly consider their own teams' goals (for example, Navigation would want to have a flat, boring site with no potential obstacles, whereas Imaging would want spectacular landforms). Finally, based on a total class vote, a landing site was selected.

Part III - Launch Day & Rover Testing - May 1: We launched a large model rocket on the Spiritridge playfield to symbolically send our rover off to Mars. Before the launch, we discussed principles of rocket flight and model rocket safety. With dramatic countdowns, we made 3 launches (2 of which were successful). Later, we returned to the classroom and tested our fully constructed rover on the floor, providing it with various obstacles, so that teams could learn its capabilities and limitations. Students were shown examples of how the rover is sent a signal with a set of commands, which it then carries out for a given time sequence.

Part IV - Mars Arrival - May 22: Using a computer in the classroom - with internet access and a connection to a large, overhead monitor - we "received" our first images from of "landing site" (see www.eastsideastro.org/mars.htm - this was the web interface the class used on the overhead monitor). 4 images of our rover's landing site on Mars were actually of a local construction site which were then processed in Adobe Photoshop to appear more Mars-like). An effort was made to give a sense of urgency - to gather as much information as possible before we lost contact with our rover.

After examination of the images, a map of the landing area with a hexagonal grid overlay was presented to the class, along with a "token" to move from the center hexagon (representing the rover arriving point). The class was told we had only enough energy to spend 100 "operations points". Each hex on the map would require the expenditure of operation points to move in to, based on the surrounding terrain. The class decided the best path for the rover to go - and we tallied the points together until we reached 100. Each team had its own goals, so the class was forced into some quick compromises in order to get as much good "data" as possible.