Case-based Space Outreach: The Case of A Mission to Mars

摘要

Since 2003, the DEEP Summer Academy at the University of Toronto has aimed to raise awareness about engineering and STEM topics by having graduate students deliver courses related to their research to high school students. This paper presents one of the most recent space focused courses at DEEP titled "A mission to Mars". In this 5-day course, students of grades 9-12 learn about the basic principle of spaceflight and explore different phases of a space mission, from launch to transfer to landing. The unique feature of this course is its multidisciplinary nature, as the course not only reviews the engineering technology that enables human missions to Mars, but also explores the mission from physiological, and psychosocial perspectives. The mission the course is cantered on is used to connect these themes and showcase how they interact with each other, enabling students to better understand the trade-offs that come into play when designing a space mission.