Space Science for Kids: Mars Mission Update

Join us as we begin a new year of Space Science for Kids events starting on Tuesday, October 5, 2021! Our STEM Librarian will guide you through various space topics using books, video, and hands-on learning experiences.

Our October event will be a Mars mission update. This has been an exciting year for Mars! Earth has sent two major missions to the Red Planet to explore its surface.

< Photo from NASA

On February 19, 2021, NASA’s rover, Perseverance, landed without a hitch. Then the helicopter, Ingenuity, took its first flight on Mars. After its successful tests, Ingenuity will help scout the route for Perseverance as it collects rock samples.

Perseverance and Ingenuity were joined on May 14, 2021 by China’s Mars rover, Zhurong, named for the Chinese god of fire.

To learn about these missions, we’ll build paper helicopters to experiment with how to improve lift. We’ll also simulate the core sampling Perseverance is conducting, but instead of rocks, we’ll use candy bars!

Paper Helicopter

Each participant will need:

Print 3 copies of the template here. You can print for free at any Library locations or trace the design on paper.
Scissors
2-3 Paper clips

Candy Core Samples

Each participant will need:

3 Different chocolate covered miniature candy bars such as Milky Way, Three Musketeers, Snickers (consider allergy issues when you choose)
1 Clear straw
Scissors

The activity is explained in this video here.

Learn more about the Red Planet using these resources.