Mini Missions: Mission to Mars

"Mini Missions: Mission to Mars" is a hands-on exploration of the physics of space travel, guiding students to discover the critical difference between mass and weight. After investigating NASA’s goals for Mars, students participate in a challenge where they experience how the same mass (a 1 kg object) can feel lighter or heavier depending on whether they are on the Earth, Moon, or Mars. The lesson culminates in the building and launching of Mars Leaper rockets, where students use real flight data to calculate how their own rockets would perform in lower-gravity environments. By bridging hands-on learning with mathematical analysis, students gain a deep understanding of gravity, thrust, and the engineering careers that will make interplanetary travel possible.