FutureLearn

How to Survive on Mars: the Science Behind the Human Exploration of Mars (FutureLearn)

Offered by Monash University,

Learn the basic science needed for humans to survive on Mars, with this free online science course. Mars has captivated the human imagination since the very earliest civilisations. It is the most explored planet in the solar system and that is unlikely to change. Getting to Mars is relatively easy, surviving on Mars will be the real challenge.

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Learn the basic science needed to survive on Mars
This free online course will introduce the key scientific concepts needed for humans to survive on Mars, where there is no air to breath, no water to drink and no food to eat. The course will also examine interdisciplinary skills and meticulous planning required to sustain human life in such a hostile environment. Case studies and insights from leading experts in the field of Chemistry, Astronomy, Physics and Geology will demonstrate the basic science and problem solving skills you can use in everyday life.

Explore essential science and problem solving skills
By the end of the course, you will be able to:

apply basic science to explore possible ways of producing water, oxygen, food and energy on Mars
describe possible solutions and outcomes to problem-based scenarios.

Learn from leaders in the field of science
The course is based on the approaches that lead educators, Tina Overton and Jasmina Lazendic-Galloway, deliver to their science undergraduate students at the Monash University Faculty of Science – a vibrant, dynamic and world-renowned community in Australia at the forefront of innovation and discovery.

What topics will you cover?

Water: the properties of water, and how to extract water on Mars
Energy: solar energy, wind energy and energy from other sources
Oxygen: the Martian atmosphere, oxygen on Mars, and how to recycle oxygen
Food: nutrients for life, the challenge of growing food on Mars
Concept Maps: how to create them to synthesise and organise knowledge

What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you'll be able to...

Apply basic science to explore possible ways of producing water, oxygen, food and energy on Mars.
Describe possible solutions and outcomes to problem-based scenarios.
Synthesise key information from across the course to produce a plan for how to survive on Mars.
Discuss the pros and cons of different survival strategies on Mars.

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