The freshman blasted off to the Challenger Center in Bangor for a Mars Expedition Simulation. Students took on the roles of communication, navigation, robotics, life support, etc. to land a rover on Mars, collect and analyze samples, maintain and monitor the crew, while communicating with the mission control base on Mars moon Phobos. Students had to think critically to address unexpected emergencies that arose and to problem solve best solutions as they communicated between the spacecraft and mission control. Challenger Centers exist in several states to honor the crew of the Challenger Space Shuttle that exploded shortly after throttle up in 1986 and included what was to be the first teacher in space.
After completing the Mars Expedition, students loaded back into the bus for the short ride on to Orono where they ate lunch and toured the University of Maine Orono prior to arriving at the Versant Power Astronomy Center and Jordan Planetarium. At the planetarium, students looked up at the dome to behold constellations in the night sky and watch the film, "To Space and Back". This film took students on an incredible journey from the far reaches of our known universe to our own planet. It is an extraordinary story of human ingenuity and incredible engineering, describing how the technology that transports us through space is paving the way for the devices and apps we use every day.
