Mousetronaut Goes to Mars

by Mark Kelly

  The Galaxy Rocket was just one week away from launching.

  It would be the first human mission to Mars. Even though Mars was Earth’s neighbor, the astronauts would need to travel more than 35 million miles to get there.

  And Meteor the Mousetronaut couldn’t wait to go!

  The astronauts had been training for two years for this trip.

  Meteor watched everything they did. Each day he

  looked over the astronauts’ shoulders as they studied, sat under the table and listened while they ate, and kept a notebook of the flight plan and procedures.

  Meteor was certain that he’d be going to Mars too.

  He might not be the biggest astronaut, but he had the power of small.

  But when the names of the crew were called out, Meteor’s name wasn’t one of them.

  He worked hard to stay in shape.

  The Mousetronaut was not on the list.

  He ran with Claudia.

  NASA must have forgotten about their

  He did chin-ups with Claire.

  newest astronaut. There wasn’t a chance Meteor was

  He lifted weights with Charlotte.

  going to miss this exciting trip. He was small. He

  The Mousetronaut was ready!

  could hide. He would STOW AWAY!

  Slowly, carefully, he climbed the launch tower.

  Then, when the NASA security guard wasn’t looking,

  he hid under the commander’s seat.

  He tried to be as quiet as he could, but he was scared.

  He wasn’t scared of the rocket launch. He was scared that he would be caught.

  The rocket shook. Meteor was pushed against the floor. He held on tight so he wouldn’t slide out from under the seat. There was a lot of vibration. Much more than he remembered from his launch on the space shuttle, but not enough to bother a Mousetronaut.

  Nine minutes later they were in space. Meteor loved the feeling of weightlessness.

  During the long journey, Meteor stayed hidden.

  He would only come out for crumbs when the astronauts slept.

  And as Earth got

  smaller behind

  them,

  the red dot

  that was Mars

  grew bigger.

  After six months they finally arrived.

  Meteor had stayed hidden the entire time.

  When no one was looking, Meteor peeked through the

  window and saw different shades

  of red and orange.

  Mars was nothing like Earth, but it was still

  beautiful in its own way.

  He also heard the astronauts making plans.

  Two of them would go down to the surface

  and explore Mars on foot and with a rover.

  But there was a problem.

  Galaxy’s commander was talking to mission control in Houston.

  One of the landing craft’s engines had failed its test and wouldn’t work.

  The remaining engine wasn’t strong enough to carry even one astronaut.

  There would be no trip to the surface of the red planet.

  They would need to turn around and return to Earth.

  But the Moustronaut had an idea.

  He shot out of his hiding place to the surprise

  of the crew.

  “Meteor! Where were you hiding?” the

  commander asked.

  They were happy to see him, but still sad

  about their failed mission.

  Then Meteor floated over to the hatch

  leading to the landing craft.

  “Hmm. It is possible,” said the

  commander. “One rocket engine

  could work for someone small

  enough.”

  It was decided. Meteor the Mousetronaut would

  be the first to set foot on Mars.

  As he put on his spacesuit, the crew gave

  him instructions.

  “You need to gather plenty of rock samples,” said one.

  “And don’t forget to bring back some soil,” added another.

  Last of all, they made a tiny American flag and fastened it to a straw.

  Meteor tied himself into the seat of the landing craft with some string.

  It launched from the Galaxy spacecraft and made its way to the surface of Mars.

  The Martian landscape was unlike anything

  Meteor had seen before. There were no plants.

  There was no water that he could see. But most

  important, there were NO CATS!

  But he got right to work gathering the samples.

  The last thing he did before reboarding the land-

  ing craft was to plant the tiny flag he’d been given.

  “Meteor, you saved the day.” The crew cheered him as he returned to the ship.

  “You’ll be in newspaper headlines around the world!”

  The Mousetronaut felt very proud.

  “And we’ll make sure you are on our next mission!”

  Six months later Galaxy Rocket returned to Earth.

  The astronauts were all welcomed as heroes.

  But the smallest among them was the biggest hero of all.

  The first successful flight to Mars was made by NASA’s (2012). Plus there are three orbiters ( Mars Odyssey, Mars Mariner 4 on a flyby mission. It flew by Mars in July 1965, 228

  Express Orbiter, and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter) circling days after launching. It took twenty-one photographs (which Mars and sending back information.

  Mars is one of the brightest objects in the night sky. It has In 1938 a radio play of The War of the Worlds, a novel disproved the theory of man-made canals on Mars). It was The rovers not only send back pictures, they also collect long been an object of fascination and mystery. It shines by H. G. Wells, envisioned Martians as warlike creatures.

  followed by Mariner 6, which reached the Red Planet in July and analyze data. They use robotic arms to collect samples of with a reddish glow and is known as the Red Planet. The The public’s fascination turned to panic when some people 1969 after only 156 days in flight. In 1971 Mariner 9 became rocks and soil, and use spectrometers and special rock crush-red color made ancient people think of blood and war. In thought that the radio play was real and that Martians had the first spacecraft to successfully go into orbit around Mars.

  ers and other unique instruments to analyze the chemical fact, the Romans named Mars after their god of war. The actually reached Earth and landed in New Jersey!

  Meanwhile the Soviets were also trying to send spacecraft components of the rocks, soil, and atmosphere. And in Feb-color comes from the iron oxide (rust) that covers much of Then in the 1950s, with the advent of the space program to Mars. From the 1960s to 2011 they had eighteen failures ruary 2013, Curiosity drilled the very first hole in Martian the planet’s surface. The wind spreads the oxide dust and and travel to the Moon, the prospect of actually going to Mars and few successes. In November 1971 the Soviets managed rock.

  carries it into the atmosphere, where it reflects the red part was becoming a real possibility. Although observations with to be the first to land a vehicle on Mars. Unfortunately, Mars Each voyage has increased our knowledge about Mars.

  of the light spectrum and causes the planet to appear red.

  sophisticated telescopes told us a lot about the planet, the 2 crashed and Mars 3 failed moments after its landing. After New information allows scientists to reevaluate theories and Mars can be seen by the naked eye, and it would have information to be gained from actually going there would be fifty years the Russians have yet to land successfully on Mars.

  incorporate new facts. Detailed photographs have enabled been visible to
prehistoric man. Its presence was noted by even more amazing. Most important, we could learn whether To date, the United States is the only nation to have landed them to map the surface of the planet with great accuracy.

  ancient Egyptians, and it appears on the world’s oldest life existed (or ever did exist) on Mars.

  successfully on Mars.

  There is much they have learned.

  star map, which dates back to 1500 bc By 400 bc Babylo-However, travel to Mars is difficult, even for unmanned In 1975 Viking orbiters and landers were sent to Mars Of all the planets in the solar system, Mars is the one nian astronomers were able to study the planet’s position spacecraft. It is even more complex and difficult than going and sent back over fifty thousand photographs. Orbiters are most like Earth and the only one that might support life.

  and movements. They could even predict where it would to the Moon. Besides the distance, it is complicated to ren-spacecraft that follow the planet’s orbit and circle it, taking Farther from the sun than Earth, Mars orbits (goes around) be in the future.

  dezvous (meet up) with a planet that is also moving in space.

  pictures and collecting information from above the surface of the sun in 687 days. That makes a Martian year almost twice The invention of the telescope in the seventeenth You can’t just fly to where the planet is; you have to fly to the planet. Landers actually set down on the surface of the as long as an Earth year. But a Martian day (called a sol) is century finally allowed people a close-up view of the where it will be. It is essential to choose a route that takes planet. Sometimes they carry rovers, which can rove, or travel, almost the same. An Earth day is 23 hours, 56 minutes long.

  Red Planet. They could now see details of its sur-

  the least time and uses the least amount of fuel. If the space-on the surface of the planet.

  A Martian sol is 24 hours, 37.5 minutes long. While Earth face. By the nineteenth century, improved telescopes craft had unlimited fuel and enough speed, it could chase the Another milestone was the Mars Pathfinder lander, which has one Moon, Mars has two. Named after sons of the Greek revealed even more details, and in 1840 the first map of planet around the sun until it caught up. Since that is not pos-carried the Sojourner rover (landed July 4, 1997). Air bags, god of war, these potato-shaped Moons (Phobos and Dei-Mars was published. By the late 1800s scientists were sible, it is also essential to take off during the launch window, similar to those in cars and what is used in Meteor’s fictional mos) are both less than seventeen miles in diameter.

  able to see lines crisscrossing the planet. Some mistak-the time when Mars is at a point in its orbit that is closest to landing, were used to soften the landing. The little rover trav-Mars is cold and its surface is rocky, dry, and dusty. It enly identified them as man-made canals and thought Earth (called opposition, or orbital alignment). The launch eled only about three hundred feet, but it provided a great deal has the highest mountain in the solar system (about twice as they must have been dug to transport water across the window for Mars occurs every twenty-six months, when of information and sent back 550 images.

  tall as Mount Everest) and the biggest canyon (on Earth it planet. The idea of intelligent life on Mars took root Mars is about thirty-five million miles from Earth. Travel Other successes followed, and as of 2012 there are two would stretch from New York to California).

  and over time grew in the public’s imagination. Some time varies between 150 and 300 days, depending on the rovers on Mars actively sending signals and information people imagined peaceful inhabitants on the planet.

  speed of the spacecraft and the alignment of Earth and Mars.

  back to Earth: Opportunity (landed in 2004) and Curiosity Others worried they might be warlike.

  Mars is about half the size of Earth and its gravity is average of four to fourteen minutes for signals to reach So we are not sure how to feed a crew in space for such Mars missions are expensive, but they pay off with

  about 40 percent of Earth’s gravity. A person weighing Mars from Earth. Depending on where each planet is

  a long journey. One option is to bring all the food for amazing discoveries that add to our knowledge of the 100 pounds on Earth would weigh only 40 pounds on

  in its own orbit, the distance between them changes, such an extended trip. But food is heavy, so NASA is also universe. Another payoff is the new technologies that Mars. If people lived on Mars, they would be able to and thus, the travel time for the signal to reach its des-looking into the option of growing some food aboard the are developed for the mission itself. These spin-offs have jump higher and lift bigger objects. However, because tination. Don’t forget to add on another four to four-spacecraft during the mission. Growing food can pres-practical applications that are beneficial to people on of the air’s chemical composition (ten times as much teen minutes for the signal’s return trip to Earth. This ent its own problems as well. What if the crop doesn’t Earth. They improve many parts of daily life, including carbon dioxide and virtually no oxygen) and its thin-is a significant delay and makes it impractical to con-turn out as expected, or what if there is disease? The crew medicine, public safety, transportation, computer tech-ness, they wouldn’t be able to breathe the air and would trol everything from Earth. Without instant feedback, could starve. There are issues that will need to be worked nology, and consumer goods. Some of the many prod-have to wear protective clothing (spacesuits) to sur-robotic explorers like the rovers can have trouble mak-out as we plan future missions. Luckily, they will be able ucts that have been developed using NASA technology vive. Without a spacesuit, the low air pressure would ing quick decisions—for example, whether to go over or to use water. Many of the ship’s functions generate water, include infrared ear thermometers, ingestible toothpaste, cause a person’s blood to boil! The climate would also around an obstacle. A wrong choice could tip the vehicle which can then be recycled for other uses—including enriched baby food, water purifiers, portable cordless be a challenge. A warm summer’s day might be in the over. Human beings, on the other hand, can process infor-growing food.

  vacuums, freeze-dried food, harnessing solar energy, seventies, but the winter nights can reach minus 225

  mation and act immediately. There is no fourteen-minute Living in zero gravity is challenging even for short space gardens, better software, athletic helmets, wireless degrees—brrrr!

  delay, and they can act in unexpected circumstances with-trips. As you may have learned from reading about Mete-headsets, fiberglass guitars, air-cushioned sneakers, min-Of all the many exciting things the orbiters and rov-out having their software updated or reprogrammed. This or’s first trip (in Mousetronaut), even simple things can be iaturized computer chips, and the wireless transmission ers have found out, none is more important than the con-is a valuable asset on an expedition of exploration.

  tricky. For instance, just imagine trying to sleep in zero of medical data called telemetry. Who knows what will firmation that liquid water once existed on Mars (deter-Although human beings (and mice) have yet to go

  gravity. Where do you put your pillow when there is no be developed from future flights.

  mined by Curiosity in 2012). This is important because to Mars, plans are already being made to change that.

  up or down? Objects need to be tethered or strapped in And who knows what people will find when they

  water is essential to life on Earth. On Earth life exists But the challenges are many. For starters, the voyage to keep them in place. Forks and knives have special mag-land on Mars and what new questions they will then ask.

  almost everywhere that water does. Could this mean

  is long (about two years). Imagine being in a cramped, nets to keep them from flying off, but if the crew doesn’t Human beings are full of questions. Whether your curi-that life exists on Mars (maybe under the surface of the close space, far away from family and friends, for that pay attention while they eat, their food could float away osity takes you
to other worlds or the world within your planet) or that life once existed in the past? This prob-long. It will be important for crew members to be both (which, of course, could feed a stowaway mouse). On the neighborhood, there is much to find out and learn. Like ably doesn’t mean life as we know it; nevertheless, even cooperative and self-reliant. They will need to have a other hand, floating around the ship can be fun. It may be our mousetronaut hero, Meteor, people are naturally if it is simple cells or bacteria, this is a thrilling idea. If good sense of humor. Thoughtfulness and being con-the closest thing to flying without wings.

  curious and are natural explorers. It is all exciting.

  there is life on Mars, it increases the chance that there is siderate of one another will also be important, since Living on Mars will also be challenging. The crew will other life in the universe—maybe even intelligent life!

  there is no place for a time-out on a spacecraft.

  need either to wear spacesuits or to be cocooned in some

  Mark Kelly with Judith Rovenger

  As amazing as all the discoveries have been, there is Also, the spacecraft will be carrying supplies as well kind of protective shield at all times. Between the lack of so much more to learn. By studying Mars, who knows

  as people and will need a great deal of fuel for the long oxygen, the poisonous amounts of carbon dioxide, the what can be discovered about its geology, evolution, flight there and back. Scientists and engineers will need low air pressure, and the extreme cold, travelers to Mars and climate change, and what that might tell us about to design a spacecraft that can carry enough fuel and will need to bring their own “environment” with them.

  the history and future of Earth and of life itself.

  that will be able to land and take off to get back to However, it will also be exciting as they explore this new While rovers and robotic technology can tell us

  Earth. The crew won’t be able to take along enough