An example of how a city on Mars can look like. Photo: Hp
Students at NTNU are invited to take part in the Home Planet Mars contest. Visit this site if you want to be a part of the team!
Could you imagine traveling to, and living on Mars? Many of us at least dream that we will see this happening in our lifetime, even if we might not want to go ourselves. How to travel to, and colonize, Mars is a hot topic. We have heard about Mars One, the reality show that wants to send a group of people on a one-way journey to the red planet. But not all of us thinks that is a good idea.
We have to build up Mars together
Several parties have engaged in discussions on how to achieve the goal; a permanent settlement on Mars. Elon Musk revealed SpaceX’ updated plans for the BFR during the International Astronautical Congress in Adelaide this year. During the same conference, the ESA director Jan Wörner shared his thoughts on Mars exploration when asked what ESA should do. His statement is that we can’t have one single project; it has to be a joint effort, combined of projects by many actors. This is a statement it is easy to agree upon. We even see hints of cooperation between NASA/ESA and Chinese agencies, something that is not a common thing these days. We can hope for cooperation; space fosters peace, innovation and cooperation with a common goal.
Do you want to win a trip to a space Center?
So, do you want to take part in the lineup of projects? NTNU is invited to join the Home Planet Mars contest; an initiative by HP and partners. The goal of the project is to create a VR-world of a city on Mars, with everything one million people need to carry on with their lives. So infrastructure, transportation systems, life support, recreational facilities and much more must be designed. We are invited to set up a team of up to 8 persons. Students and employees from all fields of study at NTNU can contribute and apply. The only thing you need is a strong passion for space technology, space exploration and how to shape the future.
This is a competition between several universities around the world. A winning team will go to a space center in Houston, Abu Dhabi or in the Netherlands.
More information on how to apply!
This blog entry was written by PhD Candidate Roger Birkeland, at NTNU
-Department of Electronic Systems