Artifact - Shark Tank Assignment

This was an assignment that we did in my GEN ST 199 class that I found to be really fun and engaging. Our group was tasked with designing a proposal for a permanent Mars base that could house researchers and students on a futuristic study abroad program. We quickly found that the solution was much more complicated then we initially thought it would be. We researched the various complications and issues that scientists designing the base would face, which included dangerous radiation from the sun, freezing temperatures, dust contamination, energy generation, communication with the Earth, water and oxygen generation/sourcing, and sustainable food growth and living.

In the end, we decided that a modular system that implemented a variety of different pods that were located both above ground and below the surface would be the best approach. This allows us to keep costs low and scalability high, which would allow the base to start small and expand in the future. I found this assignment to be very enlightening, and I learned a lot about space exploration and habitation, an area which I am very passionate about.