STEP INSIDE A FULL-SCALE MARS POD
What might your home look like on Mars? Venture inside an interactive Mars Habitat for the first time. Designed by international design firm Hassell for NASA’s 3D-Printed Habitat Challenge, in partnership with engineers Eckesley O’Callaghan (EOC), the Mars Habitat is built with a focus on astronauts’ wellbeing – while using resources that will be available on Mars.
DISCOVER THE EXOMARS ROVER, COURTESY OF ESA
The ExoMars Rosalind Franklin rover will travel to Mars in 2020, a joint endeavour between the European Space Agency and the Russian space agency, Roscosmos. Find out how this complex mobile laboratory will search for past life on Mars and explore the Martian environment by taking and analysing surface samples. The ExoMars rover will be exhibited alongside three engineering prototypes.
EXPLORE HYDROPONIC FARMING KITS
Did you know that almost all water on Mars exists as ice? With very little atmosphere and few nutrients in the soil, this means that humans on Mars will rely entirely on materials brought from Earth for farming. Learn about hydroponic farming and what humans might eat on Mars.
TRY ON CLOTHES MADE FOR MARS
Every detail of our journey to Mars must be designed – even the clothing. Explore Martian fashion created by responsible design company RÆBURN in their SS20 ‘New Horizons’ collection, which uses lightweight materials designed by NASA for space exploration. Try on select items from the new collection, including pieces made from solar blankets and parachutes inspired by the make-do-and-mend approach on Mars.
WATCH ROBOTS ROAM THE MARS SURFACE
See the Mars 3D printed habitat designed by Fosters + Partners, which will be showcased through a series of architectural models showing how the habitat is constructed. Discover a model of the finished habitat, a large sandpit filled with simulant Mars regolith with a 3D printed dome and a series of small robots to show how they would move around on the Martian surface.
BECOME IMMERSED ‘ON MARS TODAY’
Today, we know more about Mars than at any time in history – though it is still a place where no one has ever stepped before. Freezing temperatures, unbreathable air, solar and cosmic radiation all make for a very inhospitable environment. Take your first step onto the red planet and see what Mars looks like today in a new multisensory experience with the ‘On Mars Today’ installation, including smell, sound and surface.
CLIMB INSIDE THE ILLUSTRATED ROCKET DEN
Are you ready for your journey to Mars? Begin your adventure with a trip inside this rocket playhouse, filled with lots of interstellar illustrations. Travelling to Mars takes up to eight months, so make sure you’ve packed everything you might need. All ages welcome.
COMPLETE THE MARS KIDS TRAIL
Getting to Mars and surviving there is the ultimate design challenge – what will you design for Mars? Mission: Design for Mars invites kids to imagine the future on Mars by completing briefs set by experts, including astronaut Tim Peake. Look out for the special Moving to Mars symbol to follow the trail and share your work at the end of the exhibition.
