Awards & Nominations
ARES has received the following awards and nominations. Way to go!
Can You Hear Me Now?
Exploring Mars communication with ARES
Summary
Our project consists of a web application divided into two sections: one for adults, in which they can find information as well as a forum to ask questions and make proposals to address the complications that might exist when communicating from Earth to Mars and vice versa; and another section for kids, which includes a series of missions where children can learn about the very same issues but in a fun and interactive way, with the help of our mascot, Eros, who will guide them through various challenges. Our goal is that people of all ages can learn and share their ideas.
How We Addressed This Challenge
What did we develop?
We developed a web application with information available to everyone regardless of their age. It is an accessible way for those interested in learning about the process and challenges of communication with other celestial bodies, in this case, Mars, and to have a source from which to extract reliable, secure, and updated information. This platform not only divulges information but also enhances communication between people through discussions in the forums designed separately for kids and for adults. We consider that the best way to meet the challenge was through a web application because our programming knowledge is strong and because a web app is somewhat more accessible than other resources, making the experience as user friendly as possible.
Why is it important?
The lack of dissemination of science in both children and adults is a serious problem worldwide. For that reason, this application is ideal for fighting against this issue. It promotes learning about communication systems and also fosters a greater social awareness towards this area of study. We believe that our app can inspire a kid to get interested in these subjects and..., who knows? Maybe someday one of those kids will be able to solve these problems in real life. It is also an invitation for adults to let their imagination fly in the forum, of course, duly basing their contributions on scientific knowledge and not just on fantasy, developing their critical thinking and creativity.
What does it do?
In the adult section, summarized information is handled in simple terms, so that people can read it, understand it, and later generate debate with an open question or proposal.
On the other hand, children receive missions and questions from our mascot, Eros. He leads them through the tasks, asks questions, and then provides information about why a given answer is correct, so the kids will retain more information and later upload their own solutions to the problem.
How does it work?
Upon entering the application, the user will find the main page. From there, depending on their preference, they can choose whether they want the adult or the kid version. The adult version has six different subtopics, all of which are explained and can be discussed further in the forums. Each subtopic explains divergent communication issues and raises a problem based on the information given.
The children's section has four interactive missions where children will learn about different technologies, communication mishaps, and a few other topics. The first part consists of presenting the problem scenario. Then the challenge is shown through a question with multiple answers. Finally, the correct answer gets revealed, along with an explanation of why it is faultless. In addition to these sections, we included a button with the references and another one where users can find links to NASA simulators, games, etc.
What did we hope to achieve?
We hope that users will be able to recognize the existing communication problems between Earth and Mars as well as have a rough understanding of the operation of technologies in space.
We strive to change human society so that science is perceived as fun and not bland or overly technical. We want to generate a spark of curiosity and ignite the hunger for knowledge, as well as the willingness to share one's opinion, without penalty of being judged.
How We Developed This Project
What inspired our team to choose this challenge?
Space is such an extensive enigma, and trying to decipher it is no easy feat. It is as beautiful as it is dangerous, and it shows us that we barely know anything, that we still have to investigate more because we are not satisfied with how little we know. That uncertainty is what inspired us to go beyond and create a platform for everyone to learn and discover the wonders of the universe.
We chose this challenge because much of the information collected must be sent to Earth for analysis since it is likely that they will soon send humans to Mars. This fact makes information on communication essential and of public interest. We also think that our project is eligible for the "create a mascot" challenge because we created Eros, a friendly wild boar who helps kids understand all of the intriguing information provided by NASA.
What was our approach to developing this project?
Our approach was to learn and share information through different means, gathering the interests of all the members of our team. We wanted to develop a way in which everyone could have access to it, regardless of their age range. We intend to be a very intuitive platform so that anyone can obtain information and interact with other people through our web application.
What tools, coding languages, hardware, software did we use to develop the project?
For the web application we used:
- HTML
- SCC
- JavaScript
- Bootstrap
- JQuery
- Figma
For the illustrations:
- Autodesk Sketchbook Pro
What problems and achievements did we have?
Throughout the challenge, we encountered some issues, such as understanding the information, provided by NASA, because we did not know much about the subject, and comprehending the technicalities in the topics took us a while. We also had a few run-ins while trying to encode our web application, as JavaScript is not one of the team's specialties. Creating a mascot from scratch was also quite a feat. We had a few complications with the color palette and the facial expressions, even more so because we chose a wild boar.
We learned how to use various applications and tools that helped us carry out this project. Coworking with friends will be unforgettable, as it is a very enriching experience. Thanks to it, we learned about communication and teamwork within a healthy coexistence, full of tolerance, and in a quiet environment.
How We Used Space Agency Data in This Project
The information obtained from the Challenge resources were vital for the realization of this project. The sources provided us with a wide range of information that we were able to synthesize and adapt to both the missions and the information panels. We also used NASA's pictures to illustrate the information that we shared on the app.
Project Demo
Project Code
Data & Resources
Resources
NASA’s Mars Exploration Program. (2020). Retrieved 4 October 2020, from https://mars.nasa.gov/#red_planet/2
Mars. (2020). Retrieved 4 October 2020, from https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/mars/overview/
NASA's Opportunity Rover Mission on Mars Comes to End – NASA’s Mars Exploration Program. (2020). Retrieved 4 October 2020, from https://mars.nasa.gov/news/8413/nasas-opportunity-rover-mission-on-mars-comes-to-end/
In Depth | Mars – NASA Solar System Exploration. (2020). Retrieved 4 October 2020, from https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/mars/in-depth/
MRO-060303. (2020). Retrieved 4 October 2020, from https://mars.nasa.gov/files/mro/MRO-060303.pdf
Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter | Missions – NASA’s Mars Exploration Program. (2020). Retrieved 4 October 2020, from https://mars.nasa.gov/mars-exploration/missions/mars-reconnaissance-orbiter/
What Is a Satellite?. (2020). Retrieved 4 October 2020, from https://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/k-4/stories/nasa-knows/what-is-a-satellite-k4.html
Engineering Test Satellite-9. (2020). Retrieved 4 October 2020, from https://global.jaxa.jp/activity/pr/brochure/files/sat42.pdf
Nasa Facts.(2001).Retrieved 4 October 2020, from https://mars.nasa.gov/odyssey/files/odyssey/Odyssey0302.pdf
2001 Mars Odyssey. (2020). Retrieved 4 October 2020, from https://mars.nasa.gov/mars-exploration/missions/odyssey/
About the deep space network. (2020). Retrieved 4 October 2020, from https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/heo/scan/services/networks/deep_space_network/about
Communications | Mission – NASA's InSight Mars Lander. (2020). Retrieved 4 October 2020, from https://mars.nasa.gov/insight/mission/communications/
Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC). (2020). Retrieved 4 October 2020, from https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/tdm/dsoc/index.html
NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. (2020). Nasa’s Eyes. Retrieved 4 October 2020, from https://eyes.nasa.gov/
NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. (2020) Experience Insight. Retrieved 4 October 2020, from https://eyes.jpl.nasa.gov/apps/experience-insight/InSight.html
Images
Status Update: Spirit and Opportunity. (2020). Retrieved 4 October 2020, from https://mars.nasa.gov/mer/mission/rover-status/#recent
MRO Artist Concept – NASA’s Mars Exploration Program. (2020). Retrieved 4 October 2020, from https://mars.nasa.gov/resources/865/mro-artist-concept/
HiRISE's Mars Collage – NASA’s Mars Exploration Program. (2020). Retrieved 4 October 2020, from https://mars.nasa.gov/resources/25207/hirises-mars-collage/
2001 Mars Odyssey. (2020). Retrieved 4 October 2020, from
https://mars.nasa.gov/mars-exploration/missions/odyssey/
N/A. (2020). Retrieved 4 October 2020, from https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/img_1937_8_9_tonemapped.jpg
Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC). (2020). Retrieved 4 October 2020, from https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/tdm/dsoc/index.html
MARS InSight Mission. (2020). NASA Engineers Checking InSight's Weather Sensors. Retrieved 4 October 2020, from https://mars.nasa.gov/news/8744/nasa-engineers-checking-insights-weather-sensors/?site=insight