Mars Mission Competition: University Students Invited to Design Two-Person Mars Flight

The International Mars Society recently held a 4-day conference in the American state of Colorado, during which they announced a competition for university students around the world. The group is urging students to help with plans for sending humans to Mars. About 6 months ago, the non-profit Inspiration Mars Foundation proposed sending humans to Mars within 5 years. Under the plan, a spacecraft would carry a woman and a man to within 160 kilometers of the red planet. Then it would return them to Earth. The crew is expected to be American, but the process of getting to Mars is an international effort.

The president of the Mars Society, Robert Zubrin, made the competition announcement. He has asked teams of students to design a two-person, Mars flight operation that could launch in 2018. The designs will be judged on cost, quality, simplicity, and timing. The Mars Society, Inspiration Mars, and the American space agency will choose the judges.

The challenge of humans to Mars could inspire a new generation to want to develop their minds to become scientists, engineers, technological entrepreneurs, and researchers. The competition is open to university engineering students worldwide. The teams must be mostly students, although some professors, university alumni, and others can take part. Competition finalists will present their plans at the space agency's Ames Research Center in California.

The Inspiration Mars Foundation is the idea of businessman and space tourist Dennis Tito. Robert Zimmerman admits he does not belong to the group, but he says he thinks its idea of a trip to Mars is a realistic possibility.

Who proposed the plan of sending humans to Mars within 5 years about 6 months ago?

A. The International Mars Society. B. Inspiration Mars Foundation.

C. American state of Colorado. D. Ames Research Center in California.

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What is included in the proposal of sending humans to Mars?

A. America is responsible for getting the craft to Mars. B. University students would design the flight operation.

C. The crew members would be all Americans. D. A spacecraft would carry two men to Mars.

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What do we know about Dennis Tito?

A. He loves touring around the world. B. He is just a businessman.

C. He belongs to the Inspiration Mars Foundation. D. He invented the idea of the competition.

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What kind of people would competition teams be composed of according to?

A. University alumni and professors. B. Mainly professors.

C. Mainly students. D. Professors and students.

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Answers:

B. Inspiration Mars Foundation.

D. A spacecraft would carry a woman and a man to within 160 kilometers of the red planet. Then it would return them to Earth.

B. He is just a businessman.

C. Mainly students.