Space Colony Project
Introduction: This is a hands-on project to create a space colony. This effort will use the
knowledge learned in previous mission plans and should provide a continuing theme throughout
the Galaxy Explorers program.
Each Mission Team will be divided into groups of four to five members. Each group will
present their results in a ten-minute presentation. The activity will be largely a guided effort.
Specifically the Galaxy Explorers will answer a series of questions framing the issue and will be
given time to polish their results and present it.
The activity is outlined as follows...
• Introduction. Give your Colony a name.
• What is your colony's mission?
• Where will your colony be located?
• What things does your colony need?
• How do you get to your colony?
• What types of companies does your Colony work with?
• What jobs will be done by people and what will be done by robots?
• Make a flag. Pick a song which your Colony will use as it's "theme song." The head of the
Colony is going to build a statue of the person who inspired them the most to be a space
colonist. This person can be living or dead, someone you know or someone you know of,
someone who is real or fictional. Who is that person?
• Presentation preparation (drawing or map) and delivery
This project will be to create some vision of a space colony and share it with others.
The presentation should essentially answer the questions on the following handout.
The Colony Mission
Purpose: We need to determine the purpose of the Colony.
Notes:
Space colonies can perform a variety of missions.
The basic explorers should decide among very broad categories. For example...
Science
Tourism
Manufacturing
Service (supporting other colonies with food, water resources)
Pioneering
Advanced students should take it one step further. For example
Science - Astronomy
Manufacturing - Medecine
Service - Agriculture
Likewise size may go from a couple of dozen researchers and their families to tens of thousands
of families supporting a dozen factories.
Presentation Question: What is your colony’s mission
Colony Location
Purpose: We need to identify a location for the colony to perform its mission.
Notes:
Here are some places where they may want to put there colonies.
The moon - good for research, good for mining materials and oxygen, good for tourists
Mars - Good for pioneers because of water and atmosphere. Research on origins of life can be
done on Mars. Great for tourists (Mons Olympus - the solar systems biggest mountain)
Earth Orbit - Good for manufactiuring, good for science. Low orbit is good for looking at the
whole Earth. High orbits are better for looking at one spot (communications satellites)
Libration points (places of gravitational equilibrium between heavenly bodies) -good for services
(act as a way station for space ships going between the earth and moon for example)
Asteroid belt - Good for mining
Outer planets - good for exploring and doing research
Presentation Question: Where is your colony located?
Building the Colony
Purpose: We need to decide what sort of special activities a colony will need to do to work.
Colonies like cities have specific subsystems which support the whole. They include
- life support
- local transportation
- power
- water storage and delivery
- sanitation
- food production and storage
- communications
- recreation
- housing
- weather/climate control
- Protection - Mars colonies need protection from dust and wind. Lunar colonies need protection
from radiation etc... .
Certain activities may require that special attention be given to certain subsystems. Tourists may
need extra recreation. Agricultural colonies may need more water. Miners may need power for
their mining equipment. Service colonies may need lots of local shuttlecraft and space tugs to
move space ships around.
Presentation Question: What is the most important subsystem your colony needs to do its
mission?
Space Transportation
Purpose: We need to know what types of transportation may be used to get to your colony and
back.
Notes:
The distinction being made in this activity is that there are orbital transportation systems and
interplanetary transportation systems.
The Shuttle only goes into orbit.
The Apollo space craft could only go to the moon.
The endstate should be a discussion of needs. We need to move a certain number of people
between the colony and earth atcertain intervals and the trip should take this amount of time.
New Fairfax needs a space ship capable of taking 100 people to the colony in orbit and earth
everyday and the trip should only be an hour long.
Presentation Question: Based on where your colony is located what type of transportation
will you use?
Colony Associations
Purpose: We need to know what supporting efforts are needed to sustain the colony
Notes: There are many possible space businesses one could have in a colony. Not just scientific
research. A space colony may need artists, salesman, welders, repairmen like the people who
work in Prince William County. Not everyone who goes to space will be a an astronauts.
Presentation Question: Based on the mission of the colony identify two businesses which
would support that activity.
Hints: The basic explorers may come up with something like telescope repairman to help out a
research station, while the advanced explorers may envision habitat construction companies in
support of a pioneering colony.
Space Art
Purpose: There are a few other things we need to know.
Presentation Questions:
What is your Colony’s Name?
What is the official Song of your Colony?
Every Colony will have a statue built to honor the person or people who inspired the
colonists to take an interest in space. What person or group of people will be on your
statue? Remember it can be anyone from your mom or dad, to your science teacher, to an
astronaut or even a TV character.
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