Building New Rockets Building a Mars rocket is the first challenge. One rocket alone can’t get to Mars. Today’s rockets aren’t big enough. T ey can’t carry enough fuel. Engineers think they can fix this


problem. T ey want to invent several new types of rockets. Each of the new rockets would be used to build a spaceship in space. T is new technology could carry


sections of a spaceship into space. Astronauts would fit these sections together. T e last rocket would take the crew to the finished spaceship. T en it’s off to Mars!


THE RED PLANET


What you need to know about Mars:


• Mars is about half the diameter of Earth.


• A year on Mars lasts for 687 Earth days. A day on Mars lasts 24 hours, 37 minutes.


• Temperatures range from –153°C (–225°F) near the poles to 20°C (70°F) near the equator.


• The air is mostly carbon dioxide. It has hardly any oxygen.


Testing the Rockets It takes a long time to invent and build something new. NASA is building a new rocket now. T e first test flight will be in 2017. T is flight won’t go to Mars. It


will orbit, or circle, Earth without a crew. Scientists want to make sure the rocket is safe. T e first test flight around Earth


with a crew would be in 2021. T en sending a crew all the way to Mars might happen by 2035. Testing rockets and spaceships is


important. Scientists must also make sure the crew can survive the trip.


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