Landing on Mars piques interest in space exploration

By Leslie Fulbright and Jane Hodges
Seattle Times staff reporters

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Elliot Wyatt's parents tell him that if he studies real hard and gets good grades, he can be an astronaut.

The 6-year-old, fascinated with the idea of spending time in space, got a taste of what it would be like yesterday at the "Space: A Journey to Our Future" exhibit at the Pacific Science Center.

Psyched by the recent Mars photos he has seen on television, Wyatt played with red rocks in a room designed to look like the planet and touched an actual meteorite from Mars before listing the items he would need for his future mission.

"Pizza, my dog and a jacket," Wyatt said, after his mother told him that Mars can have extremely cold temperatures and storms that last for months.

While the NASA rover Spirit continues to send images from the red planet, Mars-related events are popping up all over the region, giving both adults and children exposure to exhibits and educational programs.

Mars mania The international Mars Society has a 5-year-old local chapter that meets monthly. The Mars Society Puget Sound will hold a meeting from 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday at the Bellevue Regional Library, 1111 110th Ave. N.E. For information, go to chapters.marssociety.org/pugetsound The Pacific Science Center's Mars Mania is on Jan. 24 and 25. For information, call 206-443-2001 or visit www.pacsci.org/mars-mania-2004/

The center's space exhibit, which started in November, gives visitors an opportunity to experience past and future explorations in space.

While moon-centric, it has a few rooms dedicated to Mars. You can find out how much you would weigh on Mars, squeeze into a small spaceship bunk bed and learn interesting facts about the planet, such as the lack of oxygen and that days are 37 minutes longer there than on Earth.

On Saturday, Seattle's Museum of Flight hosted Mars Fest '04, a daylong session of panels with academics and aerospace experts.

The founder of the Mars Society, Dr. Robert Zubrin, talked about the prospects of putting people on Mars within the decade — including what sort of rocket or spacecraft could transport them.

During a midday panel, children asked questions ranging from whether plants could grow on Mars to whether Earth and Mars are similar.

There were geological questions, too, about the role of water in shaping the topography of Mars and the mapping capacity of the equipment used in upcoming U.S. expeditions. Others asked if there was anything similar about volcanic activity on Mars and Earth — there isn't — and about the shifts that continents make over time.

Olympia resident Anya Toukmatcheva, a graduate student in environmental studies at Evergreen State College, said it was interesting to learn about the environment on another planet.

"I'm from Russia. It's a space nation," Toukmatcheva said. "I just wanted to see this."

Jim and Sharon Jessup, a Kirkland couple, said their family has always been interested in space. When their three sons were younger, family vacations included visits to NASA sites in Texas and Florida.

"The rover landing got our attention," Jim Jessup said "I think the technology that went into this is phenomenal."Jane Hodges: 425-745-7813 or jhodges@seattletimes.com

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