6. Mitigate Hazards for Your Mission

Learners think about hazards and mitigation strategies for NASA missions.

Setup: Prep Time 50 min.

  • Combine card decks.

*See Materials & Preparation in the Educator Guide linked above for full info.

21st Century Skills

  • Creativity

Science Practices

  • Engaging in Argument from Evidence

Learners Will Do

  • Choose a mission to plan.
  • List mission hazards and ways to mitigate them.

Learners Will Know

  • Scientists predict hazards in an area they want to study, and think about ways to mitigate them.

Connecting Across Adventures

  • Adventure 5: Hazards in Space: Last time, learners learned that hazards also exist in space, some are the same as they are on Earth, and some are different.
  • Adventure 6: Mitigate Hazards for Your Mission: Today, learners choose a NASA mission and think about the hazards, mitigation strategies, and other factors NASA should consider.
  • Adventure 7: Science Share-Out: Next time, learners will share their proposed mission strategy with members of their community.

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Two USGS scientists discussing the topic
Why do we send rovers instead of people with Elise and Ryan
Two USGS scientists discussing the topic
Perseverance Interview with Robin Fergason
Two USGS scientists discussing the topic
Perseverance Interview With Ken Trim
previous arrow
next arrow

Level Up! (Optional)

  • Allow learners to design a mission that involves using NASA science and engineering to solve a problem in their community. Provide them with Science Activity 6 Mission 5 Handout (PDF).
  • The Curiosity Rover encounters a lot of rocks while it’s roving around on Mars. NASA designed the wheels of the next Curiosity-type rover, Perseverance, differently to try to mitigate this rocky hazard! Check out this article from when Perseverance was fitted with its new shoes before launch: NASA’s Perseverance Mars Rover Gets Its Wheels and Air Brakes.
  • Ask these story prompt questions: Why is it important to share ideas? When have you shared your ideas before (for example, with family or community members)? Have learners share with a partner. Tell learners, if anyone asks them what they did today, they can tell them “We made a plan to mitigate the hazards on a space mission” and ask them the above story prompt questions. Consider returning to learners’ ideas at the start of the next adventure. (5 min.)