Canadian Space Agency Supports The Mars Society of Canada’s Mars Explorer Mobile Education Station (MEMES) to Inspire Next Generation of Space Explorers
- The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) has provided funding to The Mars Society of Canada (MSC) to construct and deploy MEMES, in support of the Mars Explorer Program (MEP).
- MEP consists of a series of online and in-class Mars and Lunar-themed learning modules that are meant to inspire young students and function as a free teacher resource.
- MEMES will be a mobile classroom that will be deployed at schools and summer camps in Ontario and Quebec beginning in 2024. The learning modules developed by MEP will be presented from MEMES and will offer hands-on, interactive instruction in STEM fields and space exploration.
- The initiative aims to engage with over 2,000 students and encourage them to pursue future careers in STEM. It will provide resources to at least 140 teachers in its first year of operation, with an emphasis on communities historically underrepresented in STEM.
- Key technologies demonstrated on MEMES will include a vertical hydroponics unit, a renewable energy system, and space-themed living quarters which will be complemented by augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) displays provided by BGC Engineering for an immersive learning experience.
The MSC has been blazing trails with its innovative Mars Explorer Program, an initiative focused on inspiring Canada’s younger generation to reach for the Moon, Mars and beyond. The program, funded in part by the CSA, brings Mars and Moon-themed learning modules to primary school teachers across the country, providing a foundation to ignite a passion for STEM fields in their students.
The first set of learning modules has already made a successful landing in a pilot school in Ontario, sparking the curiosity and imagination of its young learners. Riding on this momentum, the MSC plans to launch up to 34 additional learning modules and extend the program’s reach with the development of the MEMES, a mobile classroom set to traverse the length and breadth of Canada in years to follow.
MEMES is not your average classroom; it’s a retrofitted trailer with a deployable origami habitat, ready to transport students to a world beyond our own at no cost to participants. It brings to life the key technologies and concepts necessary for off-world exploration and inhabitation, offering students an immersive, interactive learning environment through augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) displays.
At MEMES, students won’t just learn about space — they’ll experience a part of it! They’ll delve into how to build a city on the Moon or Mars, how to construct a Lunar or Martian Rover, and engage with an array of other space-themed lessons. Key technologies featured onboard MEMES will include a vertical hydroponics unit, a renewable energy system, and space-themed living quarters, creating an authentic space exploration atmosphere.
The success of MEMES will depend on the dedicated team of volunteers at the MSC and collaborating organizations who have chosen to assist us. Among these volunteers are Haydn Hanna, the creator of the Mars Explorer Program and a qualified primary school teacher, Glenn Scott, President and Co-founder of the MSC, and Dr. Pooneh Maghoul, an Associate Professor at Polytechnique Montréal.
With the ambitious goal of engaging with more than 2,000 students and providing targeted resources to at least 140 teachers during its first year of operation, MEMES is poised to become an exciting catalyst for the next generation of Canadian scientists, engineers, and visionaries.
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“I am thrilled to witness the ever-increasing passion for Science, Engineering, and Space Exploration among our young Canadian students and beyond, which is propelled by the groundbreaking MEMES initiative.”
Dr. Pooneh Maghoul, Polytechnique Montréal
“MEMES has been designed to be highly adaptable and it is expected that many more technical demonstrations will be staged onboard this station. This will improve our ability to inspire young students to play important future roles in Canada’s participation in the exploration and eventual inhabitation of the Moon, Mars and beyond.”
Glenn J. Scott, The Mars Society of Canada