Maker’s Red Box – Green Engineers (Pécs Group 3)
The Pécs Group 3 is setting off on another exciting mission with the goal of completing a task no less ambitious than recolonizing the planet Mars. After successfully completing Earth-based simulation exercises, the children find themselves on Mars following a crash landing. Here, they are faced with various missions that require them to apply engineering solutions. Throughout the expedition, real teamwork is essential, as it is the key to the mission’s success. Andrea Bálint-Orsós, mentor, Pécs Group 3
Images from the mission can be seen in the Gallery.
How we saw…
First session:
“After successfully completing their previous mission, the team is now faced with a new challenge! This time, they are traveling much farther in both space and time than in their previous mission. Their mission takes them to the distant future, a time when humanity has already experienced a failed attempt to colonize Mars. Their task is to return to Mars and restart the process that was halted years ago. First, they receive training here on Earth, then their journey to Mars begins, where the mission continues! During the training, they prepare for all the challenges they may face during the journey and their stay on Mars. They acquire the knowledge needed to handle any event or problem, including unexpected situations or technical malfunctions. The skills and abilities they strengthen will turn them into true survivors in a world characterized by scarcity. Along the way, they will also become inventive and resourceful, transforming into true Green Engineers!
The team was introduced to the mission and the Earth-based training site, the Enyo’s Cobra Nest Mars simulation base, located in the isolated desert of North Africa. This base replicates the conditions the team will face on Mars – oxygen, water, food, and other resources are limited and only as available as they would be on Mars. After each team member selected their astronaut name, they learned about the history of space exploration and the heroes whose footsteps they will follow. They also reviewed the details and lessons of the failed Mars expedition. Each team member designed their own 3D astronaut avatar, which will be printed. To conclude, they gathered data about Mars, familiarized themselves with the key components of a landing module, and sketched their own landing unit, which will be vectorized and laser-cut during the next session.”
Péter Schlepp, Developer
“Today, the project that I believe is one of the most interesting programs started again: Maker’s Red Box returned with a new story. This year, instead of global warming, we are virtually traveling to Mars. Today, we worked on 3D designs and learned what will happen throughout the project. Meanwhile, a junior mentor gave us a presentation on what to do when we see an injury. I really enjoyed today, and this mission seems just as interesting as last year’s.”
Eszter Szabó-Körmendi, Pécs Group 3
“After a delicious breakfast, we started the second project of Maker’s Red Box, where we had to build a population on Mars. During the session, we brainstormed and discussed a lot, and then we drew the machine that will land on Mars. I really liked today.”
Lázár Fülöp, Pécs Group 3