Mars Student Imaging Project

“What grade level of students can participate in the Mars Student Imaging Project (MSIP)?”
	Students in grades 5 through 12 can participate in MSIP.
“Will college students have a chance to be involved in this program?”
	Yes. Undergraduates will be able to participate in MSIP, although they will be evaluated completely separately from the 5th through 12th grade students.
“Will a 5th grade proposal be evaluated the same way as a 12th grade proposal?”
	No, proposals submitted by students in the 5th grade will not be evaluated using the same criteria as a 12th grade proposal. We realize that students in the upper grades will submit proposals with a higher degree of science background than students in the lower grades.
“Can a group of students simply submit a Mars Science Team Proposal and become involved in MSIP?”
	No, for starters, students must have an adult facilitator to lead their team. Secondly, there are a set of simple procedures to follow in order to be involved.
“What are the procedures to be followed in order to be involved with MSIP?”
	The first step is to submit the MSIP Application. Next, you need to download and print the MSIP curriculum guides provided on the website. Thirdly, you will need to complete the Model Activity from the student guide and the adult facilitator must submit the MSIP Model Activity Results Form. You will then submit your Mars Science Team Proposal and finally, when your project is completed, submit your final scientific report.
“What do we do after we submit the Mars Science Team Proposal?”
	At that point, you will wait for the Mars Student Imaging Project staff to contact you regarding the type of mission you were selected for and to solidify dates for your mission.
“What is the difference between the on-site format and distance learning format?”
	Students in the on-site format will be at the Mars Space Flight Facility to receive the image they chose to take of the surface of Mars. Student teams will learn how to use image-processing tools to enhance their image for better scientific study. Students will also prepare a presentation to assist them in peer-tutoring the students who were unable to travel to the facility.
“What is the distance-learning format?”
	The distance-learning format is really the same as the 5-day on-site format except that students will not have to travel to the ASU Mars Space Flight Facility. Students will be able to complete their mission using Internet video-conferencing, webchats, and teleconferencing.
“Will a school need special equipment to participate in the distance-learning format?”
	If you have a computer that has access to the Internet and has Adobe Photoshop®, that is all you will need. To participate in teleconferencing, you will just need a speakerphone; to participate in video conferencing you will need a web camera (which costs about $30) connected to your computer. If your school does not have one we will be able to send you one to borrow for the week.
“Can you explain archived-data format?”
	The archived-data format is one in which students will work much more independently with their teacher rather than directly with the MSIP staff. E-mail interaction only will be available for these teams. Teams involved in this option will be given a previously taken image of the Martian surface to analyze.
“Will all the student teams be able to image a site on Mars?”
	The on-site teams and distance-learning teams will actually get to choose which site on Mars they would like to image. The archived-data teams will be given an image to work with that pertains to their proposal.
“How much does it cost to participate in MSIP?”
	There is no cost for teams that participate in MSIP. Students who participate in the on-site format will, however have to pay for their transportation, food and lodging.
“How many students can be on a student team?”
	There needs to be a minimum of 5 students but there is no maximum number of students that can be a part of any team. It is important, however, to make sure that all students who are on the team are committed and dedicated members.
“How many students can participate in the on-site format?”
	There should be between 5 and 30 student representatives (chosen from the team) who come on-site to ASU. A recommended effective number of student representatives is 10.
“Do we get to choose which type of format we would like to be involved in?”
	Yes and no. You can select which format you would prefer to participate in but the final selection will be made by the Mars Student Imaging Project staff. Their decision will be based on the quality of the submitted Participating Mars Science Team Proposal.
“How can we be sure to submit a proposal that is written in a format that the MSIP staff is looking for?”
	If you follow the format given in the MSIP Model Activity illustrating how the scientic process works, it provides the necessary steps to model when working towards writing your Participating Mars Science Team Proposal. As long as you follow those steps, complete your research, and submit a well-written proposal, your proposal will be written in a suitable format.
“How do we know what research to do for this project?”
	One of the downloadable guides is a MSIP Resource Manual. This manual will provide you with some starting background research. Also, the MSIP Teacher’s Manual will also provide suggestions for the adult facilitator to share with his/her team. Also, provided on our website are links that give you many resources for your research.
“What if our MSIP team has a question that our teacher cannot answer?”
	There is an email address (msip@asu.edu) that your adult facilitator can send those questions to and someone from the Mars Space Flight Facility will answer it.
“Where is the Mars Space Flight Facility?”
	The Mars Space Flight Facility is located on the campus of Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona. This is the “home” of scientist Dr. Phil Christensen, the Principal Investigator (PI) of the THEMIS camera.
“Are student teams really going to be able to use the THEMIS camera to image a site of their choice?”
	Yes. Students will be modeling the scientific process that actual scientists deal with as they explore a planet. As student teams do this, they will be performing “good science”. As the MSIP teams image Mars, they will be assisting the scientists exploring the Red Planet.
“Once student teams receive their image, is the project over?”
	Not at all. Once student teams receive their image and begin to analyze it they will need to look at their original research question and begin to use their image to answer their question. Students will need to present their findings using one of many methods discussed in the MSIP Student Guide. Students will also need to submit a report to an on-line journal.
“How do the MSIP teams know what site on Mars to image using the THEMIS camera?”
	Based on the scientific question the student teams asks, they will need to find features on Mars that will enable them to gather evidence that will assist them in answering their scientific question. Student teams should generate a list of proposed sites to image. Then, approximately two weeks before students are involved in the on-site or distance-learning portion of their project, they will examine the orbital track of the spacecraft and will make a final choice of what they would like to image on Mars.
“What is the THEMIS camera?”
	THEMIS stands for Thermal Emission Imaging System. THEMIS is a visible and infrared camera. Students will obtain a visible wavelength image of their site on Mars.
“What will the THEMIS image look like?”
	It will look similar to the image shown on the “Wanted: Mars Explorers!” poster. That poster image is actually an image taken by the Viking Orbiter from the 1970’s. The THEMIS image however will be a higher resolution image.
“Will student teams immediately get back their THEMIS image?”
	The plan is for student teams to actually look at the orbital track of the spacecraft two-weeks before their on-site or distance-learning participation. This will enable mission planners to upload the commands to the spacecraft in time for students to receive their image during their planned week of activities.
“How will the student teams get their image?”
	On-site and distance-learning teams will acquire their image once it has been downloaded from the spacecraft. The archived-data teams will be sent an image that was previously taken but one that pertains to their Mars Participating Science Team Proposal so that they can complete their project in a most effective and engaging way.
“Is MSIP only for Arizona schools?”
	No. MSIP is a national program.
“How long will MSIP be available for student teams to participate?”
	MSIP will continue for probably at least four years, as long as the spacecraft remains healthy.