Build a Mars Base - Engineering Simulation
How can humans thrive on Earth and off Earth? Join our game and you decide!
Hosted by 1 expert guide
Welcome! I am your Mission Director, Blaine.
You have been selected to be part of an elite space task force.
Your mission is to build a base on Mars, and eventually further in the Solar System!
Space exploration is accelerating exponentially. Fleets of space ships are becoming available, and a new Space Age is beginning.
What will you send?
Where will you build?
In this simulation, you decide.
Highlights
✅ Real space science, engineering, and planning
✅ Interactive simulation role playing game (like D&D, but with real science)
✅ Strategy, Collaboration and mission building
✅ Develop useful engineering and science skills
Deep Dive
In this simulation-based class, you’ll work as a team of engineers, scientists, and planners tasked with building the first sustainable base on Mars.
Your crew will:
Design cargo manifests for starships, balancing priorities.
Choose tools and technologies to send, and which to leave behind.
Make real trade-offs under pressure: Do you bring more food, or more solar panels? Robots or rovers? One big reactor or multiple smaller ones?
Navigate real mission constraints like launch limits, orbital mechanics, and failure probabilities.
Simulate every decision with realistic consequences using aerospace-grade planning tools.
Everything you do affects your success. The wrong choice might mean power outages, failed landings, or your crops dying on Sol 20.
This is a high-stakes, science-based adventure where every item counts and your team’s collaboration determines whether your Martian colony thrives or fails.
About Blaine
I'm an engineer and tinkerer of electronics and mechanical systems. I was a professional aerospace mechanic in the Air Force. When teaching, I prefer an interactive approach where we learn together. We'll use topics like physics and chemistry without even knowing it.
Our sessions are a mix of gamified information with planetary science, space travel physics, and real engineering.
Are you ready to take the next giant leap for humankind?
Your mission and adventure, if you choose to accept it, begins now.
Pick a time
Age ranges are just suggestions! You can register for any cohort.
Meet the guides
Expert guides leading this course
Course updates
Updates from guides of this course
Jan 29 @ 2:21 AM
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***** has been exploring the landscape of Mars and having challenges to overcome along the way. Along the way, we learned about ideas in physics, chemistry, and engineering... all while playing an interactive game together. ...
Jan 29 @ 2:22 AM
*****************************************************
***** has been exploring the landscape of Mars and having challenges to overcome along the way. Along the way, we learned about ideas in physics, chemistry, and engineering... all while playing an interactive game together. ...
2 days ago
We continued our building of the Mars Base and added a new person, ****, to our team!
Here's a summary of what we accomplished today!
### Course Introduction & Student Background
- New student **** joining Build Mars Base course
- ****’s interests:
- Planning, games, Legos,...
Jan 23 @ 12:46 AM
Great session building out the start of a robotic base on Mars! There's a long way to go, but by the end of the first day, there has been a lot accomplished - power electricity infrastructure, a robotic team, and much more.
Here's a summary:
### Mars Mission Recap & Current St...
Sep 1 @ 7:28 PM
Hi there I'm ******,
Today, we set the stage for our Mission to Build a Base on Mars. To get to Mars, we first need to understand where matter, stars, and planets come from. Here's a short summary of topics we covered today.
- Stars originate from vast clouds of gas and dust i...
Feb 13 @ 12:44 AM
Excellent mission! Today, we welcomed ***** to our Mars Building Simulation!
The team explored further to the North with a fleet of drones, which allowed them to uncover the opening to a cave! As they approached the cave entrance, they discovered ******** and ******** resources...
Jan 30 @ 12:49 AM
**** and ***** built a road to connect to the wreckage of the first Starship Heart of Gold and discovered ** humanoid robots and some solar panels that could be used! As the build of the Martian landscape continues, it's becoming clearer what the future base could look like, with...
3 days ago
Today we brought our new mission engineer, ******, up to speed with the Mars map! We gathered basic ideas of how spreadsheets can be helpful to calculate what payload we want to send.
And last, we continued the mission to try to make a road a develop a launch pad for future Sta...
Sep 8 @ 7:25 PM
Hi there,
Today, we unpacked essential information about spaceflight, rocketry, and an introduction to Mars. Here’s a short summary of topics covered:
Review of previous course material: Origins of the Solar System, star life cycles, planet formation from asteroids, and more.
...
Jan 15 @ 12:45 AM
### Mars Mission Simulation Overview
- Educational space exploration session between ***** and *****
- Building Mars base simulation using spreadsheet calculations
- Focus on rocket launch phases, probability calculations, and mission logistics
### Spacecraft Configuration & La...
Jan 16 @ 1:09 AM
This was a thrilling session as **** and ***** finally sent their Ships to Mars! Congratulations are in order! After planning and finally getting a Ship with cargo safely to the surface of the Red Planet, our Mission begins a new chapter - to unpack the cargo and begin building t...
Sep 2 @ 1:57 AM
Hi there,
Today, we set the stage for our Mission to Build a Base on Mars. To get to Mars, we first need to understand where matter, stars, and planets come from. Here's a short summary of topics we covered today.
- Stars originate from vast clouds of gas and dust in space.
- ...