Introduction

Multinational Mars Research Project:
Saratoga Springs, USA - Chekhov, Russia

In the fall of the year 2001, the Saratoga Springs High School NASA Club began to formulate a project that would truly change the lives of all its participants. This project was a joint venture by students from Saratoga Springs, N.Y. and students from Saratoga's "sister city" of Chekhov Russia for the purpose of research on the planet Mars.

Our international team became involved with Mars research using the MSIP (Mars Student Imaging Project) at Arizona State University. MSIP is a NASA program that is administered at ASU for the purpose of allowing students grade 5 through second year of college to formulate a research project on the planet Mars. The power of the MSIP program rests in the fact that students formulate their own experimental question and then use images taken by the Mars Odyssey satellite to collect data and arrive at a conclusion to their question. Our joint team not only formulated a question for study but then was allowed to travel to the Mars Space Flight Facility at ASU in Tempe Arizona, to be trained in image enhancement and data collection. The MSIP program is a tremendous opportunity for all science students to learn the needed skills to participate in research but also to use the resources of a NASA site.

This project was able to serve as two great opportunities in one. Without a doubt the science and the research was a great opportunity for any student. I quickly began to realize that an equal opportunity for learning was to be found in the group dynamics of an international team. Students working together on this team had to overcome the barriers of language and culture in order to be successful. A very powerful connection developed between students of the two different cities that I think will carry through the rest of their lives. I feel joint projects like these help to make the world a bit smaller and the understanding between cultures stronger. A safer world of tomorrow can begin with the youth of today.

I encourage all interested schools to investigate the MSIP website for background information and all the steps necessary to conduct your own Mars research. Our website will provide you access to our final report as well as the links to our "Sister City" site that will provide you information on the international connection. Please contact us with any questions that you may have concerning our project. We at Saratoga Springs High School hope to continue with joint projects like these for many years to come. The entire membership of the Saratoga NASA Club feel very strongly that this was a very unique project that truly changed their lives for the better. If we can help you in the pursuit of your own project please use the Contact Us section of our site.

Saratoga NASA Club