Today from Bedtime Math: Tricky Trip to Mars

People have always dreamed about going to the red planet Mars. It won't be easy to live there, though. Mars doesn't have safe air to breathe, or water to drink, or nice Earthy temperatures. And it's at least 60 million miles away from us. As our fan Hailey S. asked, how long does it take to fly to Mars? Even burning fuel as fast as you can. it takes at least 6 months.

Then, once you get to Mars, how do you live? Another fan, Mary Claire A., just shared that one company has a whole new idea for this. Instead of landing right on Mars dirt, Lockheed Martin wants to make a space station that will fly around Mars. It will work a lot like the International Space Station that orbits Earth -- it has probably flown right over your head a few times. The astronauts have everything they need to live on the ISS, so let's just do the same thing around Mars!

Wee ones: What shape is Mars?

Little kids: If you left for Mars today and flew for 6 months, how old would you be when you landed? Bonus: If you had left 6 months ago to land on Mars today, in what month would you have left? (It's June right now.)

Big kids: The Mars space station will be ready for visiting astronauts by the year 2028. How old will you be then? Bonus: If you took 1 year to fly that 60 million miles, how many miles would you fly each month? (Hint if needed: What if you took just 6 months, or 1/2 year?)

Answers:

Wee ones: A circle, or in 3D, a "sphere" (ball).

Little kids: Different for everyone...if you're having a birthday between now and December 2016, you'll be 1 year older than now, otherwise you'll be the same number age. Bonus: December 2015.

Big kids: Different for everyone...2028 is 12 years from now, so add 12 to your current age. Bonus: 5 million miles each month. A 6-month trip would be 10 million miles a month.