Things I would take to Mars
Four young minds reveal what their space baggage will be like
Dhanvi Sayani Grade 8, GEMS Our Own English High School, Dubai
If I were relocating to Mars, I would first make sure that my parents and sister are coming with me. And then I would think of the five things I would take with me. And I wouldn’t worry too much about food and water because unless these were available on Mars, what’s the point of moving there?
1 My laptop: I would take my laptop as usually I have all my memories and pictures saved in it so I can keep revisiting them whenever I miss my friends and other family members back on Earth.
2 My mobile phone: Hopefully it will work on Mars and help me keep in touch with my friends back here.
3 A bag full of books: So I can read on Mars, as there are chances I may not be able to make friends with Martians that easily to begin with.
4 A plant: It’s important to take a plant from Earth and help it grow in the Martian soil. More than simply being a souvenir from earth, it could be the start of something green on the Red planet.
5 Pen and paper: So I can note down every little thing I see and feel on Mars. Call it my Mars journalling which may come in handy for scientists back on earth at some point in time.
Avaneesh Rajan Khatavkar Grade 9, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Dubai
1 My A.M.P.I.S (this is my own invention). The letters stand for Auto Mato Prepare It Suit.What’s that? It is a suit which can turn the atmosphere on Mars into something resembling Earth’s atmosphere. All problems solved. And as a small task, It would also be able to prepare food and serve it hot. Yum.
2 A dog: Yes, you are reading this right. This is the first thing I would take to Mars. As man’s best friend and as a companion in my adventurous stay on Mars, he would help me out a lot. Of course, dog food might turn out to be a problem and maybe there’s no way of feeding canines, so I will take along a stack of treats for him. Hopefully, he won’t eat them all at one go.
3 My mobile phone: I know, it’s totally not the obvious thing (due to lack of a network up there), but there might be some satellites which would provide network, right? Maybe even take selfies with the Martians! The most important part would be to call my family and friends (and play Clash games).
Shadha Harris Grade 8, GEMS Our Own English High School, Dubai
1 My mum: Nothing in life is complete without my mother. Wherever I go, I will always take her with me. Life will be quite boring if I don’t have her around to scream at me from time to time.
2 Food, food and more food: Obviously, it is the most important thing in my life and being an absolute foodie, it comes second on my list.
3 My mobile phone: I’d love to keep up with my friends back on Earth. Not to mention, I have to post lots of pictures of my new house in Mars!
4 Books: Books are my favourite buddies. I will stock up on loads of them because who knows when a bookstore will open, if ever, on Mars.
5 My best friend: It would be so much fun goofing around with her on Mars exactly like how we do it on Earth. We both will go off on Martian adventures, exploring it before anyone else does.
Nora Seibart Grade 7, Dubai American Academy
1 A bike: I think I would take a bike with me because I would want to be able to travel around Mars and I am not sure cars are going to be making an appearance there soon. Another reason I would take a bike is because I wouldn’t want to pollute Mars.
2 Seeds: I would like to take seeds to plant because who knows if anything edible grows on Mars and if there is nothing, I can always plant the seeds and grow my own fruits and vegetables.
3 A portable heater: The air on Mars is around 100 times thinner than the air on Earth, so it can get extremely cold. A heater would be handy provided I figure out a way to get it to work.
4 A first-aid kit: Elementary, my dear.
5 An oxygen tank that recycles its O2: On Mars, the oxygen level is low therefore I wouldn’t be able to live without something that generates oxygen. I would never run out of oxygen either because when I breathe out the oxygen, it would become carbon dioxide and the plants that I will grow would take in the carbon dioxide and release oxygen. This tank would have enough for me to survive. During the night, I would have a special tube connected to me so that I get the oxygen and the plants don’t so I can breathe.