Designing a Mars Thermos
How do we keep liquids hot in cold temperatures?Copyright Photo by Adam Nir on Unsplash
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Students take on the role of engineers designing a “Mars Thermos,” similar to how NASA engineers create insulation systems to protect spacecraft components and scientific samples from extreme temperature changes on Mars. Student teams use the engineering design process and everyday materials to design and build an insulator that keeps a small amount of water from changing more than 5°F over 10 minutes. After conducting a control experiment using uninsulated cups, students investigate the insulating properties of materials to inform their designs. Teams measure temperature at regular intervals, graph and analyze their results, and compare the performance of their designs to the control. Through this process, students explore heat transfer and basic thermodynamics while building scientific inquiry, data collection, and mathematical analysis skills.
Thermal engineers design and analyze systems that control heat flow to keep equipment, instruments, and astronauts within safe operating temperatures. At NASA, they play a critical role in designing spacecraft, rovers, landers, and habitats for extreme environments like Mars, where temperatures can swing dramatically between day and night. Thermal engineers develop insulation systems, thermal coatings, heaters, radiators, and protective layers that regulate temperature, prevent overheating or freezing, and ensure reliable performance of sensitive electronics and scientific instruments. By applying principles of heat transfer and thermodynamics, thermal engineers help ensure mission success, protect valuable equipment, and enable long-term exploration of Mars and other worlds.
After this activity, students should be able to:
- Explain how heat transfer (conduction, convection, and radiation) and thermal equilibrium affect temperature changes in materials and systems.
- Investigate and compare the insulating properties of different materials through controlled experimentation.
- Collect, record, graph, and analyze temperature data to evaluate the effectiveness of design solutions.