Emilia Dobek traces her interest in space and the universe back to third grade when she and her father watched a blood moon — a total lunar eclipse (月食) — on the roof of their house.
Now a seventh grader at East Prairie Elementary School, Dobek recently won the national Discovery Education Lockheed Martin Beyond Challenge by designing a space station for travelling to Mars.
She says that night watching the lunar eclipse started a strong desire in her that has yet to run out of fuel. So when her teacher Andrea Smeeton received information about the national challenge, Smeeton said she immediately had one student in mind.
"I knew she would love the challenge and that she would go way beyond in her search," Smeeton said. "She immediately started researching bone density (密度) of astronauts and how to have food on Mars. "
"My design will ensure the safety of the astronauts and make sure their comfort is out of this world," Dobek says.
Dobek's design calls for building the MSS or Mars Storage Station to put the supplies in. It also includes the SGF or Self-Growing Farm, and she details how it would work with the elements on Mars.
Then there is physical and leisure activity for the astronauts under Dobek's design. A simulator (模拟装置) allows astronauts to choose their exercise machine and virtual reality environment. Rooms have circular ceilings so astronauts will be able to watch downloaded shows and even see places on Earth, such as their homes.
"I want to tell other kids to follow their passions," Dobek said. "Whatever they want to do, they should push for it and always try their best."
China successfully landed the Chang'e 4 lunar probe (月球探测器) on the far side of the moon on January 3, 2019, becoming the only country in history (touch) the lunar surface unseen by those on Earth. The far side of the moon has been seen and mapped (previous) by astronauts of the Apollo missions. But it is the first time that the moon's far side(set) foot on by spacecraft, and the successful landing of Chang'e 4 is seen as a major milestone in space(explore).
The Chang'e 4 spacecraft consiststwo parts: a lander and a rover (巡视器). Representing China's(new) step in the lunar probe project of all time, it landed at 10: 26 am of Beijing time. Then it sent back a photo of the landing place.(shoot) through cameras on the probe's lander, the photo marks the world's first image taken on the surface of the far side of the moon. One of the photos published by the China National Space Administration shows the placeChang'e 4's rover — named Yutu 2 — will be heading hours later forpurpose of conducting further research. The name Chang'e has its roots in the Chinese goddess of the moon. In the ancient tale, Chang'e(fly) to the heavens and landed on the moon as her final resting place.
