Where will you work in the future? Down the road? Across the sea? Or maybe, up in space?
The space sector plays a role in many diverse industries including agriculture, meteorology, precision mapping and health. What industries would it take to make Mars our home?
The Mission Control Workshop combines Civics and STEM skills in a two-part workshop, delivered at the Australian Space Discovery Centre and Parliament of South Australia.
Not in SA? Check out Science Gallery Melbourne for Victorian Mission Control.
Part 1: From Parliament to Mars (90 minutes)
South Australia is going to attempt to terraform Mars. A Parliamentary Committee completed an inquiry into what industries would need to be taken to Mars for this project, and the report identified 12 industries. The problem? The budget will only cover 10 out of 12 industries.
The Mars Space Mission Bill 2026 needs to pass both Houses of Parliament to determine which 10 industries will be going. The Government, Opposition, Minor Parties and specific electorates/Members all have different industry priorities. Students complete a role play passage of a bill to decide the 10 industries.
Students will think critically about the skills and knowledge needed for a successful mission to Mars. They will debate and vote on industries to send on the mission in a way that mirrors South Australia’ parliamentary process.
Part 2: Life on Mars (90 minutes)
Students will work collaboratively to complete a hands-on design challenge based on industries that can be taken to Mars. They will draw inspiration from real space projects to consider how to sustainably power operations, feed the population, and communicate across the far reaches of space.
Back-to-back sessions
Custom times are available for classes to complete Mission Control Part 1 and Part 2 in back-to-back sessions.
This combined workshop experience (10:15am – 1:45pm) will take place along North Terrace in Adelaide, South Australia on selected dates each term.
Part 1 and Part 2 can be completed in any order. Both combinations are available during our back-to-back sessions.
Visit our Trybooking webpage to learn about available dates.
Individual sessions
Individual sessions (i.e. booking workshop components separately or on different dates) are not being offered for Term 1 2026.
Please book in for a back-to-back experience or stay tuned for further dates as they become available.
Booking queries
All bookings for Term 1 2026 can be made via our Trybooking website.
Term 2 dates will be released soon.
For booking related queries, please contact the Australian Space Discovery Centre via email at book@discover.space.gov.au or phone at 08 8432 1400.
Queries related to each workshop component will be forwarded to the respective education team.