OCEAN PARK With the last flight of the shuttle program now complete, focus in the space world is beginning to shift to new frontiers, one of these being the human exploration of Mars. And while some scientific and technological hurdles still need to be bested in order to put the first humans on the red planet, there is also a key group that needs to be won over if space explorations are going to continue and be successful in the future: todays youth. 

Its going to take 30 years to get to Mars so [the future of space exploration is] going to be dependent on the young peoples interest now, says designer Joe Warren of Ocean Park. That idea has been a driving concept of his new childrens kit book set to publish sometime this fall or winter. 

The book focuses on what it would be like to travel to Mars. Where would you live? What would you eat? What would you drive? The final question is answered with Warrens creation, the Mars-Vee, an all-terrain vehicle that could handle even the toughest conditions on Mars. The book not only gives kids a chance to learn about the planet but they also get to build their very own Mars-Vee and full diorama with a kit included in the book.  Hes hoping it will inspire a new generation of space enthusiasts. You want to hook the kids when theyre young so that they can say yeah, I can do this! 

From paper to Mars-Vee

Shortly after starting this latest project last year, Warren decided to contact NASA and get them involved because he wanted the science in the book and design of the Mars-Vee to be accurate. He asked whether they had figured out how to get to Mars yet and they said no but they would love to see what he, as an engineer and designer, could come up with. So he got to work. 

The book itself will include real photos of Mars from NASA and sheets of printed, plasticized paper that will eventually turn into the Mars-Vee. The vehicle uses a technique that Warren created called Autogami, which he says is, the ancient art of folding paper into outrageous vehicles. He has designed a number of other vehicles through his Autogami line. Warren says that kids having a tactile connection to the toys they play with is very important and is something that is greatly lacking in video games and what he calls watch me toys. The book will also include detailed plans to make a model living habitat, which in real life, would be autonomous and able to move to wherever you the explorer happened to be on the planet. No more home commutes. 

Warren says that building something yourself out of paper gives a higher sense of accomplishment than other less interactive toys. Theres more magic about making something out of paper … You go from turning this, says Warren, as he holds up a sheet with printed wheels on it, into that, he says, pointing at a finished Mars-Vee sitting on the table. 

The Mars-Vee itself is based on current research as to how Mars would be explored. Warren says it is somewhat like the Humvee in the sense that it can get around just about anywhere. Its basically a monster truck for driving around Mars, says Warren. If a real version was made, it would be about 8 feet high and 15 feet long and would be self-sustainable since the ability to carry around tanks of gas is unlikely. It would have to run on materials available on the planet. Theres no 7 Eleven to go buy more propane there, Warren jokes. 

Life long toy lover

This project has given Warren the chance to combine his interest in space and science with his passion for design. Warren, who now lives in Ocean Park, moved from Seattle with his family about two and a half years ago. He has had an extremely diverse and award-winning career ranging from designing toys for top companies such as Hasbro, Mattel and Tonka to working for Boeing designing interiors for commercial jets. He also designed the interior of a private jet for the Emir of Abu Dhabi saying, its just like a little Disneyland inside, seeming to prove his point that all people, young and old, need toys.

While hes worked on a wide range of projects, he seems to keep coming back to designing toys and says, All men are toy lovers. If they werent, who would buy a Corvette? Warren continues, Everybody needs to play, its not something that goes away. 

One of the things he loves about designing toys for kids is that their response is immediate and easy to read compared to often more complicated adults. Kids dont lie to you, Warren says with a laugh, yeah this is cool or yeah this sucks.

Getting a kickstart

While he has had interest from publishers for the book, he decided to not bother waiting around and is currently looking for funds to self-publish. Right now, the publishing industry is in shambles, Warren says. Its hard to sell any books that dont have Harry Potter or vampire in the title. To get around this, Warren has created a profile on Kickstarter where people can donate funds to the project and get signed copies of the book or even the naming rights for a mobile habitat base that Warren will design and feature in the book. One hundred percent of the money donated will go towards publishing fees.

On Kickstarter, Warren has currently raised $1,060; he needs about $13,900 more by Aug. 13 to reach his goal. Visit his Kickstarter page at http://tinyurl.com/3rhkqp3 to watch a video about the project, learn about pledge incentives, give feedback or donate funds. If he receives all of his funds by next month, he hopes to have the book published by this fall or winter. Its a way to support science and arts at the same time, says Warren of his project. 

Mars Society

Warren will be presenting his new book and his ideas about the importance of youth in the field of space exploration at the annual Mars Society Conference in Dallas, Texas, next month. So it seems strange that a toy designer is going to go in front of a bunch of Ph.D.s but I firmly believe that if you want to get to Mars, who you have to win over is the 8-year-olds. That is why the first slide of Warrens presentation has a photo of a group of young kids that says, If you want to go to Mars, you have to get their attention. 

Warren has a number of future plans to continue to spur an interest in youth to literally reach for the stars. Ultimately, hed love to see a to-scale Mars-Vee that could be used as a portable science center but jokes, itd be hard to build a large one out of paper. 

And while Warren might not be around when the first humans do finally land on the red planet, he will at least have had a role in sparking their interest. A smile creeps across his face as he says, As Buzz Lightyear would say, To infinity and at least Mars.