Hi Brennan,

I like Legos too. Did you know that there are Lego models of the Solar Dynamics Observatory spacecraft, which was launched to study the Sun, and the Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission (MMS), which will be launched sometime in the next few years? I am currently working on the Electron Drift Instrument that will be placed on board MMS. Some Lego figurines were also launched into space on board the Juno mission to Jupiter last August. You can find information about the MMS models here:

http://mms.gsfc.nasa.gov/epo_mms_le...model.html

and the Lego figurines on Juno here:

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/j...10803.html

I'm afraid that mining on Mars is probably a bit outside the areas of expertise of the Solar Week scientists, as most of us study the Sun and Earth's magnetosphere, so I looked on Google to find the answer to your question. According to a recent article in the Planetary and Space Science journal, it is unlikely that anyone will ever get rich mining for ores on Mars and shipping them back to Earth. However, mining on Mars might be able to help support a colony there. Most of the ores on Mars would be found near volcanoes, where lots of lava once poured out over the surface. In similar regions on Earth, nickel, copper, titanium, iron, platinum, palladium and chromium have been found. Meteorite impact craters on Mars might also be places to find ores right on the surface of the planet. On Earth vein ores rich in copper, zinc, lead and gold are found in the Sudbury impact structure in Canada. Because Mars has a different history and atmospheric composition from Earth, there may be some major differences in the mineral found there. Just because these types of minerals have been found near volcanoes and impact craters on Earth, does not necessarily mean they will be found on Mars.

Have fun with your Legos!

Kris