🚀 SpaceGrade 3Reading: grades 5-6Place valueAdditionSubtractionRoundingMissing addends
The Mars Outpost Heist
A rogue pilot has stolen the Lunar Core Blueprint from the Stellaris Outpost on Mars! Our Chief Astrophysicist needs your help to decode the clues and track down the suspect before they warp out of the galaxy.
Suspects
Possible suspects
Cross off a row as each clue rules it out. On screen, tap a row.
21 of 21 still in play
| Name | thruster type | visor upgrade | joystick grip | helmet crest | sensor block |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guion Bluford | solar sails | thermal radar | left handed joystick grip | neon orange crest | solar wind flare |
| Chris Hadfield | ion engines | nebula filter | left handed joystick grip | laser blue crest | solar wind flare |
| Carl Sagan | plasma flares | nebula filter | right handed joystick grip | cosmic green crest | gravity well pulse |
| Neil Armstrong | ion engines | xray scanner | left handed joystick grip | laser blue crest | solar wind flare |
| Sally Ride | solar sails | thermal radar | right handed joystick grip | neon orange crest | solar wind flare |
| Edwin Hubble | warp drives | thermal radar | left handed joystick grip | laser blue crest | gravity well pulse |
| Alexei Leonov | solar sails | nebula filter | left handed joystick grip | laser blue crest | gravity well pulse |
| Gherman Titov | fusion sparks | xray scanner | right handed joystick grip | laser blue crest | solar wind flare |
| Tycho Brahe | plasma flares | thermal radar | left handed joystick grip | neon orange crest | gravity well pulse |
| Maria Mitchell | solar sails | glare shield | left handed joystick grip | laser blue crest | solar wind flare |
| Vera Rubin | plasma flares | glare shield | left handed joystick grip | cosmic green crest | magnetic dust storm |
| Valentina Tereshkova | plasma flares | night vision | left handed joystick grip | laser blue crest | gravity well pulse |
| Michael Collins | plasma flares | thermal radar | left handed joystick grip | neon orange crest | magnetic dust storm |
| Alan Shepard | solar sails | thermal radar | right handed joystick grip | neon orange crest | gravity well pulse |
| Yuri Gagarin | warp drives | thermal radar | left handed joystick grip | laser blue crest | solar wind flare |
| Kalpana Chawla | fusion sparks | thermal radar | right handed joystick grip | laser blue crest | solar wind flare |
| Helen Sharman | solar sails | glare shield | right handed joystick grip | laser blue crest | gravity well pulse |
| Buzz Aldrin | ion engines | thermal radar | left handed joystick grip | cosmic green crest | solar wind flare |
| Arthur Clarke | fusion sparks | thermal radar | left handed joystick grip | laser blue crest | solar wind flare |
| Mae Jemison | warp drives | thermal radar | left handed joystick grip | cosmic green crest | solar wind flare |
| Isaac Asimov | plasma flares | thermal radar | right handed joystick grip | cosmic green crest | solar wind flare |
Clue 1
Place value
The control deck computer locked up. We must analyze the digits of the security override code to find the value of the hundreds place.
Solve each problem to learn its letter. Then write that letter in every box that shows the same number, and read the secret clue.
T
700
200
40
900
400
900
800
40
1000
T
700
7000
8000
40
900
30
8000
T
700
400
900
40
30
40
300
400
600
60
90
20
600
T
700
40
70
What is the value of the 7 in 733?T
What is the value of the 6 in 161?A
What is the value of the 8 in 8,114?O
What is the value of the 4 in 947?E
What is the value of the 2 in 923?I
What is the value of the 7 in 7,289?D
What is the value of the 6 in 9,692?L
What is the value of the 3 in 8,319?B
What is the value of the 7 in 676?R
What is the value of the 9 in 5,934?S
What is the value of the 3 in 936?N
What is the value of the 2 in 277?H
What is the value of the 4 in 457?U
What is the value of the 8 in 7,823?P
What is the value of the 9 in 793?F
What is the value of the 1 in 1,288?C
0/16 letters found
Clue 2
Addition
We tallied the leaked fuel canisters scattered across the launching platform to calculate the total fuel lost during the getaway.
Solve each problem to learn its letter. Then write that letter in every box that shows the same number, and read the secret clue.
L
233
662
909
628
283
351
283
310
802
819
628
283
351
462
628
839
351
L
233
474
963
213
488
909
819
462
571
662
839
802
839
819
462
628
474
133 + 100 =L
124 + 186 =K
119 + 164 =C
227 + 261 =D
242 + 329 =G
180 + 171 =O
121 + 92 =A
490 + 419 =F
284 + 190 =S
216 + 412 =T
368 + 451 =I
452 + 511 =H
534 + 305 =R
469 + 333 =P
143 + 319 =N
255 + 407 =E
0/16 letters found
Clue 3
Subtraction
The cargo bay scale shows a drop in weight. Subtract the weight of the remaining meteor rocks to see how many kilograms are missing.
Solve each problem to learn its letter. Then write that letter in every box that shows the same number, and read the secret clue.
S
854
706
649
143
448
544
851
861
774
335
649
143
448
533
S
854
261
S
854
228
533
155
448
533
S
854
533
228
228
713
533
851
448
533
861
607
851
861
533
857 - 3 =S
600 - 265 =F
220 - 77 =A
884 - 235 =L
550 - 395 =M
490 - 229 =Y
906 - 362 =W
871 - 158 =H
842 - 394 =R
1214 - 353 =N
628 - 400 =T
881 - 107 =D
994 - 387 =G
771 - 65 =O
765 - 232 =E
1066 - 215 =I
0/16 letters found
Clue 4
Rounding
The ship tracking radar is fuzzy and only displays rounded numbers. Round the distance to the nearest ten to pinpoint the warp trail.
Solve each problem to learn its letter. Then write that letter in every box that shows the same number, and read the secret clue.
G
50
600
40
80
60
6000
G
50
30
600
90
5000
G
50
600
4000
400
400
400
20
3000
4000
7000
5000
900
2000
8000
5000
8000
4000
2000
20
8000
Round 49 to the nearest tenG
Round 8,095 to the nearest thousandH
Round 78 to the nearest tenW
Round 2,532 to the nearest thousandR
Round 60 to the nearest tenI
Round 887 to the nearest hundredD
Round 87 to the nearest tenU
Round 587 to the nearest hundredL
Round 4,436 to the nearest thousandA
Round 356 to the nearest hundredS
Round 5,688 to the nearest thousandN
Round 44 to the nearest tenO
Round 6,787 to the nearest thousandP
Round 31 to the nearest tenB
Round 16 to the nearest tenC
Round 1,507 to the nearest thousandT
Round 4,641 to the nearest thousandE
0/17 letters found
Clue 5
Missing addends — the last clue
We found a broken solar array. Calculate how many solar panels are missing from the power grid to restore full sensor capability.
First solve each problem. Then find each answer in the list below and cross that sentence out. One sentence will be left — that's exactly what the villain did!
Step 1 — solve these
7 + ___ = 10
5 + ___ = 17
10 + ___ = 12
5 + ___ = 15
1 + ___ = 9
7 + ___ = 11
4 + ___ = 10
1 + ___ = 12
7 + ___ = 12
10 + ___ = 17
8 + ___ = 17
Step 2 — cross out the sentence with each answer
1.The villain overloads the power grid, then hides behind the red moon.
2.The villain disables the docking bay lock, then cloaks in the orbital shadow.
3.The villain scrambles the radar signal, then hides behind the red moon.
4.The villain hacks the main terminal, then slingshots around the sun.
5.The villain vents the airlock pressure, then hides behind the red moon.
6.The villain hacks the main terminal, then cloaks in the orbital shadow.
7.The villain hacks the main terminal, then zooms past the asteroid belt.
8.The villain overloads the power grid, then zooms past the asteroid belt.
9.The villain disables the docking bay lock, then escapes into the dark nebula.
10.The villain disables the docking bay lock, then hides behind the red moon.
11.The villain scrambles the radar signal, then escapes into the dark nebula.
12.The villain vents the airlock pressure, then slingshots around the sun.
Solve it
Name the culprit
Choose the one suspect left standing.
Answer Key — The Mars Outpost Heist
Culprit: Arthur Clarke (fusion sparks · thermal radar · left handed joystick grip · laser blue crest · solar wind flare)
- Clue 1 (Place value): "THE SUSPECT DOES NOT USE NEBULA FILTER"What is the value of the 7 in 733? = 700 (T) · What is the value of the 6 in 161? = 60 (A) · What is the value of the 8 in 8,114? = 8000 (O) · What is the value of the 4 in 947? = 40 (E) · What is the value of the 2 in 923? = 20 (I) · What is the value of the 7 in 7,289? = 7000 (D) · What is the value of the 6 in 9,692? = 600 (L) · What is the value of the 3 in 8,319? = 300 (B) · What is the value of the 7 in 676? = 70 (R) · What is the value of the 9 in 5,934? = 900 (S) · What is the value of the 3 in 936? = 30 (N) · What is the value of the 2 in 277? = 200 (H) · What is the value of the 4 in 457? = 400 (U) · What is the value of the 8 in 7,823? = 800 (P) · What is the value of the 9 in 793? = 90 (F) · What is the value of the 1 in 1,288? = 1000 (C)
- Clue 2 (Addition): "LEFT COCKPIT CONTROLS HAD FINGERPRINTS"133 + 100 = 233 (L) · 124 + 186 = 310 (K) · 119 + 164 = 283 (C) · 227 + 261 = 488 (D) · 242 + 329 = 571 (G) · 180 + 171 = 351 (O) · 121 + 92 = 213 (A) · 490 + 419 = 909 (F) · 284 + 190 = 474 (S) · 216 + 412 = 628 (T) · 368 + 451 = 819 (I) · 452 + 511 = 963 (H) · 534 + 305 = 839 (R) · 469 + 333 = 802 (P) · 143 + 319 = 462 (N) · 255 + 407 = 662 (E)
- Clue 3 (Subtraction): "SOLAR WIND FLARE SYSTEM RESET THEIR ENGINE"857 - 3 = 854 (S) · 600 - 265 = 335 (F) · 220 - 77 = 143 (A) · 884 - 235 = 649 (L) · 550 - 395 = 155 (M) · 490 - 229 = 261 (Y) · 906 - 362 = 544 (W) · 871 - 158 = 713 (H) · 842 - 394 = 448 (R) · 1214 - 353 = 861 (N) · 628 - 400 = 228 (T) · 881 - 107 = 774 (D) · 994 - 387 = 607 (G) · 771 - 65 = 706 (O) · 765 - 232 = 533 (E) · 1066 - 215 = 851 (I)
- Clue 4 (Rounding): "GLOWING BLUE GLASS SCRAPED THE HATCH"Round 49 to the nearest ten = 50 (G) · Round 8,095 to the nearest thousand = 8000 (H) · Round 78 to the nearest ten = 80 (W) · Round 2,532 to the nearest thousand = 3000 (R) · Round 60 to the nearest ten = 60 (I) · Round 887 to the nearest hundred = 900 (D) · Round 87 to the nearest ten = 90 (U) · Round 587 to the nearest hundred = 600 (L) · Round 4,436 to the nearest thousand = 4000 (A) · Round 356 to the nearest hundred = 400 (S) · Round 5,688 to the nearest thousand = 6000 (N) · Round 44 to the nearest ten = 40 (O) · Round 6,787 to the nearest thousand = 7000 (P) · Round 31 to the nearest ten = 30 (B) · Round 16 to the nearest ten = 20 (C) · Round 1,507 to the nearest thousand = 2000 (T) · Round 4,641 to the nearest thousand = 5000 (E)
- Clue 5 (Missing addends): surviving statement (box 1) → Arthur Clarke7 + ___ = 10 = 3 · 5 + ___ = 17 = 12 · 10 + ___ = 12 = 2 · 5 + ___ = 15 = 10 · 1 + ___ = 9 = 8 · 7 + ___ = 11 = 4 · 4 + ___ = 10 = 6 · 1 + ___ = 12 = 11 · 7 + ___ = 12 = 5 · 10 + ___ = 17 = 7 · 8 + ___ = 17 = 9
About this mystery
- Grade level
- Grade 3 math
- Math topics
- Place value, Addition, Subtraction, Rounding, Missing addends
- Reading level
- grades 5-6
- Theme
- The Mars Outpost Heist — set in The Stellaris Outpost on Mars
- Format
- Interactive online & printable worksheet with answer key
- Solution
- One unique, verified culprit among 21 suspects