🚀 SpaceGrade 6Reading: grades 5-6Place valuePercentagesExponentsOrder of operationsDivision

The Saboteur of Stellar Outpost Nova

A sneaky space saboteur has hijacked the primary computer core of Stellar Outpost Nova! They scrambled the ship's docking codes and locked the life support controls. The Chief Commander needs your help to crack the security logs. Decode the clues left behind by the outpost's robotic sentries to identify the thief before they escape into deep space!

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	Main Space Tool	Extra Space Gear	Telemetry Watch	Space Suit Helmet	System Vulnerability
Edgar Mitchell	Plasma Torch	Stellar Map	right wrist	Gold Visor	Strobe Lights
Pete Conrad	Gravity Boots	Oxygen Tank	right wrist	Gold Visor	Strobe Lights
Kalpana Chawla	Gravity Boots	Oxygen Tank	left wrist	Gold Visor	Strobe Lights
Guion Bluford	Hologram Projector	Radar Visor	right wrist	Silver Helmet	Extreme Cold
Mae Jemison	Hologram Projector	Radar Visor	left wrist	Silver Helmet	Magnetic Fields
Jack Swigert	Laser Welder	Stellar Map	left wrist	Silver Helmet	Magnetic Fields
Carl Sagan	Gravity Boots	Oxygen Tank	left wrist	Silver Helmet	Magnetic Fields
Christa McAuliffe	Sonic Scanner	Solar Shield	right wrist	Gold Visor	Magnetic Fields
Alan Shepard	Laser Welder	Stellar Map	right wrist	Gold Visor	Magnetic Fields
David Scott	Hologram Projector	Oxygen Tank	left wrist	Silver Helmet	Magnetic Fields
Neil Armstrong	Hologram Projector	Solar Shield	right wrist	Blue Hood	Magnetic Fields
Gherman Titov	Plasma Torch	Thrust Pack	left wrist	Silver Helmet	Magnetic Fields
Buzz Aldrin	Laser Welder	Radar Visor	left wrist	Blue Hood	Magnetic Fields
James Lovell	Plasma Torch	Solar Shield	left wrist	Silver Helmet	Extreme Cold
Yuri Gagarin	Hologram Projector	Radar Visor	right wrist	Silver Helmet	Magnetic Fields
Chris Hadfield	Sonic Scanner	Stellar Map	left wrist	Silver Helmet	Extreme Cold
Sally Ride	Plasma Torch	Oxygen Tank	right wrist	Blue Hood	Magnetic Fields
James Irwin	Sonic Scanner	Thrust Pack	left wrist	Gold Visor	Extreme Cold
Michael Collins	Hologram Projector	Oxygen Tank	right wrist	Silver Helmet	Magnetic Fields
Edwin Hubble	Plasma Torch	Thrust Pack	left wrist	Blue Hood	Strobe Lights
Fred Haise	Laser Welder	Thrust Pack	right wrist	Blue Hood	Extreme Cold

Clue 1

Place value

Our security console flashed a giant coordinate number. Check the value of the hundreds place to decrypt this first log.

Solve each problem to learn its letter. Then write that letter in every box that shows the same number, and read the secret clue.

1000

5000

8000

9000

1000

5000

500

200

5000

8000

7000

1000

9000

5000

9000

1000

500

8000

1000

2000

9000

3000

800

What is the value of the 1 in 41,852?T

What is the value of the 1 in 48,815?H

What is the value of the 3 in 903,802?C

What is the value of the 6 in 73,561?V

What is the value of the 2 in 65,625?O

What is the value of the 9 in 89,512?A

What is the value of the 8 in 978,704?S

What is the value of the 2 in 62,403?P

What is the value of the 5 in 315,134?E

What is the value of the 9 in 372,092?B

What is the value of the 5 in 648,568?U

What is the value of the 8 in 744,847?K

What is the value of the 2 in 47,274?D

What is the value of the 7 in 59,376?R

What is the value of the 7 in 237,415?N

0/15 letters found

Clue 2

Percentages

The backup battery is draining quickly. Calculate the percentage of power remaining to unlock the security transmission.

Solve each problem to learn its letter. Then write that letter in every box that shows the same number, and read the secret clue.

10% of 50 =T

50% of 6 =S

25% of 176 =C

75% of 24 =L

25% of 80 =O

50% of 80 =W

50% of 68 =A

5% of 500 =M

20% of 155 =R

40% of 55 =H

60% of 60 =E

10% of 330 =F

20% of 95 =Y

20% of 105 =N

0/14 letters found

Clue 3

Exponents

The central computer core is multiplying its backup signals rapidly. Solve the exponential equation to reveal the suspect's helmet details.

Solve each problem to learn its letter. Then write that letter in every box that shows the same number, and read the secret clue.

128

243

121

144

196

128

121

125

256

121

128

2^7 =T

3^2 =Y

3^3 =M

12^2 =V

14^2 =I

2^2 =R

2^5 =B

11^2 =E

2^3 =W

4^4 =G

5^3 =D

5^2 =K

6^2 =O

7^2 =N

3^5 =H

4^3 =S

2^4 =A

0/17 letters found

Clue 4

Order of operations

To trace the escape route through the asteroid field, we must follow a precise navigation path. Use the order of operations to find their weakness.

Solve each problem to learn its letter. Then write that letter in every box that shows the same number, and read the secret clue.

8 + 2 × 4 =S

18 + 2 × 7 =L

20 + 6 × 5 =W

28 + 3 × 7 =E

4 × 6 - 1 =I

46 + 7 × 2 =F

1 + 4 × 2 =P

20 + 2 × 2 =N

39 + 9 × 3 =R

7 × 11 - 5 =V

6 + 7 × 7 =C

27 + 5 × 7 =T

10 × 7 - 27 =H

12 × 6 - 8 =A

0/14 letters found

Clue 5

Division facts (1-12) — the last clue

The maintenance robots are dividing the remaining fuel cylinders equally among the rescue pods. Calculate the division problem to discover the telemetry watch details.

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

48 ÷ 8 = ?

96 ÷ 12 = ?

132 ÷ 12 = ?

9 ÷ 1 = ?

3 ÷ 3 = ?

33 ÷ 11 = ?

110 ÷ 11 = ?

4 ÷ 2 = ?

63 ÷ 9 = ?

25 ÷ 5 = ?

36 ÷ 9 = ?

Step 2 — cross out the sentence with each answer

1.The villain fired up their laser welder, then deployed the solar shield.

2.The villain activated their gravity boots, then adjusted the radar visor.

3.The villain activated their gravity boots, then consulted the stellar map.

4.The villain fired up their laser welder, then engaged the thrust pack.

5.The villain tuned their sonic scanner, then engaged the thrust pack.

6.The villain fired up their laser welder, then consulted the stellar map.

7.The villain ignited their plasma torch, then deployed the solar shield.

8.The villain activated their gravity boots, then vented the oxygen tank.

9.The villain activated their hologram projector, then engaged the thrust pack.

10.The villain fired up their laser welder, then adjusted the radar visor.

11.The villain activated their hologram projector, then vented the oxygen tank.

12.The villain activated their hologram projector, then adjusted the radar visor.

Solve it

Name the culprit

Choose the one suspect left standing.

Answer Key — The Saboteur of Stellar Outpost Nova

Culprit: Mae Jemison (Hologram Projector · Radar Visor · left wrist · Silver Helmet · Magnetic Fields)

Clue 1 (Place value): "THE SABOTEUR DOES NOT HAVE A THRUST PACK"
What is the value of the 1 in 41,852? = 1000 (T) · What is the value of the 1 in 48,815? = 10 (H) · What is the value of the 3 in 903,802? = 3000 (C) · What is the value of the 6 in 73,561? = 60 (V) · What is the value of the 2 in 65,625? = 20 (O) · What is the value of the 9 in 89,512? = 9000 (A) · What is the value of the 8 in 978,704? = 8000 (S) · What is the value of the 2 in 62,403? = 2000 (P) · What is the value of the 5 in 315,134? = 5000 (E) · What is the value of the 9 in 372,092? = 90 (B) · What is the value of the 5 in 648,568? = 500 (U) · What is the value of the 8 in 744,847? = 800 (K) · What is the value of the 2 in 47,274? = 200 (D) · What is the value of the 7 in 59,376? = 70 (R) · What is the value of the 7 in 237,415? = 7000 (N)
Clue 2 (Percentages): "THE TELEMETRY WATCH WAS SEEN ON THE LEFT"
10% of 50 = 5 (T) · 50% of 6 = 3 (S) · 25% of 176 = 44 (C) · 75% of 24 = 18 (L) · 25% of 80 = 20 (O) · 50% of 80 = 40 (W) · 50% of 68 = 34 (A) · 5% of 500 = 25 (M) · 20% of 155 = 31 (R) · 40% of 55 = 22 (H) · 60% of 60 = 36 (E) · 10% of 330 = 33 (F) · 20% of 95 = 19 (Y) · 20% of 105 = 21 (N)
Clue 3 (Exponents): "THE VISITOR WAS WEAKENED BY MAGNETS"
2^7 = 128 (T) · 3^2 = 9 (Y) · 3^3 = 27 (M) · 12^2 = 144 (V) · 14^2 = 196 (I) · 2^2 = 4 (R) · 2^5 = 32 (B) · 11^2 = 121 (E) · 2^3 = 8 (W) · 4^4 = 256 (G) · 5^3 = 125 (D) · 5^2 = 25 (K) · 6^2 = 36 (O) · 7^2 = 49 (N) · 3^5 = 243 (H) · 4^3 = 64 (S) · 2^4 = 16 (A)
Clue 4 (Order of operations): "SILVER PARTICLES WERE LEFT IN THE VENT"
8 + 2 × 4 = 16 (S) · 18 + 2 × 7 = 32 (L) · 20 + 6 × 5 = 50 (W) · 28 + 3 × 7 = 49 (E) · 4 × 6 - 1 = 23 (I) · 46 + 7 × 2 = 60 (F) · 1 + 4 × 2 = 9 (P) · 20 + 2 × 2 = 24 (N) · 39 + 9 × 3 = 66 (R) · 7 × 11 - 5 = 72 (V) · 6 + 7 × 7 = 55 (C) · 27 + 5 × 7 = 62 (T) · 10 × 7 - 27 = 43 (H) · 12 × 6 - 8 = 64 (A)
Clue 5 (Division facts (1-12)): surviving statement (box 12) → Mae Jemison
48 ÷ 8 = 6 · 96 ÷ 12 = 8 · 132 ÷ 12 = 11 · 9 ÷ 1 = 9 · 3 ÷ 3 = 1 · 33 ÷ 11 = 3 · 110 ÷ 11 = 10 · 4 ÷ 2 = 2 · 63 ÷ 9 = 7 · 25 ÷ 5 = 5 · 36 ÷ 9 = 4

About this mystery

Grade level: Grade 6 math
Math topics: Place value, Percentages, Exponents, Order of operations, Division
Reading level: grades 5-6
Theme: The Saboteur of Stellar Outpost Nova — set in Stellar Outpost Nova
Format: Interactive online & printable worksheet with answer key
Solution: One unique, verified culprit among 21 suspects

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