When we look at the world around us, what is it that we see? Our vision of the world is actually quite different than it was just a few short years ago. The scientific community has agreed that humankind has had a disastrous effect on the planet earth. We have accelerated global warming and dumped more plastic into the ocean than we could really count. That isn’t even to mention deforestation and all the other problems that the earth is now experiencing.
So what you do when you have completely ruined your home? Perhaps it is time to go find a new home! In fact, it may be possible that we could go to another planet and it may be closer to being within our reach than most of us realize. Before we make the leap of faith and actually do it, it is important to decide if it is possible to get a human from here to there. For now, it looks like we are setting our sights on the closest appropriate planet, Mars.
Stay tuned for more pictures and me on the Pickler and Ben show coming soon!!
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Alyssa Carson may just be that person. She was born in 2001 in Hammond, Louisiana. Although she is only 17 years old, she is an astronaut training for the first human mission to Mars. In fact, she was only three years old when she knew that she wanted to go to Mars. Most of us give up on our dreams after we leave the toddler years behind but she is making it a reality.
Her father, Bert, enrolled her in the United States space Camp in 2008. He wanted to support her goal. She attended a number of times as well as some in Turkey and Quebec. She eventually became the first person that would visit all three of the space camps run by NASA.
Another amazing journey. Had fun in Spain sharing my experiences about space travel. #lineadirecta
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If somebody wants to be a part of that mission to Mars that is taking place in 2033, they need to follow some strict guidelines set by NASA. They are doing everything they can, however, to help her make her life’s goal a reality. She will be 32 years old at that time and the technology will be ready.
She spoke to teen Vogue this year and explained that a cartoon had inspired her to become an astronaut.
“I thought, ‘This red planet is so cool’” she said. “I started watching videos of rovers landing on Mars. I had a gigantic map of Mars in my room I would look at. We started getting telescopes so we could look at space.”
Alyssa is getting ready for space. She has built her own rockets and is interested in robotics. As she gets older, she has gone on simulated missions and has talked to mission control. She has been given an official callsign, Blueberry.
There are other groups that may also send her, although they may not send her to Mars. This includes SpaceX and MarsOne. ““If we can find a mission for her in the next two years, she will be the first kid in the world to go to space,” said her father said. “If we can get it together before she’s 20, she’ll be the first teenager.”
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She does need to avoid any serious romance before the trip occurs. “The idea of having a family, that is something NASA would want you to consider once you come back from Mars,” Alyssa explained. “It’s a place we’ve never been to, and it’s a dangerous mission. Having someone you love on Earth, that’s a distraction.”
Shallow Water Egress Training blindfolded. Day 1 a success
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Alyssa is learning four different languages but she does take weeks off school for training. It includes everything from how the body reacts to a lack of oxygen to working underwater and even microgravity.
We look forward to seeing more of this amazing girl.