Will red planet be our second home?
Photo Credit: wikipedia.org
Human, since their very first journey to the space, has conquered many battles now and then to win the outer space. Dedicating many animal lives like Laika, and walking through the very first age of the space sciences with astronomers like Yuri Gagarin and Neil Armstrong, now we have come to an amazing target. It’s to make that red planet, Mars our second home. This is a bit of astonishing information we gathered by a specific person who must be talked when talking about Mars from the program named ‘Space Talk’ done by the YouTube channel of SEDS Sri Lanka. Born on 2001 in Lusiana, USA, Alyssa Carson, the first person that will land on Mars, shared her invaluable experiences and knowledge with Dasuni Hewawasam and Tamima Saba who are undergraduates of Eastern university at Space Talk. Alyssa’s life journey up to the point where she is now, will be a great stimulant for the children who haven’t given up on dreaming of achieving big challenges.
Q: How cool does it sound if I told you that I just leave from the Gale crater or I come from the Nicholson crater? This are the places on mars where humans dream to make their future colonies to make mars our second home. To realize that dream many individuals work so hard and some prove to be exemplary. One such individual is Alyssa Carson, our guest today. She is the youngest to graduate from Advanced Possum Academy making her certified to go to space. Without further ado, let’s hear from Alyssa Carson. Hi Alyssa, would you like to please introduce yourself to the audience in your own way?
A: Yeah sure. Ever since I was a little girl, I was interested in space and dreamed to be an astronaut. So, I was trying to do the things that related to the field and I know that the astronaut selection process is far away. So, I started building a resume with unique things to apply as an astronaut in one day. In that way I started to involve in the field as early as I could. I went to NASA space camps in really young age which were pretty much open to anyone and get involved in more events within the field doing space suit evaluation, microgravity, flight, g-force evaluation, water survival training and all sort of things that will be helpful in the space field one day.
Q: That sounds interesting. When talking about dreams, did you have any other dream or interest before you get interested in going to mars?
A: Yeah of course. I did the same things that every kid does. I was jumping around different things that changed weekly from becoming a princess to a doctor. But obviously I had an interest on becoming an astronaut one day and the way I thought about that was like, I can grow up, become an astronaut, go to mars and then come back and be a doctor or do any professional I want. But being an astronaut is still the first on my list.
Q: When we are growing up, we have to look up for certain people and get inspired. We call them as our role models. Like that, do you have any role model?
A: Of course. There’s definitely been several people along the way who have been really amazing and motivating me to keep going after my dreams and ambitions. There’s a one in particular, and she was astronaut Sandra Magnus. I met her when I’m around 9 years old, as the guest speaker in a little festival for getting girls interested in science and space. When I asked her when she was decided to become an astronaut, she replied that it was as around 9 years old and told me the age which I decided to be an astronaut does not matter if I wanted to really work hard and do whatever it could be to conquest my dream. So, I realized that I still can have a dream, work hard and one day it would become a reality. From the very moment I met her, I was inspired to continue pursuing my dream.
Q: You want to become an astronaut when you were pretty young. How did it really start for you?
A: I was kept questioning about the space from my dad from the age I could remember and was like “have people ever been to mars?”, “is it possible?”. My dad explained me about the moon landings, Apollo missions and he said it’s possible that future people could go to mars. That was the start of everything. The thing that inspired me to question about the mars is an animated series on TV named ‘The Backyardigans’. I had a poster of their episode named ‘mission to mars’ in my bedroom, where they go on an imaginary adventure to the mars, do researches and rovers in there, flew a shuttle and I think it was the first place where I heard the word mars.
Q: Even within astronauts, they have different goals. Some of them prefer to go for space walks, some like to work in ISS and some want to step on the moon. But you want to be a Martian. If I ask why mars, what will be your response?
A: Actually, there are so many different types of astronauts. There is no one specific way to become an astronaut. You can be in different carrier paths like a scientist, pilot or study medicine and can-do different things to reach that point. For me, I’m more interested in science side. Currently, I study astrobiology in the hope of becoming an astrobiologist for a potential mission to mars.
When talking about me gain such an interest in young age was because back then, I didn’t know that mars was real. In addition, it’s the closest planet to the earth and the most feasible place to go with our current technology. Some of us are interested in Venus, but it’s hotter and quite dangerous than mars, making mars as our first tackle to visit. All the researches that has done in past, too surround the mars. Many of the space agencies from all over the world has sent many rovers and satellites to study about mars. From this data, we have found potential for life and that sort of things on mars and therefore, we are really interested to the next leap, sending people to mars. Also, we are trying to figure out what we have to work with mars, is there any resource in mars that could help us here on earth, what kind of opportunities we have and is mars is suitable as a second home and is mars really able to colonize like things. The first missions to mars are just to really understand what we can do with mars.
Q: You nicely explained why mars. So, when we are sending rocket or rover or anything to the outer space there are many things we have to concern about. So, sending a human to the outer space, in fact to another planet is definitely a so much of a challenge. In that case what are the difficulties humans are facing in the contest of how to go to mars?
A: Definitely there are still lot of challenges in the mission to mars. Obviously, there are lot of things that need to be worked out and to figure out. Radiation level between earth and mars, food supply and their storage for the time period of journey that is about one and half year or two years and importantly changes happen to our body, losing out bone density and muscle strength as our body isn’t working as we aren’t fighting with the gravity on the space. It’s true there’s some gravity on mars but it is not as same as in earth and when moving back to the earth, it can be a real challenge to the astronaut actually to recover and become as strong as they originally were.
Numerous numbers of universities all over the world and different organizations carry out so many researches based on the cultivation on mars. Specifically, growing food on mars. Stuff like what kind of crops can be grown in Martian soil, what kind of food should we looking forward or what kind of diet should we looking forward are some research aspects that are concerned so we don’t have to pack all the food and it will become a solution for all the heavy weight that come with packing food.
Now the space agencies have shifted again going back to the moon and then to the mars. So, going back to the moon in next several years will be kind of start of a test for really going to the mars. Actually, they are hoping to do some cultivations on the moon as a test before going to the mars to see what is the potential of cultivating mars in the mission to mars. Therefore, it will be a trial and error process in the next few years before we’re going to go to mars.
Q: There are 56 mars missions so far and out of that 56, 26 has been successful showing the difficulty to approach the red planet. Could you tell us some solutions and steps that has taken to face the difficulties you have mentioned?
A: Obviously, mars is an extremely difficult place to land on. The people who worked in rovers landing on mars consider the seven minutes that the rover goes through the mars’ atmosphere, as the ‘seven minutes of hell’ as they don’t know whether it will crash into the planet, whether it will work as in the plan. Like that there are lot of difficulties to go to mars and to make sure everything goes according to the plan.
So, we have learnt from the experiences and continue to learn about going to mars. When it comes to sending people to mars, the process must be many more accurate. We’ll be testing the rocket that will bring us to mars by going to the moon or just to the outer space and testing those systems to make sure everything works precisely till the end with all the rocket safety. At the same time, the rocket that will bring people to mars has been built and tested for many years repetitively and these testing will continue up till the mission to mars happens, to make sure every piece of it works in the way we want.
Q: Ok Alyssa we talk lot about the mars and the space. Except the space what are the other hobbies you had when you’re growing up?
A: Actually, I did all sort of thing when I’m growing up and it wasn’t just the space. I played competitive soccer for ten years, I did piano, dancing, joined every club that school offer and even now I join some activities in the college. When I just want to relax, I watch Netflix, hang out with my friends, going for a walk or doing some casual soccer just like any normal person does. My recent time was spent on quarantine and we got a new dog and he has become my full attention when I’m out of my school works as he is still a little puppy.
Q: According to you there must be a best thing about space. What that could be?
A: I think that the most interesting thing about space is it’s huge and lot to explore. I think that you can never stop learning about the space when you are interested in space and we’re always discovering new things. Also, I always had a curiosity like what was on mars.
Q: I’m going to ask the last question from you. Would you like to say something for the kids who are watching this program today who love to pursue their dreams?
A: Yeah actually when you find something you’re really passionate in doing, study more about whatever that topic is. Its’ really important to be vocal about your dreams and tell people what are you interested in because you really don’t know who is listening. Imagine that you went to a robotic competition and tell someone that you’re interested in space robotics and that person might know some person who is related to that field. You really never know from where the opportunities will come from. So, don’t be shy to talk about your dream, specially within the space community as we need more people who are really interested in this field. You can’t really go alone in your path and need some supportive hand and it might be your friend, family member, a teacher or whoever knows about your dream. So, when you went there, you might be able to help some other to achieve in their dream. Keep the idea alive. A lot of the big aspirations and dreams are far away so, it’s important to remember that we can accomplish it. It just takes a good bit of hard work to get there. But don’t be afraid, keep going and reach out to grab your opportunities.
- Chathurika M. Herath (Magnetor SEDS Sri Lanka)
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