Alyssa Carson: Probable First Person to Land on Mars

Alyssa Carson, like most American teenagers, has big dreams but the difference is that she did not only dream about it but is trying her best to achieve it. Her dream of visiting Mars might soon come true. The dream might seem insubstantial like many other childish dreams but her preparations prove that she is being very serious about stepping a foot on Mars.

She is the youngest person to graduate from Advanced Space Academy and the first to complete the NASA Space Camps in the United States, Canada, and Turkey. She is the first to visit all 14 NASA’s visitor centers in the USA and therefore, she is currently the only person to complete NASA Passport Program. She is selected as one of the seven ambassadors for Mars One, the mission to set foot in Mars that is scheduled to be held at 2033.

The choice and the path towards achieving the dream has not been a smooth road. While most of her fellow age mates are planning for college, deciding on subjects to do a Major, thinking about successful careers, their family, love- she has her goals clear. She knows very well, she might not return once she goes to Mars. Sources say that she is even ready to undergo physical and health challenges to fulfill her iron-willed goal. Experts say that she might go through surgical procedures for the removal of her tonsils before she sets for the mission to Mars.

The condition on Mars is inhospitable and the comfort would be at a distance of 40 million miles away. The journey would be somewhat like traveling through a tunnel that is deafening silent. Darkness, emptiness and freezing temperature- the situation is known to Alyssa.

As per her father, Bert Carson, she had this dream from a young age of 3. Though the connection to the present ambition was never imagined. He told in an interview,“Really I just kind of got that because she had this big “Mission to Mars” Backyardigans poster in her room, so I can only assume that’s where it came from,”. He also said, “I just don’t know where else she would have been told about Mars at such a young age.” He informed that his daughter is not just chasing her dreams blindly but she is aware of the harsh realities. She wishes to be the voice of a generation that possesses the indomitable soul that is unstoppable and is ready to overcome any obstacles that come in between their dreams. Alyssa said that the benefits of her dream will eventually outweigh all the risks.

The dream of Mars since childhood

She was steady with her dreams since 3 and so at the age of 12, she made up her mind to participate on the MER 10 panel where she went to discuss the future missions related to Mars. In that discussion, she mentioned Planet Mars as her “home”. At the age of 16, she enrolled herself in Project PoSSUM (Project Polar Suborbital Science in the Upper Mesosphere) in Advanced Possum Academy for her graduation from where she was certified to go to outer-space which is another achievement as she is the youngest person to get it. It was a program for students who wished to be astronauts and she was the youngest recruit there.

The admin declared that she was exceptionally skilled and qualified for the program which made them take the decision of admission. They took a chance relying on her though it was a risk taking a candidate of her age. The Executive Director of Aeronomy research and education program, Dr. Jason Reimuller said that it was very common for children to have dreams to go to space, or fly space crafts, and going to Mars remains an extended idea of that dream. But he also admitted that he saw a spark in Alyssa Carson. She had an internationalism that was not common at that age. He also mentioned that her way of communicating the science and her proficiency on several languages proved that it is not a mere childish dream and she had been preparing for it for long. One of the languages she could speak well was Chinese.

As per reports, during the course, she received decompression training, microgravity training, underwater survival training, and space suit training. She had also taken up collegiate-level courses in subjects like researching and instrumentation, astrobiology, space atmosphere, and space physiology other than regular schooling courses.

Experts say that in spite of the expertise in various fields, the real challenge would be the personal issues. She won’t be able to start a family, as emotionally that will be a hindrance to her dreams which would be very difficult to ignore. She believes it would be a distraction for her and the crew when she would out of the Earth. Bert, her father believes that she won’t be able to see his daughter some three years. He is even considering the fact that the team might need to colonize Mars. He has realized that the father-daughter relationship is big but she is aspiring to something bigger. Alyssa Carson, on the other hand, is very much positive and says returning from Mars is possible.

Her future plans include being a future astrobiologist where she would like to test the soil and water samples of the Mars and know more about the origin of the planet. She believes that way she would be able to know a lot more about the solar system. Currently, she is pursuing her degrees as there is still time left for the Mars mission to begin.

NASA requires a minimum age of 18 and a degree of Ph.D. for being an astronaut. She has been given the codename of Blueberry and there have been reports of NASA grooming her up for the mission. NASA could be the first to sponsor her in case no other organization sponsors her. She is keeping her hopes on NASA as they are already in the production of Mars-bound rocket. With her strong determination and ambition, she would like to be an inspiration for the next generation.

Source:

https://www.inverse.com/article/48214-alyssa-carson-17-Mars-astrobiology