Alyssa Carson – The 24-Year-Old Who Could Be the First Person to Set Foot on Mars
One of the brightest candidates who may become the first person to set foot on Mars is a young woman aged just 24 — Alyssa Carson. Despite her young age, she has spent over 20 years preparing for her dream of exploring outer space.
Known by her call sign “NASA Blueberry,” Alyssa has nurtured her passion for space since she was just three years old, after watching a cartoon about space travel. Today, she is one of NASA’s most promising young faces in their projects related to Mars exploration.
Not only has Alyssa participated in numerous intense astronaut training programs, but she is also currently pursuing a PhD in astrobiology — a field considered crucial for studying life on Mars.
Why Mars Is the Next Destination for NASA and SpaceX
Mars is the next goal for NASA and SpaceX. Elon Musk believes humans must live on Mars to survive. NASA shares this vision. They are running programs to test life on the planet. Alyssa is a part of these efforts.
“Mars is our most studied planet after Earth,” Alyssa said in an interview. She believes exploring Mars will answer big questions. Did Mars once have life? Could it support life in the future? Robots and satellites have done well. But human presence will bring more knowledge.
The Biggest Challenge: A Long and Difficult Journey
Although reaching another planet is a clear goal, the biggest challenge lies in the journey itself and the limited time astronauts can stay there.
With NASA’s current technology, the trip from Earth is estimated to take about six months. In addition, astronauts must wait for the orbits of Earth and their destination to align, which limits the frequency and duration of space missions.
Alyssa Carson also shared that scientists are developing new technologies that could shorten travel time to only six weeks. However, this is still a difficult task and may take a long time to achieve.
Although long-term human survival in space faces many challenges, with NASA’s constant efforts and the passion of young people like Alyssa Carson, the dream of exploring new worlds is gradually becoming reality.