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Buckle up. Your Name is Going to Mars!

Aug 22, 2020
2 min read

Updated: Aug 27, 2020

by Rinoa Roman

On July 30, 2020, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) launched its most formidable and sophisticated Mars exploration mission yet, the Mars Perseverance 2020. This Mars rover mission is set to land on the neighboring planet on February 18, 2021. Its main mission is to search for signs of ancient life and collect soil and rock samples in hopes to return to Earth. Consequently, it is also the pioneering leg of humanity’s first round trip to another planet.

NASA gave the public an opportunity to be a part of the mission. They asked people to send their names -- stenciled on chips -- to the red planet. Three fingernail-sized chips containing 10.9 million names are now in transit to Mars.

The process in order to take part with this project is easy. First, go to the NASA website, then fill up a simple form. Afterwards, your name is now registered and ready for take off. Moreover, you get a souvenir boarding pass and earn “frequent flyer” points, which you can redeem rewards.

Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for NASA's Science Mission Directorate said that, “As we get ready to launch this historic Mars mission, we want everyone to share in this journey of exploration.” The overall goal of this project was to raise awareness and widespread engagement for space exploration missions.

Missed your chance to send your name? Do not worry! NASA has opened its registration again for future Mars exploration. Currently, over two million Filipinos have ticketed their names to the Red planet; in fact, the Philippines has the most number of submissions world wide.

The succeeding Mars explorations are radiating with new possibilities, discoveries and excitement. The future is now and do not miss the chance to be part of history. This is, yet again, “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind” (Armstrong,1969).