NASA preparing 17-year-old girl to become first human to reach Mars

I’m not sure about you wankers, but when I was seventeen my usefulness to the human race was pretty bloody limited. I’m sure you can relate. After all, most seventeen-year-olds are just big kids in what’s sort of started to become an adult’s body (if you discount the acne, haircuts and bad fashion). Having said that, one seventeen-year-old is putting the rest of them to shame. She’s preparing to go to Mars with bloody NASA.

Meet Alyssa Carson. In a turn of events that makes it look like Ender’s Game was actually a bold prediction about the future of space travel, she’s in training to become an Astronaut with a pretty bloody huge mission. She’ll be part of the crew who leave for Mars in 2033.

Alyssa Carson, potentially a future traveller to Mars. Credit: Nasa Blueberry/Instagram

Once there, it’ll be her job to grow food, conduct science experiments, and seek out signs of life. No doubt that mission will also see her screaming in horror when she eventually discovers the subterranean cave system housing the alien monsters planning to overthrow and enthral the rest of us meagre earthlings, but you know, swings and roundabouts!  Let’s hope she takes a flamethrower!

On a more serious note, how bloody amazing is this. What an amazing kid. To make it even better, this is literally a dream come true for her. At the age of three, a Mars-themed episode of The Backyardigans captivated her and started a lifelong passion for the red planet.

She told Teen Vogue magazine, “I thought, ‘This red planet is so cool.’ 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.”

From there, her interest in Mars has only grown. She was the first person ever to visit all three NASA space camps – by the age of twelve. The dedicated teen’s passion has never relented either. “I did the same thing as other kids, like switching my mind about careers, wanting to be a teacher or the President one day…but the way I always thought about it was I would become an astronaut, go to Mars, come back, and then be a teacher or the President.”

Given that NASA is already working alongside the little legend, despite the fact she can’t officially apply to become an astronaut until she turns eighteen, it’s impressive that she’s already so dedicated she’s willing to make some pretty big sacrifices.

“The idea of having a family, that is something NASA would want you to consider once you come back from Mars. 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.”

On top of that, other space organisations, like SpaceX and MarsOne, are considering the possibility of sending her on a mission at a much earlier date. Best of luck, Alyssa. You’re obviously a passionate and dedicated kid. That makes you a top sheila in our eyes. Good stuff.

Final thought: This is bloody awesome. Although 2033 might seem like a long time away, the fact that this kid is already planning and preparing to be on that ship shows that, should she be on board, the eventual mission will be in great hands. On top of that, how good would it be to have a sheila take the first human steps on Mars!

Just in case you missed it, here’s one of Ozzy’s latest commentary videos…Ozzy Man Reviews: BASKETBRAWL

H/T: UNILAD.