No human has ever been to Mars, but many are preparing, with Alyssa Carson (aka NASA Blueberry) a prominent figure training for a potential 2033 mission, though she is not officially affiliated with NASA, while rovers have successfully landed, paving the way for future human explorers.
Alyssa Carson (born March 10, 2001) is an American social media influencer and space enthusiast known for her ambition from a young age to be the first person on Mars.
The first spacecraft to successfully land on Mars, Viking 1 was part of a two-part mission to investigate the Red Planet and search for signs of life. Viking 1 consisted of both an orbiter and a lander designed to take high-resolution images, and study the Martian surface and atmosphere.
Commander Neil Armstrong and Lunar Module Pilot Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin landed the Lunar Module Eagle on July 20 at 20:17 UTC, and Armstrong became the first person to step onto the surface about six hours later, at 02:56 UTC on July 21.
Because it's visible without optical enhancements, Mars was always known. Much like Venus, the first person to see Mars through a telescope was astronomer Galileo Galilei. He took the first accurate observations of the planet in 1610.
Geologically, the planet is fairly active with marsquakes trembling underneath the ground, but also hosts many enormous volcanoes that are extinct (the tallest is Olympus Mons, 21.9 km or 13.6 mi tall), as well as one of the largest canyons in the Solar System (Valles Marineris, 4,000 km or 2,500 mi long).
No, water on Mars is not drinkable in its current form; it's frozen as ice or exists as extremely salty brines contaminated with toxic perchlorates, requiring significant purification (filtration, distillation, or specialized bioreactors) to remove salts and oxidizers before it could be used for human consumption or even rocket fuel. While Mars once had liquid water, today's Martian water sources need substantial treatment to become safe for drinking.
There are six flags up there, planted between 1969 and 1972. Five are still standing. But time has taken its toll. Most experts agree those once-bright flags have likely turned white after decades of unfiltered ultraviolet light.
Return to the Moon
Artemis II, scheduled for launch between February and April sees the return of the first people to the Moon since Apollo 17 in 1972. Three American and one Canadian astronaut will orbit the Moon on a 10 day journey that lays the foundation for lunar landings in the coming years.
Having launched on July 16, 1969, and landed on the Moon on July 20, the Apollo 11 astronauts returned home and splashed down in the Pacific on July 24, 1969. In a historically momentous trip, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin had become the first people to step onto the Moon.
The Earth zips around the Sun at about 67,000 miles per hour, making a full revolution in about 365 days – one year on Earth. Mars is a little slower, and farther from the sun, so a full circuit takes 687 Earth days – or one Mars year.
Meet Alyssa Carson, a brave 23-year-old who is preparing for an incredible journey to Mars. 🌌🚀 Alyssa has been dreaming about space since she was a little girl. Today, she is training to become the first human to live on Mars, and she may never return to Earth. Her mission is a one-way trip that will change history.
The term was adopted during NASA's Viking project (1976) in order to avoid confusion with an Earth "day". By inference, Mars's "solar hour" is 1⁄24 of a sol (1 h 1 min 39 s), a "solar minute" 1⁄60 of a solar hour (61.65 seconds), and a "solar second" 1⁄60 of a solar minute (1.0275 seconds).
The Martian environment poses special challenges to prospective Red Planet parents and their offspring. The effects of solar and cosmic ray radiation, reduced gravity, exposure to environmental toxins, even disrupted circadian rhythm can potentially impact parents and progeny alike.
Alyssa Carson is not an official astronaut with NASA or any other space agency. She is a space advocate and aspiring astronaut who promotes STEM education. The idea that she is “never coming back” is misinformation—likely clickbait or exaggerated for social media engagement.
Alyssa Carson. Alyssa Carson, also known by the call sign Blueberry, is an American student with the goal of training to become an astronaut and to be selected for future human spaceflight to Mars. She attended U.S. Space Camp in 2008 and has also attended other space camps in Canada and Turkey.
Astronauts actually age slower in space because time dilation is governed by two variables: the gravitational force acting on the object and the relative velocity of the object. The faster an object moves, the slower time moves for it, according to the theory of relativity.
For Elon Musk, the number 42, famously from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, signifies humanity's quest for answers, reminding us that asking the right questions about life, the universe, and our purpose is crucial, especially in space exploration, serving as an inspiration for progress and seeking deeper meaning beyond just technology. He's incorporated it into SpaceX's Starship, symbolizing this ongoing search for meaning and the universe's profound mysteries.
2026 is the Year of the Fire Horse in the Chinese zodiac (starting Feb 17, 2026), symbolizing energy, freedom, transformation, and fast momentum, making it great for new beginnings, bold action, and social connections, especially for those whose signs benefit from the fiery, dynamic energy, though Rats might face challenges needing flexibility. Numerology also points to 2026 as a Universal Year 1, a potent time for fresh starts and personal empowerment.
In 1969, Apollo astronauts left footprints on the Moon that still remain today. This is because the Moon lacks an atmosphere, so there's no wind to erase them. It also has no liquid water or erosion like Earth, and its minimal seismic activity means the surface stays undisturbed.
This is the first time China has independently displayed its national flag on the moon's far side. However, it's impossible for people on Earth to observe it through a regular telescope, as the far side is permanently facing away from our planet.
Apollo 17 became the last crewed mission to the Moon for an indefinite amount of time. The main reason for this was money. The cost of getting to the Moon was, ironically, astronomical.
While it does not rain water on Mars, the planet does experience weather phenomena like dust storms and clouds. There is also evidence that liquid water once flowed on Mars, suggesting that rain in the form of water might have been possible in the planet's distant past.
Earth—the only known planet with vast oceans, lakes, and rivers—wears a blue cloak from space thanks to its 71% surface water coverage. This oceanic abundance not only shapes our planet's climate and life but also gives Earth its famous nickname: “the Blue Planet”.
The Mars Odyssey orbiter has also detected perchlorates across the surface of the planet. Perchlorates such as calcium perchlorate were first discovered on Mars in 2008 by the NASA Phoenix lander. The levels detected in the Martian regolith are around 0.5%, which is a level considered toxic to humans.