I'm going to Mars.
Okay, not actually me, that would be a bit of a miracle, but my name is.
NASA has introduced a program that allows people to submit their names for the upcoming Mars 2020 mission. The submissions* will be etched onto a microchip that will be on the Mars 2020 rover when it lands on Mars.
It's a fun idea, and I applaud NASA for the insight displayed in creating this opportunity.
For those of us who will never leave the planet, never have an asteroid or a crater named after them, and never set foot on another world, it's a cool little piece of personal involvement in space exploration.
However, I was saddened to see that I'd missed a couple of other opportunities to participate. Given the distances involved, I feel that it's going to take a lot more than 300 million NASA frequent flyer points to even get off the ground, let alone qualify for a seat upgrade.
- Sid
* The submitted names are vetted before addition to the list, presumably to avoid Bart Simpson sneaking I.P. Freely or Mike Rotch onto the chip.
This is awesome! Now let's hope they don't run out of lemon soaked paper napkins!
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