5 WORST Space Movies Ever? | #AskAbby | Season 2 | Episode 9 | The Mars Generation

July 31, 2019 By groundcontrol Leave a Comment

Season 2, Episode 9 of The Space and Science Show #AskAbby series

Presented by TheMarsGeneration.org

What are the Worst Space Movies Ever?

Subscribe to our YouTube channel here so you don’t miss an episode!

In the ninth episode of Season Two of #AskAbby, please join aspiring astronaut, Abby Harrison AKA ‘Astronaut Abby’ as she answers the question, “What are the worst space movies ever?” You’re a busy person, why waste time watching an awful film (except for a good laugh that is)? From complete and utter scientific inaccuracy, to poor storytelling, corny dialogue, bad acting, and cringeworthy special effects, these films really miss their mark. Join Abby as she countdowns the Top 5 Space Films to avoid in this episode of the Mars Generation’s Space and Science Show!

Films range from Disney flops to Michael Bay meets sci-fi to even an Oscar-winner. Discussion will be on: How scientifically inaccurate are these films? What would actually happen in the film if it followed science? Which director thought their film was so bad they even APOLOGIZED for making it? Plus, which films got the worst ratings on Rotten Tomatoes? Yes, they really can go THAT low.

Tune in on Tuesdays for new releases of The Space and Science Show #AskAbby series! To submit a question to #AskAbby go to ► http://bit.ly/2DfPz7b

Transcription of TOP TEN WORST SPACE MOVIES?

Are you a science lover? Do you love sci-fi movies that really make you think? Are you looking for a good film recommendation for your next movie night? Well, you have not come to the right place! Today I’m sharing with you 5 sci-fi movies that will make anyone who knows anything about space cry. Hollywood, man.

Hi everyone, I’m Astronaut Abby, an aspiring astronaut with the goal to be the first person to walk on Mars. Welcome to Ask Abby, where I answer all of your questions about space and science. Since we did my 10 favorite space movies in the last episode, I thought it was only fair to follow up with some of my least favorite space movies. And, as you’ve probably noticed, Hollywood really isn’t the best at staying super true to science. So today we’re going to talk about 5 of the worst and most scientifically-inaccurate space movies.

Starting at #5 is the 1998 film Armageddon, directed by Michael Bay. And Armageddon is exactly what you’d expect a space film directed by Michael Bay to be, which is, essentially, explosions meet space. Basically in Armageddon there’s a meteor shower that causes random giant explosions everywhere. There are probably more explosions in this film than there are scientific inaccuracies, which is saying something. Just a quick note: meteor showers aren’t actually dangerous in real life. Most meteors are so small that they burn up really quickly as they pass through the atmosphere and just cause shooting stars. In Armageddon the meteors destroy all of New York City and Paris, whereas in reality, they just look pretty. Another huge, huge scientific inaccuracy in this movie is the idea that if an asteroid were coming toward Earth on a collision course, we could just blow it up with a bomb. But in order to do that, we’d actually have to have a bomb 1 billion times stronger than the strongest H-Bomb ever detonated on Earth. This film is so bad that it has a mere 38% on Rotten Tomatoes, and, get this, Michael Bay himself actually apologized for making it. But as bad as this film was, it still made a lot of money in the box office. More, in fact, than any other film in 1998, raking in over 500 million dollars.

I guess explosions really sell? Huh…. (Abby explodes in special effects on screen then reappears.) Did that work? Do you guys just totally want to subscribe to my channel now?

#4. The Black Hole, released in 1979, produced by Disney, and directed by Gary Nelson. As acclaimed film critic Robert Ebret said, “Disney’s The Black Hole takes us all the way to the rim of space, only to bog us down in a talky melodrama whipped up out of mad scientists and haunted houses,” which is brutal but not wrong. It’s also one of the most scientifically inaccurate space movies of all time, as in the film they go through a black hole as if it’s some sort of worm hole, and uh, if you want to know what really happens when you go into a black hole, you can go watch the Ask Abby episode that we did all about black holes. And while the special effects were advanced at its time, The Black Hole has not aged well. Simply put, the special effects are awful. And it’s pretty much a soap opera, but in space. A “Space Opera”? Which, now that I think about it, really could be done well. But it wasn’t.

The third offender on my do-not-watch list is Red Planet, released in 2000 by director Anthony Hoffman and, wait for it, the holder of a whopping 14% on Rotten Tomatoes. This film, made with a budget of 80 million U.S. dollars only made 17.5 million at the box office. That’s painful. But not as painful as the dialogue, which is drier than the red planet itself. And don’t even get me started on the fact that the characters are all perfectly fine walking around on Mars without wearing helmets. What? You know what, oh my god, I quit. I quit!

#2 is Mission to Mars, which was released in 2000 and directed by Brian De Palma. And based on the title, you might have thought that I’d be on board with this one, but I think you’ll see why I’m not. Mission to Mars is a poor representation of what my generation is hoping to do. It takes a lot of inaccuracies that we say in films that did it right, like The Martian, and it doesn’t balance them out with pretty much anything good. An example of one of these inaccuracies that really bothered me was there’s a moment where one of the characters is in a room, and the only life support system that he’s relying on is a handful of plants, which, PSA, will not provide enough oxygen to support you so do not try that at home. Look, all I’m saying is that after watching that, that’s not a mission to Mars that I’d want to be on, and I want to be on pretty much every mission to Mars, sooo….

But moving from bad to worse, my number 1 pick for the worst space movie in terms of having the worst plot is…drumroll…Gravity. Released in 2013 by director Alfonso Cuaron, Gravity may have won 7 Oscars, you really cannot deny that the special effects were top-notch, however, there was very little plot, and the science in it was off, which is why I’m putting it as my least favorite space movie. For starters, George Clooney really didn’t have to die. Sandra Bullock could have very easily pulled him back in by just yanking on his tether a little bit. In addition, and, even more so, a real astronaut never would have been that unprofessional while on a mission. Also the locations and distances of the various space stations in this movie are all wrong. The movie shows Hubble, the ISS, and Tiangong as being much closer than they are in real life. When you look at it, it really starts to break apart. Plus the satellite that plays the main antagonist in Gravity really wouldn’t have had such a dramatic impact and caused all that dangerous debris. But if your goal is to see Sandra Bullock thrown around in microgravity, cluelessly, then I guess Gravity is a good choice for your movie night.

So, is Hollywood scientifically accurate? I think they might need more scientists to read their scripts before going to the big screen. As a fellow sci-fi lover and scientist–”I volunteer as tribute!”

Either way it’s always fun to grab some popcorn and laugh about how wrong they are. But if you want a movie that’s entertaining for all the right reasons, go check out my previous episode about the top 10 best space movies.

That’s all the time we have today for Ask Abby, thank you so much for joining me on this segment of The Mars Generation’s Space and Science Show. I hope that you enjoyed hearing what I think are the worst space movies out there, and you’re welcome for watching all of those so that you don’t have to, but if there are some movies that you think deserve to have been on this list, go ahead and put them in the comments down below. And as always, if you liked this episode, go ahead and click the thumbs up button to give us a like, and make sure to subscribe to see all of our upcoming episodes. If you have a question that you’d like to see answered by me here on this show, you can submit it by tweeting it using the hashtag #AskAbby or at themarsgeneration.org which is linked below.

So, until next time, farewell fellow travelers of spaceship Earth!

What Are the 10 Best Space Movies Ever? | #AskAbby | Season 2 | Episode 8 | The Mars Generation

July 1, 2019 By groundcontrol 1 Comment

Season 2, Episode 8 of The Space and Science Show #AskAbby series

Presented by TheMarsGeneration.org

What are the 10 Best Space Movies Ever?

Subscribe to our YouTube channel here so you don’t miss an episode!

In the eighth episode of Season 2 of #AskAbby, please join Astronaut Abby as she talks about what she thinks are the best space movies ever! Looking for a recommendation for your next movie night or a film that will make you think more deeply about space? You’re in good hands! We’re going to be counting down our favorite, must-see space films.

Includes discussion on both the scientific accuracy and cinematic qualities of E.T. The Extraterrestrial (1982) directed by Steven Spielberg, Interstellar (2014) directed by Christopher Nolan, Apollo 13 (1995) directed by Bill Paxton, 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) directed by Stanley Kubrick, and many more! Feel free to comment down below if you think there’s any out-of-this-world space films that YOU think belong on this list that we didn’t get the chance to mention!

Tune in on Tuesdays for new releases of The Space and Science Show #AskAbby series! To submit a question to #AskAbby go to ► http://bit.ly/2DfPz7b

Transcription of WHAT ARE THE 10 BEST SPACE MOVIES EVER

For all my sci-fi fans out there, grab your popcorn and silence your phones, because today we’re talking about the 10 best space movies of all time.

Hi everyone, I’m Astronaut Abby, an aspiring astronaut with the goal to be the first person to walk on Mars. Welcome to Ask Abby, where I answer questions about space and science submitted by you, the viewers! This week’s question is, “Abby, what are your favorite space movies?”

Oh boy….

So not necessarily a science question, but as a big sci-fi geek, I think this is really fun. So let’s dive right in! I’m going to be counting down my top 10 space movies. Make sure to watch until the end to see what my very favorite space movie is.

To kick things off with number 10, is E.T. — The Extraterrestrial, directed by Stephen Spielburg and released in 1982. This 4-time Oscar winning film explores alien life through the eyes of a child, which conveys a sense of wonder for the unknown. So is E.T. accurate? Well, we can’t say that an alien like in E.T. doesn’t exist, but if you check out the episode that we did on the truth about extraterrestrial life, you’ll see that it’s pretty unlikely. So go ahead and click on the video. Although I will say, if we ever do encounter alien life, it will be a lot smaller, dumber, and way less cute than E.T.

Number 9: the extremely iconic 2001: Space Odyssey. Because no science fiction list would be complete without having this film on it. Directed by Stanley Cubric and released in 1968 (it’s the oldest film on our list), it deals with the evolution of human kind and our grand transcendence into higher beings. While the heavy breathing, floating baby head, and people jumping around in monkey suits might be a little too out there for some people, it did win an Oscar for best special effects. It’s also incredibly artistic and forces you to think outside of our normal conventions. You might love it, you might hate it, but it’s definitely one that you need to see.

Moving on to number 8, the adorable film, Wall-E, directed by Andrew Stanton and released in 2008. What I really love about this film is it makes its intended younger audiences think about the consequences of consumerism and the value of our home, Earth. While Wall-E is a really funny and lighthearted film, the message about not taking care of our planet is very dark and real. The film won the Oscar for best animated feature film. And c’mon, that fire extinguisher scene between Wall-E and Eve? Still a better love story than Twilight.

And now for number 7–Interstellar, directed by Christopher Nolan and released in 2014. The film stars Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, and Jessica Chastain. From the music to the advanced science, the different worlds, and the incredible acting, Interstellar opens our eyes to more radical science, but through the filter of more normal human relationships. The cinematography and visuals are gorgeous and keep your attention throughout the entire film. And, while the science might not be the most accurate, seeing as we don’t yet know if wormholes are real or how they work, it does explore some of science’s most radical theories and is arguably one of the most original sci-fi films out there.

Number 6: Apollo 13, directed by Ron Howard and released in 1995. This two-time Oscar-winning film stars Tom Hanks and Bill Paxton, and is one of my absolute favorite space movies of all time because it shows the resourcefulness and ingenuity of the early NASA space program. The film centers around the real life Apollo 13 mission, which nearly ended in disaster after the ship suffered massive internal damages. Apollo 13 shows the fight to keep the three astronauts on this mission alive. The film stays true to what actually happened and doesn’t add anything extra. But it doesn’t need to either since the story itself has everything from action, to near tragedy, to adrenaline, to humor, and even some romance. And the acting is quite good, make sure to grab your tissues because the end can be a real tearjerker.

Number 5: This one is actually a comedy spoof–Spaceballs. Released in 1987 and directed by Mel Brooks. If you’re a Star Wars fan like me, you’re going to love this parody film. It includes many iconic lines. Such as, “The Schwartz!”

Number 4 was a huge box office hit: Guardians of the Galaxy, released in 2014 by director James Gunn, it included stars such as Chris Pratt, Zoey Saldana, Vin Diesel, and Bradley Cooper. I loved all the different characters in it, but especially Groot and Rocket. Plus, it blessed us with these hysterical moments.

Now we’re getting close. My number 3 favorite space movies is–Star Trek. Ok, so there are actually a lot of Star Trek movies, 13 to be exact, but I’m going to include all of them here for the sake of time and because, well, it’s Star Trek. The representation of a futuristic society peacefully exploring our universe is extremely powerful. And, let’s be honest, we’ve all dreamt about being in the Star Fleet Academy.

And now for my top 2 favorite space movies. And possibly–no, definitely–a controversial choice: Star Wars! And yes I put Star Wars above Star Trek. Fight me! While it may not be the most scientifically-accurate portrayal of space, it does allow our imaginations to run wild, and had incredibly compelling heroes and villains. (Cuts of Abby going on and on about the merits of Star Wars until it’s 80 years later and she had a grey beard.) It just doesn’t get better than that. It really doesn’t.

And finally, my number 1 favorite space movie of all time–The Martian! The Martian, which was based on the book by the same name by author Andy Weir, which was really good and you should definitely read, was released in 2015 and directed by Riggly Scott. And it was nominated for 7 Oscars, which is pretty amazing. What I really love about this movie is how incredibly accurate it is. Not only is it exciting and futuristic, but it also stays true to real science, and it’s a depiction of what we could be seeing happen in space exploration within our lifetimes. I think that’s pretty exciting. However, it does have some inaccuracies, so you definitely shouldn’t take it for fact. But it’s the closest we have to a realistic depiction of modern space exploration. And the inaccuracies in The Martian play an important part in moving the plot forward, so, we’ll allow it.

Well, that’s it for my top 10 favorite space movies! Do you guys agree? Would you add anything or take anything out? Go ahead and comment down below, and either way, I hope I gave you some good ideas for your next movie night!

That’s all the time we have today for Ask Abby, thank you all so much for joining me for this segment of the Mars Generation’s Space and Science show. If you liked it, which I hope that you did, go ahead and click the thumbs up button to give us a like, and also subscribe so that you don’t miss our next episode, which is going to be a countdown of the absolute worst space movies of all time. Also, as always, if you would like to ask a question and potentially see it answered here on Ask Abby, make sure to go ahead and tweet it to me using the hashtag #AskAbby or submit it at TheMarsGeneration.org which is linked below. Until next time, farewell fellow travelers of spaceship Earth.

The Truth About Aliens | #AskAbby Space and Science Show | The Mars Generation

April 2, 2019 By groundcontrol Leave a Comment

Season 2, Episode 6 of The Space and Science Show #AskAbby series

Presented by TheMarsGeneration.org

The Truth About Aliens.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel here so you don’t miss an episode!

In the sixth episode of Season 2 of #AskAbby, join aspiring astronaut Abby Harrison, AKA Astronaut Abby, as she answers the question “What would extraterrestrial life look like?” Based on Abby’s research at the Schrueger Lab of Kennedy Space Center, Abby will talk about what extraterrestrial life would potentially look like, based on what we know now.

Includes answers to questions including: Would alien life look like the representations we’ve seen in popular science fiction media? What are extremophiles? Are there single-celled organisms on Earth that could survive in Mars-like conditions? What are tardigrades or water bears and what makes them so special? What extreme conditions could water bears survive?

Tune in for new releases of The Space and Science Show #AskAbby series and don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel here so you don’t miss an episode!

Transcription of THE TRUTH ABOUT ALIENS:

What would a real-life alien look like? Would they be cute like in E.T.? Scary like the Predator? Or just plain annoying like Jar Jar Binks? There’s a lot of speculation about aliens. But here and now, I’m going to tell you the truth about extraterrestrial life.

(Intro)

Hi everyone, I’m Astronaut Abby, aspiring astronaut with the goal to be the 1st person to walk on Mars. Welcome to Ask Abby, where I answer questions about space and science submitted by you, the viewers. This episode we’re going to be answering the question: What would extraterrestrial life look like?

Would they have laser eyes? Tentacles? Or Green skin? Uhh, no.

When we do find extraterrestrial life, it’ll most likely look more like this. Yup, we’re talking about single-cell organisms like bacteria or archaea. The closest thing we have to extraterrestrial life on earth are extremophiles.

Extremophiles are organisms that, you guessed it, can survive under extreme conditions. This actually has to do with research that I have been doing for the last two years at the Kennedy Space Center Schrueger Mars Space Astrology labs. We work with a bacteria called Serratia Liquefaciens testing to see if it could live on Mars. So what we found–and this is a very generalized summary–is that Serratia Liquefaciens could survive in conditions like those on Mars.

So while we haven’t found extraterrestrial life yet, we do know that there are organisms from here, on Earth, that could survive in space. So while Serratia Liquefaciens and other extremophiles are pretty cool, the award for the cutest extremophile has to go to the Tardigrade. Also known as a water bear or a moss piglet.

Water bears are microscopic animals that live in moss or lichen and have been around for anywhere from 100 million to 520 million years ago. That means that they’re almost as old as my mom. (Hey! I heard that!) Whoops!

Aside from being pretty cute, water bears are also pretty darn invincible. They can survive 1,000 times the lethal dose of radiation to humans, 6,000 times the Earth’s atmospheric pressure, 100 years without water, and up to twelve days in space without oxygen. They also contain the most foreign DNA of any animal on earth, meaning that they have the most DNA from another species. Tardigrades have 17.5 percent foreign DNA whereas most animals have less than 1 percent.

While the truth about extraterrestrial life may not be as exciting as you had thought (sorry guys, no little green martians running around), it is exciting in another way. Extremophiles hold vast scientific implications that help us in our journey to learn more about life outside of Earth. And who knows? As we continue to expand our horizons and go where no human has gone before, we may find extraterrestrials that are more like the aliens shown in our favorite sci-fi shows, like those in Star Trek.

That’s all the time we have today for Ask Abby. Thank you so much for joining me for The Mars Generation Space and Science Show. I hope that our topic wasn’t too alien for you!

If you’d like to ask me a question and potentially see it answered here, on Ask Abby, feel free to tweet it to me using the #AskAbby hashtag or submit it at The Mars Generation linked below. And as always, if you enjoyed this segment, please go ahead and give us a thumbs up and make sure to subscribe so that you don’t miss the next one.

And until next time, farewell fellow travelers of spaceship Earth.

The Mars Generation 2019 Space Camp Scholarship Winners Announced

March 22, 2019 By groundcontrol Leave a Comment

We are pleased to announce the winners of our 2019 TMG Space Camp Scholarship. We have selected 8 talented students from all across the country to attend Space Camp USA this summer. This scholarship program provides students lacking economic resources with a full-ride scholarship to Space Camp, including transportation costs.

For the past three years, we have sent 44 incredible students on full-paid scholarships to Space Camp. We are looking forward to seeing this year’s cohort share their experiences with their communities through the public presentations they proposed as part of their applications for the scholarship program. Listed below are our 2019 winners. Join us in following along their progress by liking us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and by signing up for email updates.

If you would like to donate to our Space Camp Scholarship program and help support sending these and future students to space camp, please visit our donation page.

Name: Jose Guillen
Age: 17
Location: California
Favorite subject(s) in school: Math
Best STEAM/Learning experience:
Math Club
Post-secondary education plans: Jose hopes to be a teacher
Career goal: Teacher

Name: Michelle Garcia
Age: 17
Location: Nevada
Favorite subject(s) in school: Music and robotics
Best STEAM/Learning experience: The FRC Robotics competition
Post-secondary education plans: Michelle plans to attend college, possibly majoring in mechanical engineering and minoring in music
Career goal: Work for a company that wants to make a change, while pursuing music

Name: Victoria Rodriguez Tirado
Age: 17
Location: Pennsylvania
Favorite subject(s) in school: Biology and Psychology
Best STEAM/Learning experience: PLTW (Project Lead the Way) engineering program
Post-secondary education plans: Victoria wants to pursue a degree in Biology and in Aerospace Engineering and join the Air Force ROTC program
Career goal: Astronaut

Name: Linda Charris
Age: 16
Location: Florida
Favorite subject(s) in school: Math and Engineering
Best STEAM/Learning experience: Engineering Club
Post-secondary education plans: Linda seeks to go to college to pursue a degree in Physics or Mathematics
Career goal: Astrophysicist

Name: Abryana Alvarado
Age: 16
Location: Missouri
Favorite subject(s) in school: Biology, Algebra II and World History
Best STEAM/Learning experience: STEM Girls Conference and FIRST Tech Challenge
Post-secondary education plans: Abryana would like to apply for Stanford University, where she seeks to major in Physics and Mathematics
Career goal: Astrophysicist

Name: Zella Boor
Age: 16
Location: Ohio
Favorite subject(s) in school: Art, science, and math
Best STEAM/Learning experience: Cleveland Youth Sustainability Leadership program
Post-secondary education plans: Zella wants to study physics and engineering in college
Career goal: Astrophysicist

Name: Mikhail Eaton
Age: 15
Location: New York
Favorite subject(s) in school: Math and Physics
Best STEAM/Learning experience: Building roller coasters to study potential energy.
Post-secondary education plans: Mikhail hopes to attend an ivy league college and play soccer
Career goal: Professional soccer player and using statistics for risk management and decision analysis

Name: Steven Tejeda
Age: 15
Location: New York
Favorite subject(s) in school: Science and English
Best STEAM/Learning experience: Robotics
Post-secondary education plans: Steven would like to continue his education by studying physics, engineering, and biological science in college
Career goal: Scientist

Please consider donating to help continue sending our future scientists, teachers, and change makers to Space Camp.

First Time Skydiving – Astronaut Training| #AskAbby Space and Science Show | The Mars Generation

March 4, 2019 By groundcontrol Leave a Comment

Season 2, Episode 5 of The Space and Science Show #AskAbby series

Presented by TheMarsGeneration.org

First Time Skydiving! – Astronaut Training

Subscribe to our YouTube channel here so you don’t miss an episode!

In the fifth episode of Season two of #AskAbby, aspiring astronaut Abby Harrison aka “Astronaut Abby” continues her mission to training to become an astronaut! In order to feel a sense of weightlessness, Abby takes the leap and goes skydiving for the very first time! Have you ever considered going skydiving, but are unsure about the process? Watch this video to learn what your first ever jump would likely be like!

Includes answers to questions including: Are astronauts usually required to become proficient in skydiving? How is skydiving used in space travel? How does a complete beginner skydive? What does it take to become trained in skydiving? How do you become a certified skydiving instructor? And many more! Be wary of watching this video if you’re scared of heights!

Tune in for new releases of The Space and Science Show #AskAbby series and don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel here so you don’t miss an episode!

Transcription of FIRST TIME SKYDIVING:

What’s the difference between a bad golfer and a bad skydiver?
Well, a bad golfer goes: “Smack. Uh, darn!” Whereas a bad skydiver goes “Whoa, darn! Smack.”

Haha! I crack myself up.

Hey everyone! It’s Astronaut Abby, an aspiring astronaut with the goal to be the first astronaut to walk on Mars, and this is Ask Abby, a show where I answer all of you, the viewer’s, questions about space and science.

And today, we’re taking on a brand new, exciting adventure! Parachuting, or as some people call it…skydiving!

As you all know, I love any sport or adventure that takes my feet off the ground, whether it be rock climbing, gymnastics, parasailing, diving, flying an airplane, bungee jumping, or even parachuting. I love the experience and thrill of being in the air.

Tons of people also ask me what’s actually necessary to become an astronaut. Well, there’s a whole other Ask Abby episode that goes into much more detail on that, but the basic requirements are that you need to have a great education, good work experience, and pass a physical test.

However there’s also a ton of other stuff that you can add to your resume to try and make your application stand out amongst the thousands of other people who will be vying for your same, limited spot among the astronaut corps. These can be among many different things, whether it’s learning Russian, learning how to fly a plane, or even…parachuting!

Neither NASA or ESA currently use parachute training with their astronauts, however Russia does and NASA has included some parachute release training in the past. So, getting some experience with parachuting, or skydiving, certainly won’t hurt your application. And it could even help you to stand out amongst the 18,000 plus other people who are all vying for those 8 coveted spots..

So today is my first ever time parachuting, and I figured that I would bring you all along!

However, I have absolutely zero training in parachuting, I’ve never done it before, and so I won’t be jumping alone. That would be a very bad idea.

I’ll be doing something called tandem jumping, where I jump connected to a certified instructor, which is what any reputable skydiving organization will have you do.

Once you’ve done enough tandem jumping, you can actually qualify for solo jumping. Depending on the number of jumps that you do and the difficulty of those jumps, you can get an A, B, C, or D parachuting license. First time in my life that I haven’t wanted to have an A…

Today, I’ll also be jumping with my mom (awwwww), because what parent hasn’t, at some point, wanted to toss their child out of an airplane? When my mom heard that she had the chance to do that, she jumped on it.

(Interview with Sam Basques–USPA Tandem Instructor):

Hey everyone, I’m here with Sam, the crazy lady who just jumped out of an airplane with me strapped to her. She is a fantastic instructor and we’re going to ask her some questions about skydiving in general.

Abby: So Sam, how long have you been parachuting for?

Sam: Ten years this summer.

Abby: 10 years, wow–and in that time, how many jumps would you estimate you’ve done?

Sam: I’m actually coming up on 5,000 here.

Abby: No way!

Sam: Yep

Abby: That’s amazing. Okay, congratulations on that!

Sam: Thank you, thank you very much.

Abby: So what’s the process of becoming, first off, certified to jump alone, and then after that, continuing down.

Sam: Yeah. So there’s several different kinds of programs out there. This place offers – Skydiving Twin Cities offers AFF jumping. It’s a very short, condensed program of seven skydives. You go through all seven skydives, and then if you pass all of them you move onto a solo-student status, where you’re kind of on a probationary period. And then from there you get A licensed, and from A license onward, you can kind of jump with anybody else who is licensed.
Abby: Gotcha. And so how long does it take to get your A license, usually? How many jumps?

Sam: It varies with different people. It’s all about how much time and money you really have to throw at the sport. Sometimes people have to repeat certain skydives, some people have issues, some people fly through it really fast, so it can take anywhere from y’know, like a month to, y’know, several months or maybe an entire season.

Abby: Some people fly through it really fast?

Sam: Haha yes, that’s a very good pun. Play on words there, I like that.

Abby: Hey, you said it, not me. So what would you do after an A license?

Sam: After an A license? So, there are different licenses. There’s A, B, C, and D; I currently hold a D license–it’s kind of the highest level license that you can have. It’s the license that you need to take people on tandems. There’s A, B, C, and D, and each one of those allows you to do a certain number more things than the license before that.

A is pretty basic–y’know, you can kind of skydive with anybody else that’s licensed. B–you’re allowed to be a coach with your B license and you can do a certain number of things with that. C–I think you are required to have a C license for AFF instruction, where you’re teaching people how to skydive, and the D is when you can strap people to you and fall out of airplanes.

————–

Videographer: So, Abby, what was the hardest part of the whole thing?

Abby: Oh, the hardest part was definitely the ground! Actually, landing was totally a breeze. It kind of, well, it literally was, because we were catching some thermals on the way in, but you get what I’m saying.

Thanks so much for joining me on my first time skydiving. I hope that you had as much fun as I did. And I know that I’m completely ready to work towards my solo and jump alone…let me know in the comments if that’s something you’d be willing to do!

If you want to ask a question and see it answered here, on Ask Abby, go ahead and tweet it to me using the hashtag: #AskAbby, or go to the Mars Generation website which is linked below, as always, and submit it there.

Also, if you liked this video, go ahead and click the “thumbs up” button and also subscribe so that you don’t miss any of our future episodes of Ask Abby.

Until next time, farewell fellow travelers of spaceship Earth!

That’s a wrap!

#FlightSuitFriday Giveaway – Friday, February 15 and Friday, February 22, 2019

February 7, 2019 By groundcontrol Leave a Comment

We are having a special #FlightSuitFriday this Friday February 15th through next Friday February 22nd, 2019 with a GIVEAWAY for some cool FREE TMG gear!

What is #FlightSuitFriday?

A day to bring awareness to the role ‘flight’ plays in space and STEM, we are encouraging you to share on social media: a photo of yourself in your flight suit and/or TMG member T-shirts or shirts purchased in our store. Any photo shared for the week between Friday, February 15th and Friday, February 22nd counts as an entry!

Why participate in #FlightSuitFriday?

Because it’s a celebration of what the flight suit represents for many people, young and old: dreaming big! Yes, that’s right! Think about it. Some of the coolest jobs in the world come with a flight suit, and it’s also true that young people and adults from around the world like to wear flight suits to signify their own big dreams.

Whether your big dreams are to be an astronaut, a pilot, a member of the Air Force, an EMT, or any of the other cool professions that come with a flight suit – or your dreams have gone beyond the flight suit to something else – this iconic clothing expresses our aspirations for the future. Think about the blue flight suit astronauts wear today – it represents the hard work they have put in so far as well as their own commitment to the future of space exploration.

What do I get by participating in #FlightSuitFriday February 15th, 2019 – February 22nd, 2019?

Our founder Aspiring Astronaut Abigail Harrison AKA Astronaut Abby in her new #MarsRed #MarsNow Suit. She wears a flight suit to remind people to dream big! Chasing your dream is always possible, no matter how big the dream is!

Everyone who participates will receive either a TMG coloring book or TMG Follow Me To Mars Bumper sticker (giveaway prizes are randomly selected). It’s easy, all you have to do to enter is:

Follow us on Twitter or Instagram
Follow our founder Aspiring Astronaut Abigail Harrison on Twitter or Instagram
Share a photo of yourself or someone else* in a flight suit or TMG clothing on Twitter or Instagram between Friday 2/15 and Friday 2/22 with the following in your post:
o The #FlightSuitFriday and #Giveaway hashtag
o Tag our Twitter or Instagram and Astronaut Abby’s Twitter or Instagram
o Tell us your big dreams or how you act big to inspire others
Make sure you have complied completely with the giveaway rules.
Then, direct message us with a request to get your free prize.

Click here for complete giveaway details.

We hope you will join us for this fun and inspiring week and help spread the excitement of Dreaming Big! Acting Big! And Inspiring Others! Let’s have some fun for #FlightSuitFriday!

*Note: You must have permission to post photos of another person and/or you can use astronaut photos in public domain (ex. Photos owned by NASA). See giveaway rules for full guidelines on sharing photos of someone else.

How to Become an Astronaut | #AskAbby Space and Science Show | The Mars Generation

February 5, 2019 By groundcontrol Leave a Comment

(Correction: NASA has changed this requirement as of March, 2020. A master’s degree in STEM is now required to apply)

Season 2, Episode 4 of The Space and Science Show #AskAbby series
Presented by TheMarsGeneration.org

How to Become an Astronaut

Subscribe to our YouTube channel here so you don’t miss an episode!

In this episode of #AskAbby, aspiring astronaut Abby Harrison aka Astronaut Abby answers the MOST frequent question she gets asked: How do you become an astronaut? For all you aspiring astronauts out there, Abby gives a run-down of all the requirements you need to become an astronaut, the application process, things that will really put your application over the edge, and what mentality to have when you have an out-of-this-world dream.

This episode includes answers to questions like: What should astronauts study in school? What type of degree should you get to become an astronaut? What are the different types of astronaut positions are there to apply for? What are the physical requirements to be an astronaut? What is the average age of an astronaut? Does NASA accept naturalized citizens as astronauts? How competitive is it really to be chosen as an astronaut candidate?

Tune in for new releases of The Space and Science Show #AskAbby series and don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel here so you don’t miss an episode!

Transcription of HOW TO BECOME AN ASTRONAUT

ABBY
Hello everybody and welcome to Ask Abby! Today’s episode is super exciting because we are answering the most frequently asked question that I get, which is…

EMILY
Oh wait let me guess!! Is it, what are black holes?

ABBY
No, although black holes are really interesting…

EMILY
Okay then…is it…hmm… “Hey Abby, why is your director so awesome?” (wink)

ABBY
Uhhhh sadly, it’s not that either, although it’s true!

EMILY
Wait wait.. Is it “Abby will you marry me?”

ABBY
No, although, now that I think about it, I do get asked that a lot.

No, today’s question is: “How do I become an astronaut?!”

(INTRO)

Welcome to Ask Abby, where every episode I answer a crazy, wacky, zany, out-of-this-world question about space or science submitted by you, the viewers!

So today’s question is: How do I become an astronaut?

I actually wrote a blog post on this question as well, which has everything in this video and more. It’s linked below in the description, and you should definitely go check it out!

First off, the requirements will change depending on which country, company, or agency you’re applying with.

Since NASA has sent the most astronauts into space to date, we’re going to be focusing on the requirements to become a NASA astronaut.

Way back in the day, when we were still just dipping our toes in this whole ‘space’ thing, NASA would actually select their astronauts from the military, from test pilots, which made sense because test pilots already knew how to react under stress and high pressure situations. Since then, there’s been a gradual shift towards selecting more and more civilian astronauts.

This is because, over all, NASA cares more about your academic background–in other words, you’ve gotta be a smart cookie!

So if you’re watching this and are dreaming of becoming an astronaut, the best thing that you can be doing right now is focusing on school. That’s right, study hard, form good habits, and stick to them!

Academically, NASA requires a minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in either math, science, or engineering from an accredited college or university. (Correction: NASA has changed this requirement as of March, 2020. A master’s degree in STEM is now required to apply) In addition to this, they also require that you have a minimum of three years of professional experience in your field of choice.

Luckily, this experience requirement can include higher education. Getting your Master’s degree counts as one year of experience, whereas getting your PhD counts as all three.

You can also substitute 1000 hours of pilot in command time in an aircraft for those years of experience. We’ll talk a little more about that in a bit!

To be a NASA astronaut, you also have to be a U.S. Citizen. But if you want to be an astronaut and you’re not a U.S. Citizen right now, don’t worry because NASA also accepts naturalized citizens into the astronaut program.

This means that if you were born outside of the U.S, you first have to become a U.S. Citizen before you can start applying to the NASA astronaut corps.

Moving on, if you want to be a pilot–that is, a spacecraft pilot–you need to both have your pilot’s license and have those 1,000 hours of pilot in command experience that we talked about earlier. A lot of astronauts in the past have gained this time in the Navy or Airforce.

And finally… ya gotta be a healthy bro and pass the NASA physical!

To be a mission specialist, you need to have:

A distance visual acuity of 20/200, or better, uncorrected, or correctable to 20/20 in each eye.
You also need to have a blood pressure of 140/90 measured in a sitting position.
And you need to be between 58.5 and 76 inches in height.

Whereas to be a pilot you need to have:

A distance visual acuity of 20/100 uncorrected, or correctable to 20/20, in each eye.
You once again need to have a blood pressure of 140/90 measured in a seated position.
And you need to have a height between 62 and 75 inches.

Some other physical requirements include not being dependent on drugs or alcohol, not having a psychiatric illness, and also not having another significant disease.

Let’s check in on some of those–

Bubonic plague, you’re out.
Lactose Intolerant, sadly, for your crewmates, you’re in.
Bieber Fever, most definitely out.

“Baby, Baby, Baby, oohhhhhh”

Make it stop!!!

Basically, you just need to be a super healthy individual. Going into space is very taxing on the body. You have radiation, bone density loss, muscle degradation, your cardiovascular system becoming lazy, space adaptation sickness, and so much more. So having a really high baseline of fitness and health before you go to space can help to mitigate some of those effects.

And finally, age! There aren’t actually any age requirements to be a U.S. astronaut, but there is an average. The average age of astronauts is 34, with the youngest astronaut ever in space being 32, which was Sally Ride in 1983.

So, how competitive is it really to become an astronaut?

To put it simply: Extremely.

With it being this competitive to become an astronaut, you really have to think about going above and beyond the minimum requirements if you want to be successful in the application. So here’s a few things that will help you push your application over the top.

The first is learning Russian, which we actually have already done an episode on. It’s linked below if you want to go ahead and watch it. Learning Russian is not a requirement to become an astronaut, but it is a requirement right now to travel in space. So that means that once you get chosen as an astronaut candidate, you have to learn Russian within those two years to a reasonable standard. So you might as well just go ahead and do it now–get a head start on that!

Swimming is also a really important skill since astronaut training includes a lot of scuba diving. It’s one of the best ways that we can simulate microgravity here on Earth. So you know, just keep swimming, just keep swimming.

Advanced degrees also give you an edge. While having a Bachelor’s is the only requirement, most astronauts have at least a Master’s degree, and many also have PhDs.

And finally…a good personality!

When you’re up in space, you’re stuck in very tight quarters with the same people for long lengths of time. And so you have to be able to work well together.

When interviewing astronaut candidates, NASA looks for people who would work well on a team! They look for people who are personable, agreeable, and collaborative so that they can make the best team possible. Cause you know the saying–teamwork makes the dream work! Moreover, NASA looks for people who have a good sense of humor. It helps to diffuse those high stress situations.

EMILY
Is THAT why you do so many space puns?

ABBY
Uh, maybe… but uh…y’know, back to business!

The one thing that I really want those of you watching this video to take away, is that yes, becoming an astronaut is extremely difficult, it’s very competitive, there’s a high level of qualification required. But that should not stop you from pursuing this dream in any way, shape or form.

If for some reason, I don’t become an astronaut, because like we’ve talked about, there are a lot of things that can get in the way of that actually becoming true, I still want to become a scientist, an astrobiologist, and do everything that I can to help advance human space exploration.

Besides, if your dreams don’t scare you, you aren’t dreaming big enough.

So with that, go ahead and reach for the stars and maybe land on Mars! (wink)

That’s all the time that we have for #AskAbby. Thank you all for joining me for The Mars Generation’s Space and Science Show, #AskAbby segment!

If you have a question that you would like to see answered here, on Ask Abby, go ahead and tweet it to me using the hashtag #AskAbby or you can go to themarsgeneration.org/askabby, which is linked below, and submit it on the form there.

As always, if you enjoyed this video, and I hope that you did, make sure to hit the subscribe button so that you see our next episode, which comes out on Tuesdays, and also go ahead and give us a thumbs up.

Until next time, farewell fellow travelers of spaceship Earth!

Space Periods Part 2: THE HISTORY | #AskAbby Space and Science Show | The Mars Generation

December 10, 2018 By groundcontrol Leave a Comment

Season 2, Episode 2 of The Space and Science Show #AskAbby series
Presented by TheMarsGeneration.org

Space Periods Part 2: THE HISTORY

Subscribe to our YouTube channel here so you don’t miss an episode!

In this episode, Astronaut Abby talks about how the space industry used periods to discriminate against female astronauts.

A 1964 report released after the termination of the Women in Space program stated in reference to menstruating female astronauts, that putting a “temperamental psychophysiological human” with a “complicated machine” was a bad idea (cue eye roll). We know that women have faced numerous challenges throughout history in advancing in certain fields…and the space industry is no exception.

This episode includes discussion about topics such as: What were some misconceptions about periods in space in the 1960s? What challenges has this caused for the first female astronauts? How did a woman’s performance compare to a man’s in astronaut training? Why might female candidates actually have an edge over males in space? And how have we progressed since the 196o’s?

Tune in for new releases of The Space and Science Show #AskAbby series and don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel here so you don’t miss an episode!

Transcription of SPACE PERIODS, PART 2

*Abby stuffs tampons into her flight suit*
Would you look at this? It’s like flight suits were made to hold tampons. I kid you not. Pockets. Everywhere. Pockets galore. Look at this. Look at this. Look at how many tampons this flight suit can fit.

Today we’re going back in time to the ‘60s to ‘80s to see how the space industry treated menstruating women. Or, as they called them, temperamental psychophysiological humans.

*Abby shrugs*

*Show Intro*

Hello everyone and welcome to #AskAbby where I answer one of your questions about space or science. In our last episode we answered the question “Do women still have periods in space, and if so, how do they manage them?”

The answer is yes, and it’s really not an issue. Go ahead and check out Part 1 to learn all about that.

But today in Part 2 of Periods in Space, we’re going to travel back in time to the ‘60s to ‘80s to learn all about how the space industry handled, or mishandled, the concept of menstruation in space.

As those of you who have seen the movie “Hidden Figures”, lived through that time period, or just know something about history, the ‘60s to ‘80s was not necessarily a very welcoming time for women in a lot of industries, and the space industry was one of them.

While there were women who passed the tests to become an astronaut in the ‘60s (actually with a 68% pass rate as compared to the 56% pass rate of their male counterparts), it took until 1983 for Sally Ride to be the first American woman to go to space. And one of the reasons was periods.

That’s right, a woman’s menstrual cycle was one of the main arguments about why women weren’t fit for space exploration.

For one, they were worried about what would happen with menstrual blood. Quick recap: fluids in space, since there’s microgravity, have a tendency to migrate up towards the top of the body and really collect there. They were worried that period blood wouldn’t flow out, and instead would flow back up in and potentially cause problems.

But guys . . . that’s not how it works.

THAT’S NOT HOW THE BODY WORKS.

There were actually some researchers who felt that because women had fewer heart attacks, and because the cardiovascular effects of space travel weren’t known at the time, that women might be better candidates for space exploration. This research was conducted under the Women in Space program, initiated in 1960, under the premise that from an engineering standpoint, it might be better to send women to space. They weighed less, used less oxygen, and were shown to perform better in isolated spaces.

However, despite these positive results, testing in the program was halted.

In 1964, a report was published after the program was terminated, that stated (without evidence) that putting “a temperamental psychophysiologic human” together with a “complicated machine” was a bad idea.

Say that to my temperamental psychophysiological face.

There has been no evidence — I repeat, absolutely none. Zero. Squelch. Goose eggs. NO evidence that the performance of an astronaut is impaired in any way by her menstrual cycle.

An Astronaut is a trained professional chosen from an immense, enormous group of highly qualified professionals. And she can perform her job regardless of the small inconveniences that a period can cause. Plus, she might not even have to deal with it. We have birth control, we have long acting reversible contraceptives, and who knows what else will develop by the time we’re ready to go to Mars.

Dealing with periods in space is really simple. It’s completely a non-issue.

That’s all the time we have for #AskAbby today. Thank you for joining me and if you haven’t yet, go ahead and check out Part 1 of Periods in Space to learn about how space affects (or doesn’t) a menstrual cycle, and all about period and menstrual suppression.

And as always, if you have a question that you would like to see answered here on AskAbby, you can go ahead and submit it on Twitter using the hashtag #AskAbby, or on the TheMarsGeneration.org/askabby, which is linked below, by filling out the form there.

Make sure to hit “like” and “subscribe” so that you see when all of our new episodes come out.

Until next time, farewell fellow travelers of spaceship Earth!

Space Periods Part 1: THE LOGISTICS | #AskAbby Space and Science Show | The Mars Generation

November 6, 2018 By groundcontrol Leave a Comment

Season 2, Episode 2 of The Space and Science Show #AskAbby series
Presented by TheMarsGeneration.org

Space Periods Part 1: THE LOGISTICS

Subscribe to our YouTube channel here so you don’t miss an episode!

Dealing with menstrual cycles is hard and annoying enough while on Earth (amiright, ladies?). How the heck do female astronauts do it in the radically different conditions of space travel? And do periods even work the same way?

In this episode, Astronaut Abby gives answers to questions like: What options are available to women in space? What is menstrual suppression versus long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs)? Are LARCs healthy to use on, say, a 3-year mission to Mars? What about IUDs? What would happen if you needed to get an IUD taken out while up in space? And many more! Also included: a funny anecdote about Sally Ride, the first American woman in space, being asked if 100 tampons would be sufficient for her ONE WEEK long space mission.

Tune in for new releases of The Space and Science Show #AskAbby series and don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel here so you don’t miss an episode!

Transcription of SPACE PERIODS, PART 1

So here on AskAbby we’ve talked all about the important changes that happen to the human body while in space: space motion sickness, the effects of radiation, loss of bone mass and muscle density, and even increased flatulence. And today, we have another really important one that we’re going to be talking about, and that’s the menstrual cycle.

That’s right, space periods.

*Show intro*

Hello everyone and welcome to Ask Abby, where on Tuesdays, I answer your questions about space and science.

This week’s question is super fun and in my opinion, very important. And it is: “How do women deal with their monthly cycles while in space? Or do they just stop while in space?”

So how women actually deal with periods in space is a pretty simple answer. But let’s just start out by answering the question first: Do women still have their periods in space?

I’m already in love with the idea of going to space, but if I don’t have to deal with that each month? BONUS.

A lot of systems, like the cardiovascular system, do undergo changes, drastic or otherwise, while in space. But the menstrual cycle? Is not one of them. There’s no change to how it acts on Earth. Sorry ladies.

Dangnabbit.

But at least it doesn’t get any worse in Space, right? It just stays the same.

So what do female astronauts do to manage their periods in space? Well, for some female astronauts, especially those on short-term space flights, they just take up pads or tampons and go about their business like usual.

Quick historical anecdote: When Sally Ride, who was the first American woman to launch into space in 1983, was preparing for her missions, flight engineers asked her if for her one week stay in space, 100 tampons would be enough.

*Facepalms* It’s gonna be enough guys.

Their hearts were in the right places, but guys. . . 100 tampons? That’s a lot of blood.

The average cycle takes about 20 tampons. So 100, that’s a little over– overkill. But better safe than sorry, right? For now, let’s return to the present. We’ll go ahead and talk about that time…period… soon enough.

But going back to the question, there’s a much easier route that a lot of female astronauts have chosen to use over the years, especially on longer term missions, and it’s called “menstrual suppression.” Menstrual suppression is where women can use hormones, through a variety of different distribution methods, such as the pill, to change their body chemistry and simply not get their periods.

The most common form of menstrual suppression used is the oral contraceptive pill. Or, as it’s most commonly known, “the pill.” Normally, the pill is a 4 week cycle where for three weeks, you take pills that have a small dosage of hormones in them. And then for one week, you take a placebo or a sugar pill with no hormones. However, if you skip that placebo week and just continue to take the daily dose of hormones, you can convince your body to not have a period.

Even for longer missions, say a 3 year mission to Mars, it’s completely safe and healthy for a woman to do this.

But luckily, there are also other options available. Women can also use LARCs, or “Long-Acting Reversible Contraceptives.” These can take the form of an implant in your arm or an IUD, which is inserted through the uterus. Both of these release small amounts of hormones over long periods of time that can stop your period.

The best part is that they are completely maintenance-free, can last years, and have almost no user error possible. Meaning that they are ideal for a long trip to Mars.

The only concern we have right now is how LARCs, or “Long-Acting Reversible Contraceptives,” would react to the factors of space travel, such as acceleration. Would they move around or become displaced, and what happens if for some reason, you need to have your IUD removed. You can’t just call up your OB and schedule an appointment to have it taken out.

However, don’t worry. Astronauts onboard the International Space Station are actually already taught how to handle a lot of different medical procedures. And both the removal and insertion of IUDs is actual a very simple medical procedure that astronauts could very easily be taught how to do.

So today we’ve talked about how women currently manage their periods in space, as well as the options that will be available for them in the future.

In Part 2,

we’ll talk about how during the 60s to 80s, there was a lot of false logic about periods in space, and how this actually helped to hinder women from becoming astronauts for nearly two decades.

And as always, if you have a question that you would like to see answered here on AskAbby, you can go ahead and submit it on Twitter using the hashtag #AskAbby, or on TheMarsGeneration.org, which is linked below, by filling out the form there.

Make sure to hit “like” and subscribe so that you see when all of our new episodes come out.

Until next time, farewell fellow travelers of spaceship Earth!

TMG Founder Named TIAA Difference Maker 100 Honoree for Her Work with The Mars Generation

October 16, 2018 By groundcontrol Leave a Comment

The Mars Generation announced today that their founder Abigail Harrison, a dual astrobiology and Russian major at Wellesley College and aspiring astronaut, has been named a TIAA Difference Maker 100 Honoree for her work raising awareness worldwide about the importance of space travel and science, technology, engineering, arts and math (STEAM).

In celebration of TIAA’s 100th year of serving those who serve others, TIAA is recognizing 100 people, like Harrison, who work for a nonprofit and are making significant contributions in their community or the world. TIAA, the leading provider of financial services in the academic, research, medical, cultural and government fields, is awarding each Difference Maker 100 Honoree with a $10,000 donation (giving away a total of $1 million dollars) to support the nonprofit organization through which they make a difference. Harrison’s award will go to support The Mars Generation.

Harrison, more popularly known as Astronaut Abby, has built a community of support around the globe and leveraged her outreach program to establish a nonprofit – The Mars Generation in 2015. The Mars Generation’s goal is to energize others around space and STEM/STEAM and to educate young people and adults about the importance of human space exploration. The organization’s Student Space Ambassador Program mentors teens and young adults to share their excitement about space exploration in their own communities and provides full-paid scholarships for students needing financial assistance to attend space camp.

“At a young age, I received a scholarship to attend space camp and I wanted to share my experience with others,” said Harrison. “My desire to excite others about STEM has grown into a community of people from around the world helping to build The Mars Generation nonprofit. I have always wanted to excite others about learning, STEM/STEAM and space and am honored to lead this movement.”

TIAA is recognizing 100 Difference Makers to mark its centennial and to celebrate those who have dedicated their lives to serving others. For more information about Harrison and TIAA Difference Maker 100 program, please visit TIAADifferenceMaker100.org.

About The Mars Generation

The Mars Generation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in the United States. The organization is volunteer-driven with a board of directors that includes astronauts, engineers, scientists and professionals from the nonprofit and business communities. With a reach of more than 40 million people in the organization’s first three years of operation, over one million followers on social media, over 1500 students from around the world participating in its Student Space Ambassador Leadership program, over 600 donors, 1200 members and several space industry sponsors in place, the organization continues to grow and offer programs to excite and educate students and adults about the importance of human space exploration and STEAM education.

For more information on The Mars Generation go to: TheMarsGeneration.org.

Yvonne Hundshamer
The Mars Generation
612-670-0337
email us here