Have you always dreamed of going into space and to explore new worlds and planets? If you have, your dream might sort of come true. NASA has announced that for those who are interested, they can sign up to get themselves a boarding pass to Mars. Now, this doesn’t mean that you will get to fly to Mars, but rather your name will be on the Mars 2020 rover, meaning that you’ll be on Mars only in name (and spirit).This will be achieved by using an electron beam to etch over a million names on a chip, which means that chances of you or anyone else seeing will be almost impossible, but your “boarding pass” will be proof that your name is on the chip and that you are now part of space history. Anyone will be able to sign up for a boarding pass and it seems that all it requires is your name, email, postal code, and the country you are from.
This isn’t particularly sensitive information that isn’t already searchable on the internet, so you don’t need to worry about this being a scam or used to mine for additional information about yourself. According to Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD) in Washington, “As we get ready to launch this historic Mars mission, we want everyone to share in this journey of exploration. It’s an exciting time for NASA, as we embark on this voyage to answer profound questions about our neighboring planet, and even the origins of life itself.”
If you’re interested in obtaining your boarding pass, head on over to NASA’s website.