Aspiring Martians

What can Antarctica teach us about Mars?
This week on Aspiring Martians, I sit down with biologist, data scientist, educator, and Mars analog astronaut Pacifica Sommers to explore how some of Earth’s most extreme environments are shaping the future of human space exploration.
Pacifica’s career has taken her from the blistering deserts of Arizona to the frozen Dry Valleys of Antarctica, studying everything from invasive grasses and microbes to the invisible ecosystems that survive beneath glaciers. Today she works in metagenomics at Bayer Crop Sciences while continuing her research with the University of Colorado Boulder, all driven by a fascination with how life adapts under extraordinary conditions.
Recently, she added another environment to that list: Mars.
Pacifica shares what it was like participating in a Mars Desert Research Station analog mission, where researchers studied how crews make decisions under pressure while navigating simulated EVAs, conflicting information, and the psychological demands of isolation. We discuss what these missions reveal about future human expeditions to Mars and why analog astronauts may play an important role in preparing us for becoming a multiplanetary species.
We also dive into why humans still matter in exploration even as robots become increasingly capable, how growing food for Mars could transform agriculture here on Earth, what NASA looks for in astronaut candidates, and why inspiring the next generation of explorers may ultimately be just as important as sending the first people to Mars.

University of Arizona Sky School: https://skyschool.arizona.edu/
Girls* on Rock: https://www.inspiringgirls.org/gor
Martian Greenhouse: https://sites.google.com/view/martiangreenhouse/home

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A huge thank you to Pacifica for taking the time to join metoday and for sharing her incredible curiosity, insights, and passion for exploration. And of course, thank you to Nick Thorburn for the stellar theme music, Ceci Giglio for the incredible graphics, Jero Squartini for the amazinganimations, to RDan, Leila, Inka, and Carl for admining the Facebook group, and to my family for supporting this project—even when our conversations somehow end up talking about avalanches on another planet.

In this month’s Inside the Habitat, I traveled to NASA’s Johnson Space Center to explore the agency’s human exploration analogs. From the year-long Mars missions of CHAPEA, to the behavioral research of HERA, and beyond to a look toward the future with the upcoming Moon and Mars Exploration Analog (MMEA).
First, I sit down with Dr. Grace Douglas, Principal Investigator for CHAPEA and NASA’s lead scientist for Advanced Food Technology. We discuss why NASA built Mars Dune Alpha, its remarkable 3D-printed Mars habitat, and how year-long missions inside are helping scientists study everything from food and exercise to crew health, performance, and daily life.
Then, I speak with Brandon Vessey about one of the most fascinating (and often overlooked) aspects of space exploration: people. We explore how NASA uses the Human Exploration Research Analog (HERA) to study teamwork, leadership, communication, isolation, and psychological resilience, and why understanding human behavior may ultimately be just as important as building better spacecraft.
Finally, Grace and Brandon take us inside what comes next: the Moon and Mars Exploration Analog (MMEA), a new program bringing together elements of CHAPEA and HERA to help NASA prepare for future missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
From 3D-printed habitats and future food systems to isolation, team dynamics, communication delays, and life in confinement, this episode explores the surprisingly human challenges of preparing for deep space—and the places here on Earth where NASA is already putting them to the test.
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Apply now for MMEA! https://analogstudies.jsc.nasa.gov/
Learn more about CHAPEA: https://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/chapea/
And HERA: https://www.nasa.gov/mission/hera/

A huge thank you to Dr. Grace Douglas and Brandon for takingtime out of their incredibly busy days to sit down with me for these conversations. I’d also like to give a very special thank you to Kelsey for coordinating all of the interviews, the logistics of bringing me onsite to NASA’s Johnson Space Center, and for being such an incredible host throughoutthe visit. And to everyone at NASA who helped make this experience possible—thank you for opening your doors and giving us a glimpse into the incredible work being done to prepare humanity for life beyond Earth. And of course, thank you to Nick Thorburn for the stellar theme music, Ceci Giglio for the incredible graphics, Jero Squartini for the amazing animations, to RDan, Leila, Inka, and Carl for admining the Facebook group, and to my family for supporting this project—even when my “office” occasionally becomes MissionControl.

Human beings have created art for tens of thousands of years.
From prehistoric cave paintings to Renaissance masterpieces, photography, music, sculpture, and now even paintings created aboard the International Space Station, creativity has followed us everywhere we’ve gone.
So what happens when humanity reaches Mars?
This month on Everyday Mars, retired NASA astronaut, artist, engineer, and author Nicole Stott joins us to explore one of the most overlooked aspects of settling another planet: art.
Nicole shares the story behind becoming one of the first astronauts to paint with watercolors in space, why astronauts are naturally creative problem-solvers, and how artistic expression may become essential for the psychological well-being of future Martians during months-long journeys across the solar system.
We also discuss photography as art, using Martian materials as creative mediums, whether future astronauts should leave murals on Mars, the importance of preserving our humanity while exploring space, and why creativity might be just as important as engineering when building a civilization on another world.
Nicole also discusses her incredible nonprofit, Space for Art Foundation, which brings together children from around the world through the healing power of art and the inspiration of space exploration.
Whether you’re an artist, engineer, scientist, educator, or simply someone fascinated by humanity’s future beyond Earth, this conversation offers a thoughtful look at one of the most human questions we can ask:
What will it mean to create art on Mars?
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Space for Art Foundation: https://www.spaceforartfoundation.org/
Nicole's book - Back to Earth: What Life in Space Taught Me About Our Home Planet―And Our Mission to Protect It: https://a.co/d/09jtTgXq
Send Frank to Space! https://www.moondao.com/mission/4?tab=about

A huge thank you to Nicole Stott for taking the time to join me today and for sharing her incredible perspective on the intersection of art, exploration, and humanity. If Nicole’s vision resonated with you, I also encourage you to check out spaceforartfoundation.org and support the amazing work being done by the Space for Art Foundation, helping connect children around the world through the universal language of creativity. And of course, thank you to Nick Thorburn for the stellar theme music, Ceci Giglio for the incredible graphics, Jero Squartini for the amazing animations, to RDan, Leila, Inka, and Carl for admining the Facebook group, and to my family for supporting this project—even when conversations about Mars somehow end up in an eighteenth-century art gallery.

What does it look like to pursue multiple impossible dreams at the same time?
For Dr. Banu Cole, it means leading cutting-edge cancer research during the week, flying helicopters, editing one of the world’s first journals dedicated to analog astronaut research, and helping prepare humanity for future missions to Mars.
Banu earned her PhD in Cell Biology from Harvard before building a career leading preclinical drug discovery programs in oncology, metabolic disease, and rare diseases. Alongside her work in biotechnology, she became a commercial helicopter pilot and certified flight instructor, graduated from Project PoSSUM’s Scientist-Astronaut Program, served as a backup crew member for NASA’s HERA analog, and fulfilled a lifelong dream by joining the historic MENA-00-WR analog mission in Wadi Rum, Jordan as Mission Specialist.
In this conversation, we discuss how the Challenger disaster inspired her dream of becoming an astronaut, why helicopters captured her imagination, the surprising similarities between drug discovery and space exploration, and what it was really like living and working inside one of the world’s newest Mars analog habitats.
We also explore the value of failure during analog missions, the importance of human factors, teamwork under pressure, women in aviation and space, the launch of the Analog Astronaut Research Journal, and why the future of Mars exploration depends just as much on collaboration as it does on technology.
Whether you’re interested in medicine, aviation, analog missions, or simply pursuing a dream that refuses to let go, this is a conversation about curiosity, resilience, and building a life that doesn’t fit neatly into a single job title.
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A huge thank you to Banu for taking the time to join me today and for sharing her incredible journey and perspective. And of course, thank you to Nick Thorburn for the stellar theme music, Ceci Giglio for the incredible graphics, Jero Squartini for the amazing animations, to RDan, Leila, Inka, and Carl for admining the Facebook group, and to my family for supporting this project!

What happens when the traditional path to becoming an astronaut closes before you even get the chance to prove yourself?
For Dr. Dirk Raiser, it meant finding another way forward.
Dirk is a German experimental physicist, optical-instrumentation specialist, analog astronaut, commercial astronaut candidate, and founder of Razzor Tech, a startup developing spacesuits and mobility systems for astronaut training. In his scientific career, he works with advanced lasers and X-ray instrumentation at European XFEL, helping researchers observe incredibly fast changes in matter. Outside the laboratory, he has commanded an analog mission at LunAres Research Station, supported the Austrian Space Forum’s AMADEE-24 Mars simulation in Armenia, and served as engineering officer during the World’s Biggest Analog mission at MENA in Wadi Rum, Jordan.
He is also a father of five whose pursuit of space has grown alongside, rather than in opposition to, his family.
In this conversation, Dirk shares how a childhood fascination with rainbows and light led him into experimental physics, why the ESA astronaut selection process became a turning point, and how he began building a second professional path devoted to human spaceflight. We explore the role analog missions play in preparing people for Mars, the enormous amount of work hidden behind every successful simulation, and why the future of space exploration depends on thousands of people whose names may never appear above the credits.
We also discuss Razzor Tech’s development of modular analog EVA suits, portable life-support systems, neutral-buoyancy training equipment, and future mobility technologies for the Moon and Mars. Along the way, Dirk reflects on commercial astronaut training, stepping outside his comfort zone, preserving wonder through scientific understanding, balancing ambition with parenthood, and why he would still accept a one-way ticket to Mars.
This is a conversation about rejection, reinvention, curiosity, and refusing to believe that there is only one route to the stars.
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Inside the MENA Analog with Salam Abualhayjaa: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/inside-the-mena-analog-mission-with-salam-abualhayjaa/id1777937758?i=1000759991093

Inside the World's Biggest Analog with Jas Purewal: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/inside-the-worlds-biggest-analog-with-jas-purewal/id1777937758?i=1000747831688
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A huge thank you to Dirk for taking the time to join me today and share his incredible experiences and perspective. And of course, thank you to Nick Thorburn for the stellar theme music, Ceci Giglio for the incredible graphics, Jero Squartini for the amazing animations, to RDan, Leila, Inka, and Carl for admining the Facebook group, and to my family for supporting this project—even when our conversations somehow end up 25 kilometers below the Martian “sea level.”