Aspiring Martians

What does it take to build a Mars mission… from scratch?
In this month’s Inside the Habitat, we head to Wadi Rum, Jordan, a place so otherworldly it’s often called “The Valley of the Moon,” to explore MENA, the first women-led space organization in the region dedicated to STEM, inclusion, and human space exploration.
Founded in 2024, MENA is already pushing boundaries, combining education, analog missions, and global collaboration to empower the next generation of scientists, engineers, and explorers. With over 250 students and young professionals involved, their work extends far beyond space, tackling real-world challenges like sustainability, water systems, and climate innovation.
And at the center of it all is Salam Abualhayjaa, founder and CEO, a mechanical engineer specializing in spacesuit design, a science communicator, and someone quietly building the future of space exploration from the ground up.
We talk about what it was like to run one of the very first missions as part of the World’s Biggest Analog, recently featured in National Geographic, and what happens when you try to build a Mars mission in the desert with limited resources, big ambition, and very little room for error.
In this episode, we talked all about what Wadi Rum feels like, building community first, going from nothing to mission, bold leap beginnings, three-week deadline scramble, desert habitat build, bubble dome setup, mission control chaos, two-hour sleep nights, power outages reality, Mars-like isolation, crew psychology shifts, strangers to tension, real-time problem solving, spacesuit EVAs daily, learning on the fly, global analog collaboration, the World’s Biggest Analog, media and momentum, and how setbacks can turn into something much bigger than you ever planned.
~
A huge thank you as well to Salam and her team at MENA for joining me today and sharing their incredible work and perspective, to Nick Thorburn for the stellar theme music, to Ceci Giglio for the incredible graphics, to 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.

Today is one of those days that changes the trajectory of everything.
As Artemis II launches humanity back beyond low Earth orbit for the first time in over 50 years, we’re marking the moment with a special bonus episode of Aspiring Martians.
Because this mission isn’t just about going to the Moon. It’s about proving we can go further.
Artemis II will send astronauts around the Moon aboard the Orion spacecraft, testing the systems, endurance, and operations that will define the next era of human spaceflight. It’s the bridge between where we’ve been… and where we’re going next.
And that next step includes Mars.
To help bring that future into focus, I’m joined by Ben Bailey, a member of NASA’s 2025 Astronaut Candidate Class Group 24, aka "the Platypi".
Ben’s path to NASA is anything but typical. From building nuclear propulsion systems for aircraft carriers, to flying Black Hawk helicopters in high-risk environments, to becoming an experimental test pilot pushing aircraft to their limits, his career sits at the intersection of engineering, exploration, and extreme performance.
Now, he’s training for missions that could take him to the Moon… and eventually beyond.
This is a short but powerful conversation about what it takes to become an astronaut, what Artemis means for the future of exploration, and how close we really are to becoming a multi-planetary species.
Because today isn’t just a launch.
It’s a beginning.

~

A huge thank you as well to Ben for joining me today and taking the time to answer all my weird questions. I also want to thank Anna Schneider at NASA for helping coordinate all of this. 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, RDan, Leila, Inka, and Carl for admining the Facebook group, and to my family for supporting this project...even when me asking to excuse myself from the table turns into some epic lunar farewell speech.

We’re going somewhere humanity hasn’t quite been willing to go yet… not physically, but conversationally.
Because if we’re serious about building a future on Mars, we have to ask a simple question: are we designing that future for everyone?
This week, I’m joined by Manju Bangalore: engineer, researcher, astronaut-in-training, and founder of Operation Period to explore one of the most overlooked gaps in human spaceflight: menstruation.
From her work at NASA and in science policy to launching a pioneering effort to study periods in microgravity, Manju is helping redefine what it means to build truly human-centered systems in space.
This is a conversation about science, stigma, autonomy, and design and why something that affects billions of people has been treated like an afterthought in space exploration.
If Mars is going to be home… this is part of the blueprint.
Check out Operation Period and their Red Shift Lab on their website: https://www.operationperiod.org/
Dive into more about Manju! https://www.astronautmanju.com/

A huge thank you as well to Manju for joining me today and sharing her time and perspective, to Kayley for helping coordinate and review everything, to Nick Thorburn for the stellar theme music, to Ceci Giglio for the incredible graphics, to 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 NASA design decisions become dinner table topics.

References:
Stats on menstruators: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10014781/
World Bank stats: https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/water/brief/menstrual-health-and-hygiene
Original Kotex ad: http://www.mum.org/kotexadwords.htm
Tampax Tampons with Courtney Cox Commercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnmxLW4cO88
100 tampons: https://people.com/nasa-engineers-packed-100-tampons-for-sally-ride-for-one-week-in-space-8781804
Menstruation in spaceflight: Options for astronauts: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/archive/news/lsm/newsrecords/2016/apr/menstruation-in-spaceflight-options-for-astronauts?utm_source=chatgpt.com
First study to measure toxic metals in tampons shows arsenic and lead, among other contaminants: https://publichealth.berkeley.edu/articles/spotlight/research/first-study-to-measure-toxic-metals-in-tampons-shows-arsenic-and-lead
Tampons as a source of exposure to metal(loid)s: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412024004355
FDA launches tampon safety investigation after study finds toxic metals: https://publichealth.berkeley.edu/articles/spotlight/research/fda-launches-tampon-safety-investigation-after-study-finds-toxic-metals#:~:text=Two%20months%20after%20a%20study%20led%20by,its%20own%20investigation%20into%20the%20potential%20hazard.
Menstruation in spaceflight: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/archive/news/lsm/newsrecords/2016/apr/menstruation-in-spaceflight-options-for-astronauts?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Analysis of menstrual effluent: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6016873/pdf/10020_2018_Article_9.pdf
Next-gen tech can detect disease biomarker in period blood: https://www.psu.edu/news/research/story/next-gen-tech-can-detect-disease-biomarker-period-blood
MenstruAI: https://ethz.ch/en/news-and-events/eth-news/news/2025/05/sanitary-towels-morph-into-test-strips.html
Potential for and challenges of menstrual blood as anon-invasive diagnostic specimen: current statusand future directions: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11305704/pdf/ms9-86-4591.pdf
Ginger for Pain Management in Primary Dysmenorrhea: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38770631/
Effect of fennel on pain intensity in dysmenorrhoea: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3611645/pdf/AYU-33-311.pdf
Comparison of the effect of Chamomile: https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/bcd0/a6d6c9ffc4012c6178d41662bb0899972723.pdf
Hypatia astronauts:https://www.catalannews.com/tech-science/item/hypatia-astronauts-suggest-using-menstrual-blood-as-fertilizer-for-plants-on-mars

Today we've got the ULTIMATE aspiring Martian!
This week, Joe is joined by Alyssa Carson: science communicator, astrobiologist, and one of the most recognizable voices of the so-called “Mars Generation.” You may know her as “Blueberry,” the kid who decided at just three years old that she wanted to go to Mars...and then actually kept going.
But this conversation isn’t about a childhood dream. It’s about what happens after the dream sticks.
We talk about what it really takes to stay committed to something as distant, and as uncertain, as Mars, how that path evolves over time, and why becoming an astronaut isn’t about a single job, but a collection of skills, experiences, and relentless curiosity. Alyssa shares how she found her way into astrobiology, what she’s studying now in her PhD, and how her work is helping answer one of the biggest questions we have: could life exist beyond Earth?
We also get into the reality behind the headlines: what the public gets wrong about space, how safety and risk are actually approached, the importance of community and support systems, and why the future of space might look a lot more connected to everyday life than we think.
Because becoming Martian isn’t about one giant leap.
It’s about thousands of small, deliberate steps.
~
A huge thank you as well to Alyssa for joining me today and sharing her time and perspective, to her dad Bert for coordinating all of this, to Nick Thorburn for the stellar theme music, to Ceci Giglio for the incredible graphics, to 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 if the path to space started not in a government astronaut corps… but on your laptop?
This week on Aspiring Martians, I’m joined by Benedetta Facini — citizen scientist, science communicator, asteroid hunter, and newly selected astronaut candidate with Titans Space Industries.
Benedetta’s journey into space didn’t begin with rocket equations or flight school. It started with curiosity, a telescope, and a grandfather who accidentally sparked a lifelong fascination with the cosmos. From there, that curiosity led her into NASA citizen science projects where she began analyzing real astronomical data, helping identify asteroids, studying Martian cloud patterns, and collaborating with researchers and volunteers around the world.
Along the way she discovered something powerful: the realization that space exploration isn’t only driven by astronauts and engineers — it’s also powered by ordinary people contributing their time, curiosity, and patience to scientific discovery.
Today Benedetta is a physics student, science communicator, mentor to young citizen scientists, and part of a new generation working to make space exploration more accessible to everyone.
In this episode we explore how citizen science can open doors into the space industry, what it’s like to mentor students discovering asteroids for the first time, the surprising reality of astronaut selection, and why curiosity might be the most important qualification for anyone hoping to explore the universe.
Because sometimes the journey to space doesn’t begin with a rocket launch.
Sometimes it begins with a question.
~
A huge thank you as well to Benedetta for joining me today and sharing her time and perspective, to Nick Thorburn for the stellar theme music, to Ceci Giglio for the incredible graphics, to 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.