Mars adventures
It’s my dream to see humans colonize Mars. I even tried myself as a participant in the now-defunct Mars One program. However, I have the consolation prize of my name landing on Mars aboard the Perseverance Rover.
Aboard the Perseverance is my name, "Scott Stoll," engraved on a silicon chip. Does that make me an astronaut? Are dreams written in stone — or silicon? Can Martians read?
You can visit Mars right from your own home or backyard in more ways than one. Yes! Seriously.
Have you ever imagined what it would be like to stand on Mars? Now you don't have to thanks to this month's featured Argonaut, the Curiosity Rover. Stand on Mars in this virtual reality panoramic image.
Sometimes Scott Stoll dreams of that first day on Mars. He steps outside, the rusty red rocks kicking up a fine dust beneath his feet. He is in an extra-terrestrial bowl surrounded by an eroded rim that rises gently on the horizon, forming the lip of a vast crater.
The good news is that I won't have to eat worms and algae for the rest of my life; the bad news is that I failed to qualify for the next round of Mars One.
When my girlfriend found out I qualified to be a Martian astronaut she wasn't supportive. "Honey, just think, we could have the first Martian babies ever!" and other funny things people say.
705 Mars astronaut candidates remain for the Mars One mission to colonize Mars. Scott Stoll is one of them. It's a one-way trip.
In case you didn't hear, I made round 2.5 of the Mars One project and my quest to be the first person to bicycle two planets. Listen to my NPR interview.
I am one of the 297 people selected from the United States, half which are woman and about 75 in my age group. I am excited to be part of this! Even in a thousand years everyone will remember the first trip to Mars.
Scott applied to go to Mars and help establish a colony in 2023 — and so can you! Here is my application letter and video — it's about inspiring humanity.