Alyssa Carson has spent nearly her entire life preparing for a dream that most people can barely imagine: becoming one of the first humans to set foot on Mars. 🚀🔴 Born in 2001, Carson is now 25 years old and has been fascinated by space exploration since she was just three. Growing up in Louisiana, she attended numerous space camps, pursued aviation training, earned her pilot’s license at 18, and participated in specialized programs designed to introduce people to astronaut-related skills. She’s also studied astrobiology and planetary science, building her education around the possibility of one day contributing to human exploration of Mars. Her dedication has attracted international attention, with millions of people following her journey and sharing stories about her ambitions. However, one important detail often gets lost in those viral posts: Carson has never been selected by NASA or another space agency to travel to Mars. NASA has previously confirmed that she is not one of its astronauts and that the agency has no formal relationship with her. The claim that she’s preparing to leave Earth forever is also misleading. While Carson has expressed a willingness to consider a one-way trip if that were the only opportunity, her actual goal has included returning to Earth after visiting Mars. NASA is still developing the technology needed for human missions to the Red Planet, with the 2030s discussed as a possible timeframe. No astronauts have been officially assigned to such a mission. So although Carson isn’t currently preparing for a confirmed departure, her years of dedication to a goal that hasn’t even become possible yet are very real. If you had the opportunity to become one of the first humans on Mars, but there was a chance you’d never return to Earth, would you go? 🌎🚀 #AlyssaCarson #Mars #NASA #SpaceExploration #Astronomy - @centralcoastarchives