NASA Offering Free Trip For – Your Name Here – To Mars
(CBS) - The National Aeronautics and Space Administration wants your name to be among the first to land on Mars.
NASA is inviting the public to add names to a microchip that will fly beyond Earth's orbit and eventually to Mars or beyond, after first taking a test flight.
"Your name will begin its journey on a dime-sized microchip when the agency's Orion spacecraft launches Dec. 4 on its first flight, designated Exploration Flight Test-1," NASA says in a press release.
That test flight won't end on Mars, but rather in the in the Pacific Ocean. However, that's only the first trip for your frequent-flying moniker. People with names on the chip will accrue "miles as members of a global space-faring society" that will be launched on several missions, eventually landing on the red planet.
"NASA is pushing the boundaries of exploration and working hard to send people to Mars in the future," said Mark Geyer, Orion Program manager. "When we set foot on the Red Planet, we'll be exploring for all of humanity. Flying these names will enable people to be part of our journey."
The deadline for receiving a personal "boarding pass" on Orion's test flight closes Friday Oct. 31. People can sign up after to be included on future flights.
Add your name to the list at Go.USA.gov.
