NASA Human Space Exploration Test Subject!

Exciting news! I have been accepted as a test subject at NASA, and selected as a crew member for the HERA XV mission starting 27 October 2017. The mission will last 45 days and simulate a trip to a near earth asteroid. My crew mates and I met on Thursday 12 October to start training.

So far as a team we've agreed on the mission patch - it was a lot of fun to draw. The best is yet to come. Also we will have a lot of time to bond.  

My journey toward this mission started back in February while I was in Singapore. As I often do, I checked NASA's human test subjects page and realized that they were accepting applications. In March it passed initial scrutiny and I went down the path to becoming a qualified test subject for NASA. No, I'm not going to tell you exactly what was required, that would be no fun.  Apply and you can find out yourself.

I finished jumping through the hoops after I returned from Baikour in the beginning of August. Since receiving notice that I was qualified, I'd been eagerly awaiting the crew member assignments for HERA XV.    

On 23 September, I had just landed in Adelaide for the International Astronautical Congress when I received confirmation that I had been selected as a primary crew member. It was exciting and nerve racking. My main concern was would there be enough time to hand off all of my work responsibilities. Luckily my work, particularly Spire's CEO, Peter Platzer, has been very supportive. Of course, all my coworkers, friends and even strangers I meet on the street know my goal in life is to go to Mars. I am grateful to be able to participate in this research study and forward our readiness for deep space and eventually Martian missions.