Fundamentos Tcnicos

A Journey to Mars

Student:
Jos Mauricio Mndez Bermudez

Professor:
Ileana Segura

San Jos, Costa Rica, June 2015

A Journey to Mars.
Since I was a little boy Ive been totally in love with the idea to finally discover what is
outside of the Earth, its just simply out of my mind try to figure or at least understand the
complex subject about the universe.
I remember that I used to look out through the window of the living room and spend hours
admiring the moon among the stars, suddenly so many questions were born in my head
just like a seed is sown in a farmer, in those days I remember being a little scared about
the whole thing, there were many of theories that my dad and mom told me every single
day about the crazy idea to try to get the opportunity to go to the moon.
Aliens, UFOs, crop circles, all those stories has been always present when you want to
want to think out of the box, but please, lets try to be serious and honest about it; there
is no possibility that we (humans) are totally alone in the universe, there is no chance that
happen in that way.
We live in a planet Earth which is part of our solar system and belong to our (ours? Do I
really think in such selfish way to think that the milky way belong to us?) galaxy and finally
there are thousands of galaxies out there with tons of planets. Certainly there should be
someone else and thats is the root of my passion.
Thats way I took the decision some years back to start a bachelor degree in a computer
field, without doubt the engineering is the fundamentals for all the NASA missions and
thats exactly what I want to be part of for the upcoming years. I was lost during the last
years of my life but Im now on track and I do not want to waste further time.
Everything re-start again with Mars Curiosity mission from NASA. Is really delightful that
a robotic spacecraft builded and programmed by humans are walking around in the Mars
surface not just taking pictures nor selfies, also collecting important data to the research
and technology development that the astronauts will use in a near future.
At this point and thanks to all these years dedicated to investigation and study we know
the Mars had conditions suitable for life in its past, now is time to understand what really
happened there? Mars and Earth are very similar planets in evolution and composition
despite some important details. So future investigation will maybe uncover evidence of
life and then we will able to ask the big question here, does life exist beyond Earth?
Also we can use all the information we know so far about Mars to discover if there was a
massive event that destroy the life in the red planet and understand the real future of our
planet. Based on all that data there is source when we can learn more about the own
planets history, present and its future. It could sound like a movie clich but this is our
home and there is just one.
I do really like and it is totally outstanding to me, sit in from of my computer with a cup of
coffee and enjoy every picture taken by curiosity about the red planet, is just like a dream,
when you see those pictures, do you realize you are looking a place thats really far far

far away from here with a totally new set of things, totally new for the human kind. I just
see the sand, the mountains, the sky, all look so similar but also so different to planet
Earth, sometimes it scared me but mostly Im passionate about it.
Lets see there were rovers landing in Mars since 2004, satellites in red planet orbit since
some years ago, curiosity laboratory back in 2012, but what is the really big next step?
Just like a Hollywoods movie: finally humans will arrive to Mars, that sound really a creepy
idea, but its really the next NASA goal by 2030.
Human settlement of Mars is the next giant leap for humankind. Exploring the solar
system as a united humanity will bring us all closer together. Mars is the stepping stone
of the human race on its voyage into the universe. Human settlement on Mars will aid our
understanding of the origins of the solar system, the origins of life and our place in the
universe.
There is still a lot of uncertain factors needs to be consider and get the mission even more
interesting for example there is a permanent settlement, no return to home, actually it was
really hard to me write down those lines: NO return to home. So lets faced, there is just
one way trip to Mars and eventual die there.
In my personal point of view I definitely not the right person to be consider as an astronaut
to this mission, I already have my family I do not think I wont leave it, however I cant
imagine the things that people will find there, also there is a plenty of challenges need to
be fixed prior this wonderful things will happen. But I really want to be part of this, as I
said not as an astronaut but yes as Engineer developing solution for that key day.

This essay was totally about Mars Curiosity Mission from NASA web site. There is a plenty
of information about it. Please find the links used:
http://www.nasa.gov/content/journey-to-mars-overview
http://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-begins-testing-mars-lander-in-preparation-fornext-mission-to-red-planet