Two local youths were selected out of thousands of applicants from around the world to participate in activities with the Mars Exploration Rover Mission team at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California.
Chen Shih-han, 16, and Chung Cheng-tao(
PHOTO: AP
The 16 student astronauts, winners of the Student Astronaut Contest sponsored by the Planetary Society, the largest non-profit space advocacy group in the world, will be working at the JPL while two Mars exploration rovers operate on Mars to learn about the Red Planet and exchange ideas.
PHOTO: AP
The first Mars probe vehicle, dubbed the Spirit, landed on Mars successfully Jan. 4 and has since been returning images continuously, while the second, the Opportunity, is scheduled to land on the Red Planet Jan. 24.
Chen, currently living with his parents in England, will be working on the mission Jan. 16 to Jan. 27. His teammate will be Abigail Fraeman, 16, from the US.
PHOTO: DPA
Chung, a student at Dunhua Junior High School in Taipei City and the youngest among all the 16 student astronauts, will be working on the mission Feb. 13 to Feb. 22. His teammate will be Kristyn Rodzinyak, 16, a Canadian living in the US.
Chen, who has spent his life shuttling back and forth between Taiwan and England because of the work of his Ph.D. father, was born in Kaohsiung.
Chen, who has always had the dream of becoming an astronaut, said in his resume that "I'd like to use my knowledge about science to solve the greatest mystery of space science, namely whether Earth is the only planet containing life."
Chung, considered a "budding scientist" who has developed his scientific knowledge since a very young age, said in his resume that, "I like to assemble and disassemble things in order to understand how they work."
Besides studying science, Chung has also strived to learn English, "In order to connect with the world." He also practices taekwondo.
According to Chao Yi-chin (
To take part in the contest, according to Chao, the candidates had to first pass the NCKU Aerospace Science Department's screening, in an essay contest. The NCKU then sent the winner's work to the Planetary Society for the Student Astronaut Contest.
Radio signals from the spacecraft carrying the Spirit Rover making its touchdown on the Red Planet were sent to the Taipei Astronomical Observatory directly from Pasadena, California, at around 12pm last Sunday.
Taiwan was the only country in the world to link up with the JPL for the live broadcast of the Spirit Rover's landing on Mars to search for signs of life on the Red Planet. It also marked the first time that Taiwan has held such an event to satisfy local space fans' appetite for knowledge about Mars.
Chen Shao-hsing (
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