How to Earn 300 Million Frequent Flier Miles to Mars

As part of its Mars 2020 rover mission, NASA is offering members of the public the chance to get their names in the stars and collect points on this incredible journey. From now until September 30th, space geeks and points buffs alike can register to have their names carried up to the Red Planet.

One for space geeks and points buffs alike, NASA is offering members of the public the chance to get their names in the stars and to collect points on this most epic of journeys. This opportunity comes as part of the upcoming launch of NASA’s Mars 2020 rover, which could happen as soon as next July.

The rover will study and analyze the surface of the red planet and while human exploration of Mars’ surface isn’t yet possible, those back on Earth have the opportunity to take part in the journey – vicariously, at least.

Those interested can apply to have their name added on a list in order to receive a souvenir boarding pass to Mars.

From there, NASA explains that, “The Microdevices Laboratory at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California, will use an electron beam to stencil the submitted names onto a silicon chip with lines of text smaller than one-thousandth the width of a human hair (75 nanometers). At that size, more than a million names can be written on a single dime-size chip. The chip (or chips) will ride on the rover under a glass cover.”

“Miles (or kilometers) are awarded for each “flight,” with corresponding digital mission patches available for download,” it adds.

According to Charlie at Running with Miles, “…this flight will let me rack up 313,586,649 miles. Not bad!”

As for the goal of the program, NASA explains that, “This is part of a public engagement campaign to highlight missions involved with NASA’s journey from the Moon to Mars.”

To register, members of the public can add their names to the list, which is open until September 30th here.

Speaking of this initiative in a statement, Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD) in Washington, said, “As we get ready to launch this historic Mars mission, we want everyone to share in this journey of exploration. It’s an exciting time for NASA, as we embark on this voyage to answer profound questions about our neighboring planet, and even the origins of life itself.”

[Image Source: Shutterstock]