Alyssa Carson Has NOT Been Selected for a One-Way Mars Mission

A claim circulating widely on social media platforms alleges that Alyssa Carson, at just 23 years old, has been selected to become the first human to land on Mars on a one-way mission and will never return to Earth. However, our review shows that this claim is false.

Social Media Posts

Viral posts typically describe Carson as someone who has “dedicated her life to Mars” and claim she has already been chosen for a historic, one-way journey to the Red Planet.

Source | Archive

Source | Archive

Fact Check

Alyssa Carson Has Not Been Selected for a Mars Mission

There is no evidence that Alyssa Carson has been selected by NASA or any other space agency to participate in a crewed mission to Mars. USA Today reported that no such selection has taken place and that NASA has not chosen any individual to be the “first human on Mars”. NASA public affairs officers have also explicitly stated that the agency has no formal relationship with Carson and that she is not in astronaut training with NASA. In response to viral rumors, NASA clarified that while it engages students and young people through educational outreach programs, Carson is not affiliated with the agency in an official capacity and is not part of its astronaut corps. Moreover, NASA has not announced crew lists for any future Mars missions, which remain in the planning and technology-development stages, with crewed flights currently targeted for the 2030s.

Another recurring element of the claim is that Carson’s supposed Mars mission would be “one-way,” meaning she would never return to Earth. No available evidence supports this assertion. No space agency has announced a confirmed one-way human mission to Mars, and NASA’s publicly stated long-term plans for crewed Mars exploration are based on return missions. The one-way framing may stem from interpretations of Carson’s personal statements about her willingness to accept high risks for space exploration, as well as possible confusion with the private project “Mars One,” which proposed one-way missions but ceased operations in 2019. (Source)

What Is True About Alyssa Carson

It is accurate that Alyssa Carson has long expressed a strong ambition to become an astronaut and to one day travel to Mars. From a young age, she has attended multiple space camps, completed NASA’s Passport Program by visiting all NASA visitor centers, and participated in private training initiatives such as the Advanced PoSSUM Academy, which focuses on suborbital and space-related research skills. She has also pursued academic studies in astrobiology and biology and has been described in public profiles as a researcher and science communicator with a focus on space exploration. (Sources: NBNW, Design Museum)

Statements from Carson’s Family and Current Work

In responses shared with the Fact Crescendo Team, Carson’s father, Bert Carson, stated that no one has been selected for a Mars mission, and such a mission is still at least a decade away. He explained that his daughter is working to qualify for future opportunities, not preparing for a confirmed flight. Public profiles show that Carson has worked with aerospace contractor Jacobs on NASA-related projects at Kennedy Space Center, where she has collaborated with multiple international space agencies, as shown on her LinkedIn profile. These roles involve research, outreach, and coordination, not astronaut training.

Astronaut Qualifications and the Reality of Mars Mission Selection

NASA maintains strict baseline requirements for astronaut candidates, including holding at least a master’s degree in a STEM field such as engineering, biology, physics, or computer science, along with a minimum of two years of relevant professional experience after graduation or at least 1,000 hours of pilot-in-command time in jet aircraft. These criteria, outlined by NASA as prerequisites rather than guarantees, apply to all applicants before they can be considered for astronaut training. There is no public evidence that Alyssa Carson has completed all of these requirements, applied to NASA’s astronaut corps, or been shortlisted for any crewed Mars mission.

Carson has repeatedly described her goal of going to Mars as a long-term aspiration rather than a confirmed assignment. She has pursued academic training in astrobiology at the Florida Institute of Technology and stated in interviews that she is working toward becoming qualified for future opportunities related to Mars exploration, not preparing for an imminent mission (Source).

At the same time, NASA continues to research technologies needed for eventual human missions to Mars, including propulsion, life-support systems, and radiation protection, but has not selected any crew for such missions. As of now, no individual has been officially chosen to be the first human on Mars, and claims suggesting otherwise misrepresent both NASA’s current planning and Carson’s actual status.

Conclusion

The claim that Alyssa Carson has been selected for a one-way Mars mission is false. No space agency has chosen her, or anyone else, for a crewed Mars mission, and NASA has explicitly stated it has no formal relationship with Carson as an astronaut candidate. While Carson is a passionate advocate for Mars exploration and has participated in various space-related training programs, her status remains that of an aspiring astronaut working toward future qualifications, not a confirmed crew member preparing for an imminent launch.