36 Year Old Kenya Armbrister Is One of 100 Finalists for a Chance to Move to Mars


By: Krystle Crossman

Kenya Armbrister has big dreams. One of those dreams includes going into outer space which is becoming more and more of a reality with every passing day. In 2024 she may very well be the first black woman ever to set foot on Mars. The mission is called Mars One. The goal of this mission is to send 24 people to live on Mars and establish a settlement. This is a one way ticket and there is no going back. Armbrister is one of 100 finalists chosen to continue training for the program out of 200,000 applicants.

Armbrister told the Huffington Post that she felt that she had all of the qualities that they would be looking for and that she should definitely be one of the ones to go on the mission. She stated that she is reliable, is a team player, and is someone who will work hard. She said that her mother would prefer if she stayed here and had kids but overall her family and friends are very supportive of her and want to see her happy no matter what planet she may be living on.

When those who are chosen for the mission are living on the Red Planet they will be doing work and research. They will be doing construction on settlements. They will be working together to try and make a sustainable human colony on a planet that has never been inhabited before. There will be an unmanned launch in 2018 and after that there will be housing and a settlement set up and ready for when the explorers arrive. They are going to have to go through very intense training. Armbrister says that she and the other 99 finalists will be starting training this fall.

There are many different obstacles to living on Mars that will have to be overcome before the mission launches. For example there is a lot of radiation on the planet so they will have to wear suits that protect them from that. They will have to bury any crops that they may be planting underneath the soil to protect it. They will also have to watch for medical issues such as bone density loss. It seems like something out of a sci-fi movie but it is a real mission that is being planned and Armbrister hopes to be one of the first black women living on Mars.