[Editor’s Note: Anyone else ever consider being an astronaut? I know all of my friends and I did, ever fascinated by the immensity of the craft that would propel us into orbit, and the vastness of outer space. Throw in some Battlestar Galactica, Star Wars, and perhaps even Buck Rogers, and it was a perfect way to inspire the next generation of astronauts!]

Ginny Graves of Glamour interviewed four female astronauts that cannot wait to step foot on Mars. For the first time NASA’s latest class of astronauts is 50 percent female. Among the class are Nicole Aunapu Mann, 38, Anne McClain, 36, Jessica Meir, 38, and Christina Hammock Koch, 37 all under the age of 40.

According to Glamour, “NASA inducts a new class of prospective astronauts every four or five years, and competition is fierce. From application to acceptance, the process takes a year and a half and includes intensive psychological and medical testing. When these women were chosen for the class of 2013, NASA announced that they could be selected for an inaugural trip to Mars.”

Although the mission is 15 years away, the equipment to build and train these astronauts are critical to deal with the harsh environment on Mars. Jason Crusan, director of advanced exploration systems for NASA claims, “Once they’ve landed, the astronauts will have to navigate giant dust storms, temperatures that can plummet to minus 284 degrees Fahrenheit in winter, and an atmosphere filled with cancer-causing galactic radiation.” He also stresses, “When you go to Mars, you’re going. You can’t abort.”

The original post can be viewed here.