I have been fascinated by pictures like this since I was a child. I was very fortunate to be born when I was born. I got to see us shoot for the moon, land on the moon, land a rover on mars, journey to Titan, and listen in real time as Voyager beeps back the newest findings as it races towards interstellar space. I feel so fortunate, but I really wanted to go to Star Fleet Academy as a kid. Really, really wanted to go.

I remember the first pictures of Mars and the images we are getting now are amazing. Mars is still as mysterious to me today as it was when I was little. I look at the pictures and think, "All of these earth-like rock formations, obvious evidence of past water flows and large seas, and no people. Not even one single microbe." I just can't help but wonder, since all of the building blocks for life are there, were there plants and animals on Mars once? If so, what happened to make Mars such a desolate and inhospitable place?