Unveiling Mars: A NASA Scientist’s Journey with the Perseverance Rover

LULU GARCIA-NAVARRO, HOST:

Perseverance yields rewards. That’s what we discovered when the NASA rover successfully touched down on Mars last week. Christina Hernandez, a 30-year-old payload systems engineer who contributed to the project, likely shares this sentiment. Following the rover’s landing, she posted on Twitter about having an emotional moment with her family, enjoying a comforting bowl of frijoles negros, which translates to black beans. Now, she declares she’s prepared for scientific exploration. She connects with us from Pasadena to share more about her endeavors and the mission.

Welcome to the program.

CHRISTINA HERNANDEZ: Thank you very much for inviting me. I am absolutely thrilled to be here with all of you.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: How long have you been involved in the Mars initiative? What has been your contribution?

HERNANDEZ: I’ve been serving as a payload systems engineer for nearly six years, and it’s been an amazing journey every single moment.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: For those who might not be familiar, what exactly does that entail?

HERNANDEZ: Absolutely. It’s a thrilling role because, as an engineer, particularly a payload systems engineer, I am at the interface of engineering and the design of our scientific tools or instruments. I get to understand how things are constructed, how they will function, how they will be operated on Mars, but most importantly, how we are going to obtain that incredible science once we are on Martian soil.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: What was it like for you once Perseverance landed? You’ve been working toward this for a significant period.

HERNANDEZ: Definitely. This mission truly means everything to me. It marks the first endeavor I’ve ever sent into space, let alone to Mars. I perceive this project as representing my family, including my coworkers, colleagues, advocates, and mentors along this journey. I’m filled with excitement to begin exploring this planet differently with the innovative science we will undertake and, importantly, the fascinating samples we aspire to return one day.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: What are you aspiring to discover?

HERNANDEZ: I also aim to learn about myself. What does it mean to be a technical engineer and a Martian working the night shift, preparing this rover for scientific work? Additionally, I’m very eager to have PIXL investigate potential signs of ancient life in the Jezero crater and for MEDA, which is one of the Spanish instruments, to gather weather data from the crater and analyze Mars’ microclimates. Each instrument holds a unique significance because it provides us with diverse perspectives of Mars. We are currently preparing to activate these instruments for the first time and verify that they have survived the landing. Following our commissioning phase, we will embark on scientific inquiries for the very first time.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: Your enthusiasm is contagious, let me tell you, as a fellow space enthusiast.

HERNANDEZ: (Laughter).

GARCIA-NAVARRO: In another one of your tweets, you expressed this in Spanish. (Speaking Spanish). “They desired to bury us, but they did not realize we were seeds.” Can you explain why you shared that?

HERNANDEZ: Oh, that touches my heart deeply each time I hear it because my family immigrated from Mexicali and Guadalajara with my grandparents. My parents were pioneers in education and engineering, especially my father. For me, despite the challenges we encountered, they thrived. They uncovered that inner resilience, that perseverance, so to speak, and propelled themselves forward, along with our family.

Thus, with our landing on Mars, for me and my family, it symbolizes our growth into a new realm, right? I can confidently say that the Diaz and Hernandez families are now part of Mars. When I hear that quote, it resonates profoundly regarding the strength that our families have exhibited by encouraging us and providing me the opportunity to work for NASA and contribute to this remarkable mission.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: You are indeed Latina, and you have other Latinas on this team with you, such as flight director Diana Trujillo. Given your story, STEM fields are frequently criticized for lacking diversity and not being welcoming to women. What do you wish to convey through your achievements?

HERNANDEZ: I want people to understand how erroneous that mindset has always been because if you aim to accomplish anything, my grandma often says (speaking Spanish) or – which means, give it your all. That embodies every Latina I’ve worked alongside.

In my perspective, NASA and the entire aerospace sector is experiencing a transformation with emerging engineers and leaders who envision a more inclusive and transparent future – and more importantly, once they reach higher positions, they assist others below them so we can collectively evolve and enhance ourselves. When you have individuals who have faced challenges, that level of determination and resourcefulness to achieve tasks is unparalleled.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: This serves as a reminder that numerous narratives lie behind every substantial achievement. That was NASA engineer Christina Hernandez, one of the many contributors to the Mars Perseverance mission.

Thank you so much. (Speaking Spanish).

HERNANDEZ: Thank you all – I truly appreciate it. Transcript provisioned by NPR, Copyright NPR.

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