**Tapaswini Sharma prepares to work in space and set foot on another celestial body in the decades.**

Diamonds Mirror is pleased to publish Tapaswini Sharma in the Award Winning Essays category. At the age of 16, Tapaswini won the 2017 NASA Ames Space Settlement Design Contest Honorable Mention Award within the Individual selection after creating the Kirithra Orbis, a space settlement which in the next decades will reach to advance our civilization's mission and urban design in the solar system. Inspired by a honeycomb, the biosphere will become a second habitat to space explorers, expand into research laboratories and allow for other unique features that wouldn't normally take shape on Earth. During the 2020 Humans to Mars Summit, Tapaswini who is also a Janet's Planet Astronaut Academy student, gave an inspiring speech in response to this year's Mars Persevere theme. She ignited a new generation to take on the space education and exploration challenge. As the 2033 launch to the Moon and Mars becomes more serious by the second, our eyes unlike any time in history are beginning to look up toward the limitless universe and on to the many space technological possibilities already set in motion and full force in our daily lives. Tapaswini Sharma is celebrated as a young genius in her native country of India and more. Our Diamond recognition furthers our mission, to uncover unique, modern and open-minded Diamond characters like Tapaswini - who make us proud to follow in their footsteps, on planet Earth or Mars.

Congratulations Tapaswini Sharma!

The Importance of Space Education and Exploration

“I am Tapaswini Sharma from India and I will be talking about the importance of Space Education and Exploration. Before beginning, I would like to thank Ms. Janet Ivey and Explore Mars for giving me this incredible opportunity. I am honoured to be a part of the Humans to Mars Summit, 2020.

If you looked into the mind of a 14 year old me you would see stars floating around, people traveling to nearby planets for a weekend getaway and the Star Wars remake an actual space! Guess what? This is still a dream of mine, but now I want to make this dream a reality and join the amazing teams of superheroes around the globe who worked hard to send humans to space. I want to know more about Europa's Icy Crust, Saturn's moons and even the perchlorates on Mars. I have had the freedom of creative imagination thanks to space education.
I believe space education has the power to influence lives for the better. It sparks curiosity and inspires human beings to pursue science. It integrates creative imagination and encourages them to dream big. My journey with space education started when I designed my first space settlement and met Ms. Janet Ivey back in 2015. Ever since then I have been astonished at how important space education is when it comes to development.

I encourage everyone out there to pursue STEM, which is Science and Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. I have always been curious about the things around me. When I was in first grade, I would make a parachute out of a plastic bag and some thread. I would throw it down from the second floor and count the number of seconds it took to reach the ground. As a child, I have always asked a lot of questions. Why is the sky blue? Why don't we fall off the earth? Why can't I touch the stars? I received answers from different people and they were alright. But, I wanted to find my own answers and so I started reading books on science. I stayed back every day in school from 6th grade onwards to read books in the library. From rocket propulsion to the moon landings, I read everything that was available and that made me realise the importance of STEM. I finally realised that science is not just theoretical knowledge but a way of thinking and imagining what we are, where we are, who we are and what we can be. I want every individual to experience the joy of researching, experimenting, creating and learning. STEM education and courageous application of knowledge and teamwork. It enables you to experiment and learn from your mistakes and advance with the world. It also develops problem solving skills and resilience leading to new innovative ideas.

Part of the reason why I love space science is exploration. The Apollo missions, experiments aboard the ISS, the launch of SpaceX Crew Dragon, New Horizons, Mangalyaan, Curiosity and the list goes on. There are so many dedicated people engaged in these missions. I am not just talking about the scientists and engineers who make it happen, but all the citizens of planet earth who cheer for the success of these missions. Space exploration Unites and is all irrespective of language, nationality, colour or background. It is so broad and welcoming. Today, we are all gathered together to support the idea of habitation on Mars. Together we will build a safe future.
Talking about Mars, I remember that in 1969, Mariner 6 and 7 were sent to the Red Planet to measure its ionosphere. That is when we discovered that its atmosphere was mainly composed of carbon dioxide. This was later confirmed by the Viking 1 and 2 missions. Then, nobody had realised that rocket fuel could be synthesized out of this air. In the 1980s, Martian meteorites confirmed the presence of a substance in its soil that could be converted into a building material.

For the past one and a half decade, space engineers and scientists have been working on several unmanned missions to Mars. Mars Pathfinder, Mars Global Surveyor, Mars Climate Orbiter, Mars Polar Lander, Curiosity, Perseverance and so many others. This search for a habitable environment and extraterrestrial life has generated exceptional innovations that we benefit from everyday. It is now time to send humans to Mars and I cannot wait! We are going there to find the evidence of life and if we don’t find it, we want to establish our own.
Space exploration in general has provided much of the technology that we use today. Inhabiting Mars would possibly help solve the biggest challenges that we face today. The reasons for going and settling on Mars will be different, depending on who you ask but mine is that going to the Red Planet will not only test our knowledge, but also the limits of our abilities in every way. It is the challenge of a lifetime!

In a world that is filled with unexpected challenges and situations, going to Mars becomes all the more important. This year has definitely been challenging and unpredictable for all of us. It is also the year that I was set to graduate, and like everyone, I had to stay indoors. Thus, I could not meet my friends or go out even for a walk. But even in this inevitable situation, I was truly grateful for Ms. Janet Ivey’s Online Astronaut Academy and the Mars webinar series by Explore Mars. Everyday we had a new guest who educated us about space science, technology, astronomy, mathematics, music and even literature. Ms. Artemis Westenberg also held sessions about Women in Space, which I found truly insightful. Everyday at 8:45 AM EST, I would sit with my notebook and pen, and wait for the session to begin.
I met Dr. Tanya Harrison, Mr. Steve Sherman, Mr. Graham Lau, Dr. Kenneth Carpenter, Astronaut Don, Astronaut Wendy, Captain Wally Funk, Ms. Rhonda Stevenson and so many other phenomenal minds for the first time in my life.
After nine weeks, we held the graduation ceremony. I could see the sadness in everyone’s eyes and the reluctance to say goodbye, even if it was only for a few weeks. We started JP’s Online Emporium of Science and Wonder again in the month of June and it continues to be the highlight of my days.

Through Ms. Janet’s virtual classes and the online webinars by Explore Mars, students and adults around the globe have been educated about space exploration. Now we are becoming ready to take the first step for all humankind. Let us persevere together for the day when we can eat ice cream on the Red Planet.

There is something called ikigai. It is a Japanese word. It translates to the thing that gets you up in the morning.

Mars is my ikigai.”