Carlota Keimer | Spain

Carlota Keimer originally applied to spend time at a Mars analog in the Utah desert.

Then the mission moved considerably farther north.

This week on Aspiring Martians, I’m joined by Carlota Keimer, a mechanical and aerospace engineer, pilot trainee, science communicator, and backup engineer for Hypatia III, the next mission from the Hypatia Mars Association.

Hypatia III is now preparing to conduct its mission at the Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station, or FMARS, on Devon Island in the Canadian High Arctic, one of the most remote Mars analog environments on Earth.

Carlota’s path to the Arctic has already taken her through an unusually wide range of space experiences. She studied mechanical engineering in Spain before pursuing aerospace engineering at RWTH Aachen University in Germany, worked on satellite projects, completed ESA’s Clean Space Training, and has worked testing ESA’s ALTIUS satellite mission.

Her fascination with building things for space started even earlier, when she helped construct a homemade probe as a teenager and sent it roughly 35 kilometers into the stratosphere.

Now that curiosity has expanded into satellite operations, sustainable spacecraft design, parabolic flight, human spaceflight research, and Mars analog exploration.

We talk about Hypatia III’s move from Utah to the Arctic, what it means to prepare for FMARS, the importance of crew relationships and mentorship, the challenge of making spaceflight more sustainable, and Carlota’s growing role in helping younger students see themselves in STEM.

Because exploration is not always about knowing exactly where you are going.

Sometimes it is about being willing to take the next step anyway.

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