Once Upon a Time I Lived on Mars: Space, Exploration and Life on Earth

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In 2013 Kate Greene moved to Mars.

On NASA's first HI-SEAS simulated Mars mission in Hawai'i, she lived for four months in an isolated geodesic dome with her crewmates, gaining incredible insight into human behaviour in tight quarters, as well as the nature of boredom, dreams and isolation that arise amidst the promise of scientific progress and glory.

Greene draws on her experience to contemplate what makes an astronaut, the challenges of freeze-dried eggs and time-lagged correspondence, the cost of shooting for a Planet B. The result is a story of space and life, of the slippage between dreams and reality, of bodies in space, and of humanity's incredible impulse to explore.

From trying out life on Mars, Greene examines what it is to live on Earth.

Reviews

Greene is a talented writer, and her words shine throughout -- Library Journal
In her thoughtful, well-written account of the mission, Greene reflects on what this and other space missions can teach us about ourselves and life on Earth. -- Physics Today
Filled with wonderment and awe ... Greene's eloquent memoir is equal parts escape and comfort. -- Publishers Weekly
Looking for a relatable isolation read after enduring so much pandemic-fueled social isolation This may be just the book you need. Kate Greene's memoir recounts her time spent as a research participant for NASA in a Mars simulation study. Over the course of four months, Kate lived in insolation with a handful of other participants inside a geodesic dome perched along a Hawaiian volcanic slope. Kate pairs her story of simulating life on Mars with reflections on her queer identity, her brother's disability, and more. -- Book Riot

Author Bio

Kate Greene is an essayist, poet, journalist, and former laser physicist whose work has appeared in Aeon, Harvard Review, the New Yorker, The Economist, and WIRED, among others. She was second-in command on the first simulated Mars mission for NASA's HI-SEAS project. She holds a BS in chemistry, an MS in physics and an MFA in poetry, and has taught writing at Columbia University, San Francisco State University, and the Tennessee Prison for Women. She lives in NYC.