Latin American Students from CES to Receive Training at NASA Through The Mars Challenge
Two Colombian students from CES, María Alejandra Gaviria and Emmanuel Cáceres, will join a group of 16 Latin American participants for a training program at NASA's Johnson Space Center. Their involvement follows participation in the 2023 The Mars Challenge Hackathon, where they applied their academic knowledge to develop creative proposals for Mars colonization. Although their Ecuador-based project was not a winner, Alejandra secured her place through an international team's victory, and Emmanuel was recognized for his valuable contributions to the Colombian delegation. The students are expected to gain skills to contribute to Colombian society upon their return.
The Mars Challenge 2023 Hackathon invited university students to develop innovative ideas for future colonization of Mars, encouraging them to apply their academic knowledge to interplanetary travel challenges. Among the participants, psychology and nutrition students from Colombia's CES university, María Alejandra Gaviria and Emmanuel Cáceres, stood out. Although their project submitted in Ecuador did not win, Alejandra was selected to participate in a NASA training program as part of an international team that won a Hackathon competition in Quito. Emmanuel Cáceres earned recognition for providing outstanding value to the Colombian delegation throughout the competition. Both students, along with representatives from Ecuador, Puerto Rico, and Peru, will travel from April 6 to April 10 to NASA's Johnson Space Center for specialized training. They aspire to acquire knowledge that will help them contribute meaningfully to Colombian society, reflecting the program's aim to nurture Latin American talent in space-related fields.