The fascination with space travel is deeply rooted in human curiosity, drawing us towards the cosmos’ enigmatic realms. From the earliest observations of the night sky to the contemporary exploration of our solar system and beyond, the vastness and mysteries of the universe have captivated our collective imagination. This enduring curiosity fuels a desire for scientific understanding and an innate human inclination to explore the unknown, pushing the boundaries of what we know and inspiring generations to dream beyond the confines of our home planet.
While the pursuit of curiosity-driven space exploration is a testament to our collective humanity and the reality we inhabit, the daunting challenges we confront on Earth—including poverty, inequality, climate change, and the elevated threat of pandemics—create barriers that prevent universal participation in these endeavors.
“The challenge we face as a society is to balance ambitious goals that inspire us to dream, like the first human communities on the Moon and Mars, while simultaneously uplifting people living in harsh conditions here on Earth, and encouraging a rapidly growing population of youth to get excited about exploring and learning,” explains Dr Adriana Marais, Founder of Proudly Human and Director at the Foundation for Space Development Africa.
Adriana brings a background in theoretical physics to the forefront. Her award-winning Ph.D. and postdoctoral endeavors focused on quantum effects in biology and the origins of life’s fundamental components in space. Currently, she is immersed in developing a blockchain-based economic system tailored for extreme environments, pursuing a second Ph.D. Her forthcoming book, “Mission: Off-World,” which elucidates the vision of humanity’s celestial journey, is scheduled for an international launch with Profile Books next year.
Adriana serves as the Scientific Moderator for space resources at the Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipator. Additionally, she holds the position of Chair of Space Sciences at Tod’Aérs Aeronautics and Space Research. In her research capacity, Adriana is affiliated with Stellenbosch University and the National Institute of Theoretical and Computational Sciences in South Africa. Furthermore, she contributes as a Faculty at Singularity University.
Enchantment with the Cosmos
Adriana delved into the intricate field of quantum mechanics, the study of the minuscule, driven by an innate curiosity to fathom the essence of reality. Soon, her focus seamlessly shifted back to the cosmos, sparked by a keen interest in unraveling the origins of life and the formation of vital building blocks, including amino acids, detected in the expanses of space. For her, Earth stands as a mere pale blue dot in a universe filled with starstuff, patiently awaiting exploration and comprehension.
In 2015, Mars One revealed 100 astronaut candidate finalists, a group that included Adriana, selected from a pool of 200,000 applicants worldwide. Unfortunately, Mars One declared bankruptcy in February 2019, grappling with fundraising challenges from the project’s inception. While the Mars One Project did not materialize, it achieved notable successes, earning a place in popular culture through appearances on some of Adriana’s favorite TV shows.
“In the long run, we will have to leave Earth. Perhaps we will begin our expansion into the stars in our lifetime; some of us are born ready for the journey. But can we explore right here, right now? Certainly. The same matter that makes up the entire universe resides within each of us: from the light to the water, to the genetics that we share with all known life,” Adriana says.
The Off-World Project
In 2019, Adriana departed from her role as Head of Innovation at SAP Africa to establish Proudly Human, driven by the ambition to tackle the challenge of creating solutions for sustainable living off-world. Her mission extends beyond extraterrestrial endeavors, with a commitment to applying the gained knowledge to enhance living standards for people on Earth. The Off-World Project, an initiative within the Proudly Human framework, encompasses a series of habitation experiments designed to prepare humans for life on the Moon, Mars, and beyond. Simultaneously, it aims to contribute to a more robust future on Earth.
“The Project is a series of habitation experiments, building communities and off-grid infrastructure from scratch in the most extreme environments on the planet, from the desert to the poles of the Earth, to under the ocean. Each experiment will last several weeks, generate exploration-driven innovation and research, and be filmed for a documentary series, MISSION: Off-World,” Adriana explains.
The Off-World project fosters the development of sustainable technology, facilitates skills enhancement, and stimulates research, innovation, and technology for off-grid functionality. Moreover, they offer a visionary perspective for young individuals, illustrating community spirit in even the harshest conditions through perseverance, imagination, research, and technology—all working towards a future that instills pride, regardless of the planet we inhabit.
These experiments involve constructing off-grid infrastructure and communities in the harshest environments on Earth, ranging from deserts and polar regions to the depths of the ocean. “I have visited Antarctica, Norway, deserts in the Middle East and Africa, the Aquarius Reef Base underwater habitat, and submarine naval bases on location scouts for Proudly Human’s Off-World Project,” Adriana shares.
"In the long run, we will have to leave Earth. Perhaps we will begin our expansion into the stars in our lifetime; some of us are born ready for the journey."
The Africa2Moon Project
At her other initiative, The Foundation for Space Development Africa, Adriana is gearing up to inaugurate Africa’s inaugural Moon mission, known as the Africa2Moon Project. “I am thrilled to be working with soon-to-be Dr Carla Sharpe, my friend and collaborator, founder of the Foundation and creator of Africa2Moon, towards deploying the first African technology mission on the Moon. The project is a series of public participation and scientific missions, over a multi-year period, aiming to inspire Africa to “Reach for the Moon”, she shares.
The Africa2Moon Project is presently in the design and planning phase. In the following year, Adriana and her team will commence prototyping and collaborate with a launch partner to facilitate the Moon mission. Notably, China achieved the historic feat of landing on the far side of the Moon in 2019, followed by India’s successful landing near the south pole in 2023. As the United States and its partners, along with the Chinese-Russian collaboration, outline plans for establishing permanent crewed bases on the Moon in the next few years, the lunar surface anticipates transforming into a dynamic landscape teeming with human activity in the coming decades. “Our vision is for Africa to be an active participant in this achievement,” states Adriana.
This initiative involves a voluntary participation project aimed at deploying a low-frequency radio telescope array on the far side of the Moon. It marks Africa’s pioneering lunar mission and stands as the world’s first radio telescope positioned beyond Earth. “Africa2Moon could be the first African-built technology to perform first-time science on another celestial body. Our simple design will also hopefully be the demonstrator to show that with little finance but much tenacity, collaboration, and African skill, we can reach the Moon and we can inspire other Africans to reach for the stars,” Adriana explains.
The Future
“The infrastructure we need to live beyond Earth will be focused on technology-enabled resource efficiency due to harsh conditions and the distance from Earth; living off-world necessitates the transformation of ‘waste’ into resources. Human settlement of the Moon and Mars will be an important demonstration of community resilience in resource-constrained conditions,” explains Adriana.
The technology needed for Mars habitation is already available. Establishing a human presence in the International Space Station (ISS) or even on the Moon presents more engineering challenges compared to setting up a base on Mars, which has significant gravity and an atmosphere. However, Mars, being on average over 200 million kilometers away from Earth, poses unique challenges.
This remoteness necessitates an approach to infrastructure that prioritizes circular resource utilization and sustainability. Yet, the technology aspect is relatively straightforward; the crucial element lies in sustaining community spirit amidst extreme and resource-constrained conditions, where collaboration serves as the cornerstone for the success of any community.
“We have decided that the time is now to launch the Off-World Project. Amid the uncertain times we face here on Earth, we aim to demonstrate human resilience, sustainable technology, and community spirit in even the most extreme environments through grit, imagination, research, and innovation, at a time when inspiration is needed most,” concludes Dr Adriana Marais.
