NASA invites public to send their names to Mars on a rover

Courtesy: NASA/JPL-Caltech

NASA is giving space fans a chance to send their name to the Red Planet.

NASA’s Mars 2020 rover is scheduled to launch as early as July 2020, and you can register to have your name stenciled on a chip that will be sent to space with it.

To register, visit https://mars.nasa.gov/participate/send-your-name/mars2020/

Those who register will also receive a souvenir boarding pass and “frequent flyer” points.

You have until September 30, 2019, to sign up.

The rover is expected to touch down on Mars in February 2021. NASA says the rover will, “search for signs of past microbial life, characterize the planet's climate and geology, collect samples for future return to Earth, and pave the way for human exploration of the Red Planet.”

"As we get ready to launch this historic Mars mission, we want everyone to share in this journey of exploration," said Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for NASA's Science Mission Directorate (SMD) in Washington. "It's an exciting time for NASA, as we embark on this voyage to answer profound questions about our neighboring planet, and even the origins of life itself."