NASA’s announcement this past Monday about their newest discovery on Mars is big news for everyone, but it’s especially exciting for new KSU organization, Students for the Exploration and Development of Space.
George Kroes, president of Students for the Exploration and Development of Space, or SEDS, is very excited about NASA’s news release about Mars.
“One person who was investigating the discovery of water on Mars was a 25-year-old man who was in a metal band, and that’s very inspiring because it shows that anybody can do this, not just a scientist,” said Kroes. “It’s very interesting, and this news can potentially help students at KSU get more interested in space.”
SEDS became an official Owl Life organization on Friday, Sept. 25, 2015. The organization’s mission is to promote student awareness and knowledge of space, and get them to become involved in the future opportunities space holds for humanity.
Founders of SEDS include organization president George Kroes, 20, a junior studying environmental science and geographic information systems, and organization vice president Jonathan Pardo, 19, an astrophysics major who plans to transfer to Georgia Tech.
For those who are not familiar with the most recent Mars discovery, according to this NASA press release researchers found the strongest evidence yet that intermittently flowing liquid water is present on Mars. Using advanced technology, researchers were able to detect signs of hydrated minerals on slopes where mysterious streaks are seen. The streaks seem to fluctuate over time and appear to be more present during warmer seasons than colder seasons.
Kroes, a space enthusiast, is very knowledgeable about the discovery.
“We’ve known water is on Mars for years now, but this water is particularly special because it’s flowing water, and the only reason it exists there is solely because of its salty content,” Kroes said. “It’s very exciting news.”
The club hosts a total of eight members, including two advising professors, Karyn Alme, an environmental science professor, and Eric Smith, both of whom are employed at KSU.
Eric Smith, 38, is an astronomer and a professor who teaches physics and astronomy. Smith became a member of KSU staff after the merger, making this his eighth year teaching at the Marietta campus.
On the topic of the new Mars discovery, Smith said, “While the discovery is not as monumental as it has been portrayed in the media, it is a definite step forward in our knowledge of the planet, and hopefully will stimulate people’s imaginations about the possibilities of space travel and future manned exploration of our solar system.”
Smith hopes to help SEDS by answering members’ questions and suggesting topics the group might explore. Smith will be very helpful to the organization, not only because he is an astronomer, but he was also a former member of the Supernova Cosmology Project, which received a Nobel Prize for its discovery of dark energy.
SEDS is particularly excited for the Mars discovery because, as an added bonus, it has helped to promote awareness of their organization. Kroes encourages those interested in joining to send an email to ksuseds@gmail.com.
“We want to get students interested so that they can pressure their policy makers to provide funding for NASA,” Kroes said when asked about their long term goals. “We also want to get people excited and make them aware of what’s going on with space and NASA missions. Furthermore, we hope to become more project oriented in the future.”
Kroes said that the idea for the club started with him watching a YouTube video series called TMRO, which focuses on humanities exploration of the cosmos, among other things. Then, he and Pardo began the two month long process of creating SEDS before finally going to Owl Life where they received approval for their organization.