Future astronaut Alyssa Carson talks about overcoming biases in STEM, and going to Mars

It’s a common refrain from children around the world and through the ages: “I want to be an astronaut.” Alyssa Carson was no different. From as far back as she could remember, the 21-year-old nursed a singular desire to become an astronaut – specifically, she wanted to be one of the first people on Mars. “I thought, ‘Well, no one has been there, so why not me?’” she quips.

Carson, who is currently studying astrobiology at the Florida Institute of Technology while juggling additional space-related extracurriculars, was recently invited to be part of Louis Vuitton’s 200 Trunks, 200 Visionaries exhibition. Along with 199 other artists and visionaries from different industries and fields – including the likes of BTS and Kim Jones – Carson was invited to design her own Louis Vuitton trunk. The trunks, which will be on display in Singapore this April, will later be auctioned by Sotheby’s in December; all proceeds will go to a scholarship programme aimed at bridging inequality gaps.

What was your artistic process for the Louis 200 trunk?
I knew that I wanted it to be space-related, but beyond that, I didn’t want it to be too planned, wishing to keep it rather spontaneous. I had seen a lot of interesting craft with spray paint, so that was something I wanted to incorporate. Other aspects came a little later on, such as drilling the holes into the trunk to show the light of stars in space shining through. Overall, it a very fun process.

What’s the story behind your callsign, Blueberry?
A callsign is like a nickname but unlike a nickname, which you can choose, a callsign has to be given to you. I got Blueberry because the second time I went to space camp, I saw one of the blue flight suits and, wanting to be an astronaut, I was desperate to have one... Of course, at 8-years-old, none of them fitted me, so my dad bought me a replica but in a darker shade of blue, and everyone thought I looked like a blueberry. Even the next year, when I returned, they would still call me Blueberry, and so the name stuck.

You’re extremely set on becoming one of the first people to go to Mars. Why Mars specifically?
When I was younger, I was really interested in Mars as no one had been there before, and I had this curious nature, thinking: “Well, no one has been there, so why not me”. Now that I’m older, my interest in Mars has continued – and thinking in terms of timeframes, like when I would be applying to be an astronaut, it would also be the likely moment that humans would attempt an initial trip to Mars. In any case, I want to work in astrobiology and contribute to the space industry in any way I can. But studying life on Mars would be amazing.

The world of STEM is often seen as a male-dominated one. From your perspective, is this still true today?
It is definitely still true, but it is slowly changing and has got better. In fact, it took me a while to realise that the world of STEM was male-dominated. When I was going to space camp, there were lots of girls. When I joined Project PoSSUM to do research work, there were a lot of really amazing women in the programme, but then if I went to visit a space facility, there would only be one woman working in the department... Especially going to college, my university has strong STEM and space programmes, and so it is very male-dominated. Ittook me probably a year to find another female in the same major as me... This was probably when I realised the number of girls ending up at university level in STEM was low, but now, looking at younger year groups in college, I see more girls entering – which is great!

On social media, you’re outspoken about the fact that women in STEM should be allowed to have varied interests; there’s a stereotype that women in STEM should have ‘serious’ interests and are not allowed more ‘ frivolous’ pursuits, like fashion. What’s your take on that?
I love teaching kids all about the different areas and careers they can have in STEM, showing them that jobs in STEM are so varied and so are the people – we’re not just scientists and engineers. If you have an interest in fashion, you can be part of the team designing the space suits, or if interested in food, you can work on the meals that go to the astronauts. There are journalists, psychologists...so many different avenues and areas of the space industry that all play a central role in the pursuit of space exploration. And so, it’s about allowing ourselves to realise that we can have multiple interests, and even better if we can incorporate those interests into our job.

As a young woman in the industry, what sorts of challenges do you face? What more do you think can be done to alleviate the situation?
Of course, there is the issue of male dominance in STEM, but the industry is getting better as we see more women entering, being taken seriously, and being treated equally. However, personally, I had a lot of struggles with my age as I was a lot younger than most people I was working with, so it took a lot to be taken seriously and to show that I was willing and interested in learning. Sometimes I think that I still have this attitude today, of trying to prove myself as much as I did when I was younger.

In terms of next steps, I hope to see more and more women enter STEM, giving the next generation of kids and young girls incredible female role models. I am positive this will happen.

Louis Vuitton’s 200 Trunks, 200 Visionaries: The Exhibition will take place at the Marina Bay Sands Event Plaza from April 4 to 27.