Mission to Mars

By Rhonda Simmons

Published: August 12, 2008

Alex Clemmer’s summer vacation was out of this world — if you will.

The Culpeper County High School student spent a week planning a mission to Mars thanks to the Virginia Aerospace Science and Technology Scholars Academy.

The 17-year-old rising senior — who also takes classes at Mountain Vista Governor’s School in Warrenton — was one of 43 students who took part in the VASTS Academy program from July 27 to Aug. 1 at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Langley Research Center in Hampton.

A three-month interactive online science, technology, engineering and mathematics learning experience preceded the six-day residential summer academy.

The program challenged Clemmer to help create a strategy for sustaining a human presence on the red planet. He worked with a team that dealt with the specific obstacle of operating an outpost on Mars.

“This will give me good background experience to pursue a career in aerospace. I will have many contacts and it will help when I apply to colleges,” Clemmer said.

The students also created, programmed and tested robots, toured NASA labs and facilities and interacted with NASA researchers, scientists and astronaut D. Thomas Jones.

“That was the greatest part,” Clemmer said of meeting Jones. “I loved his entire speech, it was very inspiring.”

Clemmer even purchased two of Jones’ books, which he signed.

Back in Culpeper, he gushed about his once in a lifetime adventure.

“The program was great,” Clemmer said Tuesday morning from his home off Route 729.

His bedroom walls are filled with pictures of constellations and colorful celestial objects. He even has blue and white stars and planets painted on his walls.

The aspiring astronaut wants to apply to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona, Fla., Virginia Tech, the University of Virginia or the U.S. Air Force Academy next summer.

The Virginia Space Grant Consortium, NASA Langley Research Center and the Virginia Department of Education partnered to help provide this event.

Rhonda Simmons can be reached at 825-0771 ext. 125 or .

Meet Alex Clemmer
Age: 17

Family: Parents: Burnie and Sue; sisters: Sara, 15, Niki, 12

Education: Attends Culpeper County High School and takes courses at the Mountain Vista Governor’s School in Warrenton; wants to apply to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona, Virginia Tech, the University of Virginia or the U.S. Air Force Academy

Hobbies: plays guitar