Ambition Tardigrada

NASA’s rover faces adversity. Freezing temperatures, inconsistent topography, and unfavorable gases pose a threat. Since 1961, technology has been evolving in ways that we couldn’t have foreseen. As cliché as this seems, resolve, drive, and willpower are what enable progress. I propose titling the Mars Rover Ambition Tardigrada. Tardigrades, also called water bears, are microscopic creatures that have accomplished what NASA hopes to: to succeed against all odds. What makes these extremo-tolerant organisms unique is their capability to survive ridiculously hostile conditions. By entering ametabolic states like cryptobiosis, tardigrades are able to flourish under environmental stresses. One of the aims of NASA’s mission is to locate alien life, and tardigrades embody that goal, especially since they are already on the Moon (although accidentally). The tardigrade parallels the Mars Rover in significant ways. Associating the rover with arguably the most resilient organism encompasses its endeavor: to survive, achieve, and endure.