The website Bored Panda — known for its listicles, “viral” stories, and unnerving 3D cat portraits — posted a story claiming that 17-year-old Alyssa Carson is being trained by NASA “to become an astronaut.” More specifically, to be the first astronaut on Mars.
The article article also claims that Carson is certified for space travel.
TWS Fact Check reached out to Project PoSUMM but did not hear back. We could not find anything on the nonprofit’s website claiming that the Advanced PoSUMM Academy officially certifies graduates to go into space — we’re not sure what that even means. (We’re also confused as to why traveling “to all 14 NASA Visitor Centers” gives Carson “everything she needs to get” to Mars.)
NASA spokesman Sean Potter told TWS Fact Check that Carson is not affiliated with the administration. “Although Ms. Carson uses ‘NASA’ in her website name and Twitter and Instagram handles, we’re not affiliated at all,” Potter said in an email. “NASA has lots of ways we engage with students to promote NASA’s core missions and space exploration in general, and we love to see students get interested and excited. However, we do not have any formal relationship with Ms. Carson.”
According to NASA’s website, becoming an astronaut requires:
Candidates then go through an extensive interview process and, if eventually selected, “must complete a two-year training period.”
Regardless, Bored Panda claims, multiple times, that “NASA is training her to become an astronaut,” which is incorrect.
The claim was also shared by the Sun, Unilad, Fempositive, and several other outlets.
This is not, however, meant to discount Carson’s dedication and her goal to reach Mars.
Update, July 23, 2018, 3:59 p.m.: After TWS published this fact check, Alyssa’s father, Bert Carson, wrote to us to say that Alyssa “has never put out that she was training with NASA.” He said she will receive a certificate in applied astronautics in August from Project Possum. And, he tell us, “I don’t know who or why this story started which I’m sure was for click bait but we have been trying as hard and as fast to stop the misinformation.”
If you have questions about this fact check, or would like to submit a request for another fact check, email Holmes Lybrand at [email protected] or the Weekly Standard at [email protected]. For details on TWS Fact Check, see our explainer here.
