Kid History: A kid names a space ship!

Let's take a trip back to 2009 when something super cool happened involving a young girl named Clara Ma and a big, fancy rover heading to Mars!

Imagine being just eleven years old and getting the chance to name a rover that was going to zip around Mars, exploring its rocky terrain and looking for signs of life. Sounds incredible, right? Well, that's exactly what Clara Ma did!

Clara, who loved space and science, entered a contest held by NASA to name their new Mars rover. After learning about the Red Planet and its mysteries, she came up with the perfect name: "Curiosity." 🤔🔍

Now, why Curiosity, you ask? Because, just like all of us, Clara was curious! She believed curiosity was a fantastic quality that drives people to explore, learn, and discover new things. And guess what? NASA loved Clara's suggestion!

So, in 2009, NASA announced that Clara Ma's name, "Curiosity," would be the official name of the rover heading to Mars. Can you believe it? A name chosen by a super-smart kid like you is now cruising around another planet!

Clara even got to see the Mars rover and put her autograph on it. How cool is that? To know that your autograph is roaming around on another planet!! (photos courtesy of NASA).