Patrick Chai moved across an ocean when he was 12 years old. That’s when he left Taiwan for the United States. Now Chai is trying to help people make another long journey — flying across space to another planet! He works at NASA to create a plan for people to visit Mars.
May is Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage month. Chai is Asian American. He told News-O-Matic (NOM) how his culture connects to his out-of-this-world job!
NOM: What do you do at NASA?
Chai: I am an aerospace engineer at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. We take a lot of pride in the work we do here. I’m part of the Mars architecture team. In my day-to-day job, I do a lot of planning for human Mars exploration. That is my focus and my passion.
NOM: How are we going to get to Mars?
Chai: It’s challenging to plan for a human-crewed Mars mission. We start by returning to the Moon. Artemis I flew this year, which is very exciting. And we have a series of missions planned, increasing our reach, with the eventual next goal of going to Mars.
NOM: Which country will be the first to send people to Mars?
Chai: I think the exploration of another celestial body is not a national thing. This is going to be a global effort. And it’s important to have people from different and
backgrounds. So, a lot of my work focuses on engaging both our partners here within the United States but also international partners across the world. We are trying to figure out how we work together as a whole humankind to send humans to another planet.
NOM: Who will go to Mars?
Chai: My generation is not going to be the one that ends up setting foot on Mars. It’s going to be the kids that are in school right now. That’s why we focus a lot on
— so they are ready when they grow up.
NOM: Tell us about your journey to America.
Chai: I was born in Taiwan and grew up in Taiwan. I was 12 years old when my brother and I
to the United States. We lived with our aunts and uncles for a little while. We ended up in a boarding school in New Jersey. My parents still live in Taiwan. So, we spent a lot of time flying back and forth between the United States and Taiwan. But we both ended up working for the U.S. government and got U.S.
. I try to go back as often as I can — not as often as my mom would like, I think.
NOM: Does your heritage help in your job?
Chai: There is a culture in Taiwan that drives how I work and how I interact with people. If I didn’t have that background, I probably wouldn’t be having some of the success I’ve had. I’ve done some reviews of papers that are written in Mandarin. I wouldn’t have been able to if I didn’t speak the language. So that is a little bonus.
NOM: Do you bring your Taiwanese American culture to NASA?
Chai: I’ve brought homemade dumplings to work. Those are always super popular. Taiwan’s non-official national dish is beef noodle soup. And I make that all the time. Also, boba tea was invented in Taiwan — and now it’s everywhere.
NOM: Could the first person on Mars eat dumplings and drink boba tea?
Chai: I would say “yes!” If you think about long-term spaceflight, food can be such a great comfort. There are definitely going to be a lot of dumplings and other foods across different cultural backgrounds in our plan. You have to give an astronaut something to remind them of home. It’s such a powerful thing.
NOM: When will we send a human being to Mars?
Chai: My best guess is the late 2030s or early 2040s. The saying is: “If you want to go fast, you go alone. But if you want to go for a long time, you go together.” And we’re trying to do this together. Yes, it might take a little longer to get where we need to. But if we bring everybody in, we will come up with a better future for everybody.
Updated May 8, 2023, 5:02 P.M. (ET)
By Russell Kahn (Russ)
