Send Name to Mars: NASA’s Official Program Explained

There’s something undeniably exciting about the idea of your name literally sitting on another planet. NASA’s “Send Your Name to Mars” program turned that fantasy into a reality for nearly 11 million people—and if you’ve ever wondered whether your boarding pass is real or how to check if your name made the journey, you’re in the right place. This guide cuts through the noise to give you verified facts, current status, and the steps you need to take.

Names on Perseverance Rover: Nearly 11 Million · Current Reservations Status: Closed until future launch · Participating Rovers: Perseverance, Curiosity, InSight · Program Host: NASA Mars Exploration · Signature Chips Location: Microchip on rover surface

The following table summarizes the key operational details of NASA’s name submission program:

Is Send Your Name to Mars Legit?

The short answer is yes—this is a real NASA program, not a promotional gimmick or internet hoax. The Send Your Name to Mars campaign is an official public engagement initiative run by NASA’s Mars Exploration Program, designed to involve everyday people in humanity’s journey to the Red Planet.

NASA Official Confirmation

• Program operated through NASA’s official Mars website at NASA Mars
• Names submitted through the portal are etched onto silicon microchips using electron beam lithography
• The chips are mounted on the rover’s chassis where they remain protected during landing and surface operations

According to NASA, over 2 million names were submitted for the Perseverance mission alone, with each name written in tiny text—smaller than a human hair—on a chip roughly the size of a dime. This isn’t symbolic; the physical evidence exists on Mars right now.

Past Mission Proofs

• Curiosity rover (2012) carried approximately 1.8 million names on its microchip
• InSight lander (2018) also included a name chip as part of its public outreach
• Perseverance’s chip represents the largest single collection of public names sent to another planet

The implication: this program has a proven track record spanning multiple missions over more than a decade. If you received a boarding pass, your name genuinely traveled to Mars aboard Perseverance.

Can You Still Send Names to Mars?

As of April 2024, NASA officially closed reservations for new name submissions. The program is not currently accepting applications, and the official portal shows that the campaign is “closed until future launch” — NASA Mars confirms this status.

Current Status Update

• New submissions are unavailable as of the most recent NASA announcement
• The boarding pass generator for Perseverance names remains accessible for existing participants
• NASA has not provided a specific reopening date, stating only that reservations will resume “closer to launch”

Reopening Timeline

• NASA typically opens name campaigns 1-2 years before a scheduled launch
• Engineers evaluated Perseverance subsystems for operation until at least 2031 (NASA)
• Future missions in development include new rovers and landers that may carry additional name chips

The pattern: NASA runs these campaigns in waves tied to specific mission timelines. With several Mars missions in various stages of planning, the next batch of names could launch within the next few years.

What Does It Mean to Send Your Name to Mars?

When you submit your name through NASA’s program, it goes through a process that transforms digital text into physical hardware bound for another planet. Understanding what happens to your name helps clarify why this isn’t just a digital certificate—it’s an actual artifact of space exploration.

Process Explained

• Names are collected via the official NASA portal during open submission windows
• Submitted names are compiled and formatted into a design file
• Electron beam lithography etches the names onto a silicon microchip at JPL facilities
• The chip is installed on the rover before launch, typically on an accessible exterior panel

The Perseverance chip survived the intense heat of entry, the parachute descent, and the sky crane landing on February 18, 2021 — NASA Science confirms the rover’s landing date and operational status.

Souvenir Boarding Pass

• Each participant receives a digital “boarding pass” with their flight details
• The pass includes the mission name, launch date, and landing date
• Participants can download, print, or share their boarding pass online

The upshot: your name is literally embedded in hardware on another planet. This is one of the most tangible ways ordinary people can participate in space exploration.

How to Check If Your Name Is on Mars?

If you submitted your name for the Perseverance mission but can’t locate your original boarding pass, you can still verify whether your name made the journey. There’s no public searchable database of all submitted names, but the verification process is straightforward for individual participants.

Using Boarding Pass

• Visit NASA Mars and look for the boarding pass retrieval option
• Enter the email address you used during original submission
• If you no longer have access to that email, you can search by name in some cases
• The system will regenerate your boarding pass if your submission is on file

Steve Lee, Perseverance deputy project manager at JPL, noted in a 2025 briefing that “these tests show the rover is in excellent shape” — YouTube NASA Briefing provides the full statement. This means the hardware carrying your name continues operating years beyond its original mission window.

Mission Chip Details

• Perseverance’s name chip is mounted on the rover’s sample handling area
• The chip contains names from multiple campaigns, not just Perseverance
• Curiosity and InSight chips are still present on their respective landers
• No public list of individual names exists for privacy and logistical reasons

Future Send Your Name to Mars Opportunities

NASA has signaled that the Send Your Name to Mars program will continue with future missions, though the exact timing depends on launch schedules that can shift due to technical or budgetary factors. Planning ahead ensures you won’t miss the next opportunity.

2025 and 2026 Missions

• Current projections suggest potential mission launches in the 2025-2026 window
• NASA has not officially announced which missions will include name chips
• Perseverance operations are expected to continue through at least 2031 (NASA)
• Future campaigns may include additional rovers or new categories of participants

How to Sign Up

• Monitor NASA Science for announcements
• Subscribe to NASA’s Mars exploration newsletter for timely updates
• Follow NASA’s official social media channels for breaking news on campaign openings
• The submission process typically takes 2-3 minutes and requires only basic information

Jeremy Nash, a robotics engineer at JPL, explained in a February 2026 Space.com interview that “we’ve given the rover a new ability” — referring to Mars Global Localization, a GPS-like upgrade for autonomous positioning. This ongoing technological advancement underscores why future missions will offer even more compelling name-collection opportunities.

Mission Timeline: Names on Mars

Five key milestones mark the history of public name submission to Mars and the Perseverance mission’s progress.

The timeline below documents when names were collected and when the rovers carrying them reached Mars:

The timeline reveals a pattern of periodic campaigns tied to specific mission windows. With Perseverance now in its extended mission phase — as of April 20, 2026, the rover had been active for 1837 sols — there are excellent precedents for how long name chips can remain functional on the Martian surface.

The implications go beyond the name chips themselves. JPL certified Perseverance’s wheel actuators for at least another 37 miles (60 km) in summer 2025, and engineers project subsystem operation until at least 2031. This means your name has decades of potential surface time ahead — and future missions will only expand that legacy.

Related reading: How Long Does Viagra Last – Timeline, Doses and Factors · How Long Does Botox Take to Work – Timeline and Expectations

NASA’s enduring Send Your Name to Mars effort, which has flown millions since 2003, details free guide and 2024 deadlines for the latest participation windows.

Frequently Asked Questions

Summary

NASA’s Send Your Name to Mars program is a legitimate, government-backed initiative that has put nearly 11 million names on the surface of another planet. Reservations are currently closed, but the next opportunity is expected when future Mars missions launch — potentially in the 2025-2026 window. If you already have a boarding pass from Perseverance, your name is on Mars and will remain there for years to come. For those waiting for the next campaign, the wait won’t be forever, but patience is required until NASA announces the next launch window.