How do I contribute to Mars colonization as a dev?

Question

I have been thinking of problems that I think are worth solving. Space colonization & Interplanetary space travel top my list of problems that are worth solving & problems that I am really interested in. I am just fascinated by space. I'm not sure how can I break into this industry though, I am a Software Engineer by trade and a Computer Scientist by education.I can't work for SpaceX as I am not American. I've an Indian passport if that matters. There are probably exciting space companies in India, and other places that allow Indians to work. Maybe there are some open source projects that I can contribute to in my free time, along with my day job.I am guessing there are plenty of other devs on HN that are interested in space too but don't know what to do with this interest. I am guessing they feel things are slow and feel powerless too. I am hoping there are people here who have broken into the industry and are making an impact and can tell some of us how they did so.If you are running an open source project that helps solve space related things, I am happy to contribute, please share a link. I am fluent in Python and good at Java & GoLang. I've written CPP /C in the past for work and I am happy learning new languages. Regardless of the language, I am guessing other devs on HN might be interested too.Longevity is another field that interests me, mostly because it allows me to spend more time alive working on space. No idea how to break into this either.Somethings that I can think of1. Work in a space company / space research lab2. Start a space company3. Donate to some organizations / research labs that work on these problems4. There are probably companies in indirect industries that help space too, probably some boring CRUD applications that make life for Aerospace engineers easier.5. Contribute to open source projects that work in this field6. Make a lot of capital doing something else and then pour that into a space tech company.

ArtWomb · Accepted Answer

Good question! NASA's Artemis missions may be experiencing some COVID related delays. But that shouldn't mean the end of exploration. 100% of human colonization will be simulated beforehand. Access as many Martian public datasets as possible. Begin answering the big questions. What resources can be utilized in situ? What will have to be transported from Earth?
I was really piqued by the news of ESA's BioAsteroid. Using genetically enhanced microbes for the biomining of precious metals in space. Has to be one of the most fascinating space science experiments in human history. And if successful, takes "The Genesis Project" out of the realm of speculative sci-fi, and into the abode of the possible ;)
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/news/bio...

tectonic · Answer

We write fairly frequently about citizen science and startup opportunities in Orbital Index - https://orbitalindex.com

thisistheend123 · Answer

Why don't you try to get into ISRO? It has a Mars program. With the kind of work that they are doing, I think setting up a Mars colony will be somewhere in their future plans.Ultimately Mars colonization could well turn out to be a multi-nation, public-private endeavour. So being in some capacity at any of the global space programs will increase your chances of directly contributing to Mars colonization.

imalexsq · Answer

Check out copenhagensuborbitals.com - Copenhagen Suborbitals is an amateur crowd-funded, non-open source human space programme.

agent008t · Answer

Just wanted to point out how amazing/surreal it is to see a post with this title, written in good faith. Until very recently, this would only be something you would see in a work of science fiction!