Breaking the Code with Michaela Musilova

Cindy: Breaking the Code with Gabriella tells the story of a young girl who overcomes gender stereotypes in robotics, cementing herself as a role model for young women. The book includes science and engineering information, such as the design process and Java tutorials. As part of our initiative to empower young girls to pursue their interests in STEM, we are running the Breaking the Code with Gabriella: Trailblazers in STEM Speaker Series, which explores the careers of women in science, technology, engineering, and math. The series aims to dispel gender stereotypes and aid young students in getting advice on how to pursue their own passions. 

Cindy: Today, I’m here with Dr. Michaela Musilova, who is a prominent astrobiologist who has conducted research across a wide range of international institutions, including NASA, ESA, CalTech, University College London, Chiba University (Japan), Canada-France-Hawaii telescope, and many others. Musilova holds the record for the most simulated missions to the Moon and Mars, having commandeered over 30 operations. She is currently a global faculty member at the International Space University, as well as the President and Founder of the non-profit XtremeFrontiers. In partnership with NASA, she coordinated the Astro Seven Summits, which combine expeditions to the highest mountain on each of the seven continents with scientific and educational research. Musilova has received global recognition for her work, including Forbes Slovakia’s Most Promising 30 Under 30, Emerging Space Leaders Grant from the International Astronautical Federation, and the Women in Aerospace - Europe Young Professional Award. 

Cindy: Now, I'll let you introduce yourself. Give a brief introduction: anything about your journey in STEM, your future goals, or your current interests that you think are notable. 

Michaela: Well, hi there. Thank you very much for having me and for the kind introduction. I think you summarized quite a few things in that intro. I'll think I’ll just add that I've been dreaming of going to space since I was about eight years old, and I’m still working towards my astronaut dream. But as someone from Slovakia, currently, there are very few to almost zero opportunities to go to space. That's something I've been trying to change throughout my career. I've also wanted to become an astrobiologist since I was a child. That means searching for aliens. When I first started, there wasn't an easy way to do that. You couldn't study astrobiology at university, which you now can at different institutions around the world. I always had to create my own path towards my dreams. As someone who fully self-funded their studies, it was very challenging because I had to always find income for everything I tried to do. I had multiple part-time jobs in high school and university. I always tried to get the best possible grades to be able to get scholarships and grants to fund my studies and research. It's been a challenging journey, but I've been able to do what I love and what I'm passionate about. I've learned so much along the way. Importantly, I hope that through my work, I've been able to open doors for people from Slovakia to access the space sector. I also hope to open doors for many other underrepresented communities around the world for whom the space sector, science, and technology are not easily accessible. Even once they do access it, they are not able to thrive in that environment because it's still not quite made for women and minorities.

Cindy: Your journey seems very inspiring. I know you have a deep and long history with space. You studied at the International Space University, received a master's in planetary science, and have a PhD in astrobiology. What inspired this passion for science? Did it evolve or shift throughout your education?

Michaela: It all started when I was about eight years old. I was fascinated with nature. My parents would take my brother and me hiking and visiting museums, whatever they could afford at the time. I was always curious about how things worked, whether it was volcanoes or our planet in general. One day, I was bored in a supermarket while my parents were shopping. I was browsing through an encyclopedia and found a chapter about Jupiter and Saturn. I found out how many moons they have and that there could potentially be some alien life living on those moons. That's what sparked my interest in space, particularly in astrobiology. 

Michaela: Since then, I held on to that dream, even though it has not been an easy journey. I had to figure out ways to fund my studies and create my career path. Astrobiology is a multidisciplinary science, so I knew I should study geology, biology, and astrophysics. Ideally, I would later add other sciences and technology to my degree programs or research to become a full astrobiologist. As an astrobiologist, you need to have a great overview of many disciplines to search for potential alien life. I decided to study planetary science at university, which combined geology and astrophysics. I was at University College London, one of the best universities in the world, and had many great opportunities there. I still worked hard to get scholarships and grants because I needed to include biology in my degree program. My big goal was to work for NASA and other space institutions. 

Michaela: In my second year at university, there was a competition to get into Caltech, which was considered the top university in the world. I won a scholarship worth about $50,000 to attend Caltech. It was unimaginable money for me at the time and an amazing experience because they only chose two people on that type of scholarship. Once at Caltech, I added biology, environmental science, microbiology, biochemistry, and other subjects to my degree program to get closer to astrobiology. I found out that near Los Angeles, where Caltech is, there is the NASA JPL research facility. I wanted to work there to get closer to my astrobiology dreams. I contacted the only astrobiologist I could find there. It was hard to get in touch at the time, and it was not as easy as today with social media and other means. 

Michaela: I eventually got through, and the scientist liked my ideas but warned me that international students couldn't work for NASA due to visa rules. I was sad but didn't give up. I asked if we could collaborate or win a grant together. He mentioned there might be a possibility if we won a grant. We eventually did, and I was able to work at NASA JPL at 21 years old. It was amazing to live this childhood dream at such a young age. That experience propelled a lot of my other space-related research. Since then, I've been working with NASA or collaborating with them in different ways. I still needed to figure out how to become an astronaut. During my PhD in the UK, there was a call for the first British crew to go on a simulated mission to Mars. I'm not British, but I was doing my PhD at a British university, so I applied. I suggested three research projects, all accepted, and I was accepted as a crew member in charge of science.

Michaela: That's how I first experienced simulated missions. To summarize, it's been quite a journey. I've had to zigzag and go up and down to get where I am today. Many times, it was because I found out about an opportunity. Even if it seemed impossible, like getting that huge scholarship to go to Caltech, I still gave it a try. If it didn't work out, I had backup plans. This is not to say I succeeded in everything I tried. There were many grants I didn't get and opportunities that didn't work out. But some of them did, and they opened great doors, leading to other possibilities. The more experiences I had and scholarships I won, the easier it was to win more. It's important to get your foot in the door in those first few instances, then many more opportunities become possible after that.

Cindy: Yeah, your journey sounds super inspiring and has definitely been an amazing journey that's taken you all around the world to many different places. Such impressive work too. You mentioned wanting to open doors or increase opportunities for Slovakians or people from underrepresented communities in space. Can you talk a bit about your goals there? What do you hope to change in the future, and how do you see that going forward?

Michaela: Thank you for asking. It's still a challenge because most astronaut programs are based in the US for NASA, and that's only for US citizens. The European Space Agency (ESA) also has its own program, and I'll get to that in a moment. Slovakians are now eligible after Slovakia became an associate member state of ESA a couple of years ago. But ESA is very much about politics and money. Unless your country contributes significantly to ESA's programs, the chances of someone from your country becoming an astronaut are very low. Current Slovakians don't have many opportunities, just like many others from non-ESA member states or associate member states. There are commercial space programs developing, giving people like me hope that we might get to space, but currently, it's mostly for those who can buy very expensive tickets. That's not on the horizon for me, but different competitions have opened doors for a few people. I'm looking into that, hoping people from around the world may have some chance. However, limitations like visas can influence whether someone is chosen. Many of these flights are of short duration, just past the official boundary of space for a few minutes. For someone like me who wants to do research in space for longer periods, it's not ideal, though I wouldn't say no to such an opportunity. Currently, there aren't many opportunities, but they are increasing in the commercial space sector. It's still hard for people from around the world to apply and be selected.

Michaela: I’ll give you two examples. After my PhD, I went back to Slovakia, where I’m from, because I saw that things weren’t moving forward [there] in the space sector, and I wanted to help change things in the space sector. I joined a group of young people called the Slovak Organization for Space Activities (SOSA). We wanted to convince the public and the government that it's worth investing in the space sector. We decided to build the first Slovak satellite, developed and built in Slovakia by young people, many without engineering degrees, who were very motivated and enthusiastic. We successfully launched it in 2017. This project led to many startup companies developing in Slovakia over the last 7 years, creating over 40 space companies. It helped convince the public and the government to collaborate with the European Space Agency, becoming a cooperative and then an associate member state. I'm glad these projects led to great changes in my country. I also started teaching astrobiology and, with a couple of universities, began the first space engineering degree program. This way, I'm hoping to create opportunities in Slovakia to prevent brain drain, where young people have to leave the country for opportunities abroad.

Michaela: That was the first example. The second example is, as the director of a facility in Hawaii called HI-SEAS, where we simulated missions to the moon and Mars, my goal was to make it accessible to people from around the world, especially underrepresented communities. Before my time, it was mostly limited to Americans or certain communities. Over my time there, the number of women applicants increased dramatically. By the end of my tenure, 60% of the applicants were women. I often had all-female or 50/50 male-female crews. We also had many LGBTQ+ individuals and people from different ethnicities and religions. The more diverse the teams, the more others saw themselves represented and wanted to apply. It was about getting the ball rolling and making space more inclusive.

Cindy: I had no idea there were so many restrictions, especially for non-US citizens who can't work with NASA or people from countries not part of ESA. It sounds like there's a lot of inspiring change being made to make the space sector more inclusive and diverse.

Michaela: I'm trying my best. 

Cindy: One of the things you mentioned is HI-SEAS and that you're an analog astronaut who has led over 30 simulated missions to the moon and Mars, which is a record. What do you do during these missions, and how do they help inform real crewed missions to these locations in the future?

Michaela: The goal of these missions is to prepare for real crewed missions to the moon and Mars. We test as many things as possible on Earth first before we attempt to send humans to other planetary bodies. For example, we have facilities like HI-SEAS in Hawaii, which are a small dome accommodating six people. It's a small space, similar to what the first research stations on Mars will be like. When we leave the station, we wear spacesuits, just like on the moon or Mars. Inside, we live with a restricted amount of food, water, and other materials. The food is freeze-dried astronaut-like food, but we can grow some of our crops. However, it’s also restricted. Electricity comes mostly from solar panels stored in batteries. If the weather is bad, we might have to live in low battery mode, turning off almost everything. We teach crews to survive under extreme conditions, like living in the dark with only ventilation. We cannot cook because that uses electric power, so we just make small balls of oatmeal and eat that. It's about testing everything on Earth first, including technologies and materials needed for future lunar and Martian missions. The human part is crucial. We find out who are the best people for potentially two or three-year-long missions to Mars, what problems they might encounter, and how to solve them.

Cindy: That sounds invaluable for when we eventually reach the moon or Mars. Another one of your initiatives is being part of the largest group of female and non-binary scientists to brave the harsh cold of Antarctica. Previously, women were dissuaded or even banned from these expeditions. Can you talk more about this experience, what you did, and how the journey will help improve equality in science?

Michaela: This expedition was very special to me for many reasons, including—as you mentioned—being part of the largest group of female and non-binary scientists or people in STEM. It was special because this was my 13th attempt, or maybe 11th, to go to Antarctica. Unfortunately, all my previous attempts were stopped by older male supervisors or professors. I've had over 10 opportunities to go to Antarctica. Almost every time, someone didn't want to let me go. Twice, my own supervisor took my place, a place I was promised and worked hard towards. It was heartbreaking and hard. After trying something over 10 times, you get demotivated and start to lose hope. But I had my heart set on going to Antarctica for many reasons. In many ways, it resembles Mars with harsh conditions. It can teach us so much about the resilience of life and give us hope for potentially finding life beyond Earth. I'm also very interested in doing research related to climate change. I want to talk more about that and help people be more aware of what we can do as individuals to decrease our footprint on this planet to save it for future generations.

Michaela: I had been wanting to go to Antarctica for so long, since 2007. It's been a while, about 17 years. When I was finally able to go, I think the most beautiful part was that it was with this group of women and non-binary people. Maybe it had to be that for it to finally work. When we went, we also wanted to talk about climate change, see the changes happening in Antarctica with our own eyes, and share that with the public through different educational programs and initiatives. I am actually planning an expedition to Antarctica this winter as part of a different project called the Astro 7 Summits. For me, it was also a way to go there, see the terrain, and prepare for a much more physically challenging expedition waiting for me later this year.

Cindy: That sounds incredibly inspiring that you were able to take the challenges you faced previously and overcome them to be part of such an amazing journey. One of the things you mentioned was the Astro 7 Summits, which is one of your current ongoing projects. Could you explain the development of this initiative, what inspired you to start it, and how it has developed over time?

Michaela: So, Astro 7 Summits is currently the most important project to me. It's about doing outreach and educational work, both a big part of Astro 7 Summits. It's all kind of combined. It actually came to be at a very hard time in my life. It was about three years ago. I was not in a very good place mentally, especially because I was facing some very toxic work conditions. Because of the difficult work situation, I started to have physical problems. For example, I had issues with both my wrists and could barely write or drive or do anything. I was in a very low place in my life. After trying to figure out how to get out of this for some time, I decided that I needed to do something truly for me, something I was passionate about, but that also would hopefully make positive changes in the world. I needed to get out of that very toxic environment, make a huge change for myself, and have implications for others.

Michaela: That's how this project came to be. I decided to focus on something I was very interested in: astrobiology research. I also love going to the mountains and different extreme environments. During my different astrobiology research projects, I worked in Greenland, Japan, and many other places. I decided to continue with that but also include an important educational and outreach project.

Michaela: Now, to explain better what it is: the project involves expeditions to the tallest mountain on each continent, seven very tall mountains around the world. During these expeditions, I study what extreme life forms can survive in these very challenging conditions. This can teach us about the limits of life on Earth and inform us about where we could potentially find other life forms beyond Earth. I also take different educational projects with me. For example, experiments developed by students around the world or projects that allow young people to take measurements in parallel with what I'm doing during the expeditions. This way, they can be directly involved in the research and have hands-on experience in international research. During each expedition, I also film and take pictures for social media to help teach others about what I'm doing. I also film documentaries to share with the public, mostly for educational purposes.

Michaela: In terms of research, apart from astrobiology, I also do research related to climate change and human psychology, studying how humans can survive in these extreme conditions. It's a mixture of my different passions all in one project. What's great about it is that I'm running it through my nonprofit here in the US, and I have a nonprofit in Slovakia too. This helps me reach people better on two different continents. Because I'm running it myself with different collaborators and volunteers, I can avoid toxic work conditions, which I struggled with in the past. Now, it's just so much better for me. I hope my work will also have positive effects on other people I've been working with through these different projects.

Cindy: This project sounds super incredible. Hearing the backstory about how you turned that environment around and created something you're passionate about, which is also benefiting so many people and contributing to science, sounds truly amazing. So finally, if there is any piece of career-related advice you could give to your middle school self, what would it be and why?

Michaela: When I was younger, I was too worried about my future. I tried to create a career path for myself and focused on hitting a lot of milestones. I worked too hard for my own good until my early 30s. While I achieved a lot of wonderful things and I'm proud of that, it did require a lot of sacrifice. Until very recently, I sacrificed things like hobbies, time with family and friends, all because I was trying to achieve these things. They were all great things, and I'm glad I did them, but I wish I had been kinder to myself. I wish I had given myself more time so I didn't have to make so many sacrifices. I should have realized that while it's great to do a lot of things as a young person, it would be better to take things a bit more easily and understand that there's still your whole life ahead of you. You can achieve things even later in life. The advice to myself would be to not worry so much about getting so many things done quickly. Take things more easily and, most importantly, not sacrifice myself so much along the way in terms of my other passions outside of work, like hobbies, and most importantly, time with loved ones, family, and friends.

Cindy: I think that is a very important message: being able to find a good work-life balance, and not sacrificing things like your health or your relationships for going all-in on your studies. Well, thank you so much, it’s been a pleasure speaking with you. I have had an amazing time and I’ve learned so much.

Michaela: I’m very glad to hear; it was a pleasure. I wish you all the best in your endeavors, and I am also happy to answer people’s questions if they want to get in touch with me beyond this podcast. If you’re looking for me, my name is Michaela Musilova and you can find me either under that name or astro_michaela on a lot of the socials. I’m happy to answer any questions or give guidance when possible.

Cindy: Thank you so much for joining us!

Michaela: Thank you for having me.