Path to NASA started way back watching Star Trek as a child, Indian-American Swati Mohan tells Biden

Indian-American aero engineer Swati Mohan, who played a key role in successful landing of NASA's Perseverance rover on Martian surface, told President Joe Biden on Thursday that her path to US ncy began when she watched first episode of Star Trek as a child.

Mohan leads guidance, navigation, and control operations of NASA's Mars 2020 mission. She played a pivotal role in landing US ncy's historic Perseverance rover on Martian surface on February 18. Mohan was also first to confirm that rover had successfully touched down on Martian surface after surviving a particularly tricky plunge through atmosphere of Red Planet.

Mohan, who emigrated from India to US when she was only a year old, said her path actually started way back when she was a child, watching popular TV show Star Trek. "In addition to those fantastical scenes of , what really captured my attention was this really close-knit team which was working toger, manipulating this techlogical marvel with sole purpose of exploring and understanding new things and seeking new life," Mohan told Biden during a virtual interaction.

President Biden on Thursday congratulated NASA team responsible for last month's successful landing of six-wheeled rover on Mars and for giving country a "dose of confidence" at a moment when nation's reputation as a scientific leader has been tattered by coronavirus pandemic. Biden speaking in video conference call with leadership of ncy's jet propulsion laboratory team expressed awe over landing of Perseverance.

Interacting with Biden, Mohan said, "You kw, Perseverance is my first mission at JPL (Jet Propulsion Laboratory), where I've gotten to work from very beginning of formulation, all way through operations, and it made me feel like I was part of that crew. Being able to work with this incredibly diverse, talented team that has become like a family, spending years creating our own techlogical marvel has been a privilege."

"Those last days and weeks leading up to landing day, it was pretty smooth, but we were all still really nervous and, frankly, terrified until we got through those final seven minutes. To be able to call touchdown safely, to see those first ims come back from Mars, to see place where we have never been able to go to on Mars before and go re reach re for express purpose of seeking out new life just made it feel like I was living in a dream," said Indian-American engineer.

"w that tremendous relief has passed for team of being able to be re safely, all that's left is excitement and thrill of all scientific discoveries that are yet to come and what Perseverance can actually find -- and hopefully find those signs of past life on Mars," Mohan said. Biden in response praised Mohan and or NASA scientists for landing of Perseverance on Mars.

"I tell you what, you said you feel like you're 'living a dream' - you've created a dream for millions and millions of young kids, young Americans. You talk about STEM. You, it was look, thing that I found so exhilarating about this: You all did this - whole team - team I can see w and entire team at JPL what you did: You restored a dose of confidence in American people," Biden said.

"y were beginning to wonder about us. y were beginning to wonder: Are we still country we always believed we were? You guys did it. You guys gave a sense of 'America is back.' It's -- it's astounding what you did. You should t underestimate it. You should t underestimate it," President asserted.

"You did it most American way: You believed in science, you believed in hard work, and you believed re wasn't a darn thing you couldn't do if you put your minds toger. One of reasons why we're such an incredible country is we're such a diverse country. We bring best out of every single solitary culture in world here in United States of America, and we give people an opportunity to let ir dreams run forward," Biden said.

"Everyone was so down last years about: Is America still - fount of change? And are we still country that has hopes and develops and pursues most unlikely things to happen? And we are. And you all demonstrated it. I really mean this. It's so much bigger than landing Perseverance on Mars. It's about American spirit, and you brought it back. You brought back in a moment we so desperately need it," he observed.