013 - Richard Hicks, USA

It’s Earth Day—a time to reflect on the planet we call home, but also the perfect moment to dream about where we might go next. In this episode of Aspiring Martians, I sit down with Richard Hicks, a former Mars One applicant who was encouraged to apply for a one-way mission to Mars by his college professor. What started as a spark of curiosity in a classroom turned into something more meaningful: a connection to a global community of people who dared to imagine life on another world.

We talk about the legacy of Earth’s earliest explorers, how those same instincts shape our vision for Martian pioneers, and what it means to take that first step—no matter how unlikely it may seem. From supervolcanoes to student laptops, this is a short, reflective episode about courage, community, and the importance of dreaming big, even when the odds feel cosmic.

A big thank you to Richard Hicks for joining me on today’s episode, to Nick Thorburn for our fantastic theme music, to Ceci Giglio for the beautiful graphics, and to my family for supporting my endless fascination with Mars—even when it gets a little fiery.