Mareta West facts for kids

Mareta Nelle West (born August 9, 1915 – died November 2, 1998) was an American scientist who studied geology related to space, also known as an astrogeologist. She made history in the 1960s by choosing the exact spot where the first astronauts landed on the Moon during the Apollo 11 mission. Mareta West was also the very first woman to become an astrogeologist. After she passed away, her ashes were even launched into space!

Early Life and Education

Mareta West was born on August 9, 1915, in Elk City, Oklahoma. Her family had lived in Oklahoma for a long time, with her grandparents moving there in 1889. When she was a child, her family moved to Oklahoma City.

She went to Classen High School and later studied at the University of Oklahoma. In 1937, she earned her bachelor's degree in geology, which is the study of Earth's rocks and soil.

A Career in Geology

In the 1940s, Mareta West started her career as a geologist. She worked in the oil and gas industry, helping to find places where oil and natural gas could be found. She worked in Oklahoma City for eleven years.

In 1964, she joined the United States Geological Survey in Flagstaff, Arizona. This agency studies the Earth's land, water, and natural resources. Mareta West became the first woman astrogeologist there. An astrogeologist studies the geology of other planets and moons.

Choosing Moon Landing Sites

Mareta West was the only woman on the Geology Experiment Team for the Apollo 11 mission. This was a very important job! She was responsible for choosing the safest and best place for the first astronauts to land on the Moon. Her work helped make sure the historic Moon landing was a success.

She also helped choose landing sites for other Apollo missions that followed. Mareta continued to work on understanding the geology of the Moon and Mars into the 1970s. She wrote many articles and publications about her discoveries.

A Final Journey to Space

After she retired, Mareta West moved back to Oklahoma City. She was very active in her community and helped with many good causes. She passed away on November 2, 1998.

Years later, her ashes were launched into space. On April 28, 2007, they went up on a SpaceLoft-XL rocket. This was part of the first time a company tried to send human remains towards the Moon. This first flight was a short trip into space, and her ashes were recovered afterward.

A second attempt to launch her ashes was made on August 2, 2008, on a Falcon 1 rocket. This time, the goal was to send them into orbit around Earth. However, the rocket had a problem and failed two minutes after it launched.