Watkins may be a newcomer to NASA’s astronaut program, but she is already exploring Mars as part of the JPL team that operates the Curiosity rover. With a bachelor’s degree from Stanford and a PhD from UCLA, the 29-year-old Caltech postdoc is working to unravel the Red Planet’s geological history. When she’s focused on Earth, she spends time writing short stories, playing rugby, climbing rocks, coaching basketball and flying planes.