This week on Aspiring Martians, Joe talks with Sergii Iakymov — aerospace engineer, Mars One 100 finalist, and the Director of the Mars Desert Research Station in Utah.

Born in Germany, raised in Ukraine, and now splitting his time between Utah and California, Sergii has spent over 15 years designing, testing, and leading in aerospace and exploration. He’s managed crews in the Utah desert, joined a 45-day HERA mission in Houston, and helped shape some of the most active Mars analog projects in the world.

In our conversation, Sergii shares what it was like to be part of the Mars One 100, how his background in aviation and cosmonautics led him to analog research, and what he’s learned about human resilience from both directing missions and serving as crew. We also dive into the lessons from living in confinement, why international collaboration matters, and how Martian settlement isn’t only about surviving on another world — it’s about building better ways to live right here at home.

A huge thank you to Sergii Iakymov for joining me today and sharing his remarkable story, to Nick Thorburn for our stellar theme music, to Ceci Giglio for the beautiful graphics, to RDan, Leila, Inka, and Carl for adminin the FB group and to my family for always supporting this mission—even when I pitch Utah vacations to them at the dinner table.