Photo submitted Bernie Seery never lost his focus on the space program. University of Arizona graduate Bernie Seery wasn’t yet a teenager when he set his sights on the space program. “I’m one of those that knew what he wanted to do when he was 12,” Seery said. “I was always fascinated by science, and I was intrigued by the Apollo program.” Now, as a rising star with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the 49-year-old former Tucsonan is helping pave the way for what may still seem a child’s dream job – being an astronaut bound for Mars.