Introducing S4H's First Citizen Astronaut: Katya Echazarreta
“When Dylan Taylor founded S4H in 2017, we dreamt of the moment that we would announce the selection of our very first Citizen Astronaut. Today, it is with great honor and excitement that we introduce Space for Humanity’s CA-1, Katya Echazarreta.”
"As a female and Mexican Engineer working in the Space Industry, I know first-hand how little of us
there are. I have always believed that it is not enough to reach your goals if you do not help bring others up with you. I started working diligently towards helping not only students in the United States who have big aspirations such as I did, but also students and women in Mexico who hear the same words I used to hear all too often, “it’s not for you.”
Katya Echazarreta
Today, we are proud to announce our selection committee has chosen Katya Echazarreta to become the organization’s first-ever citizen astronaut ambassador. Katya will become the first Mexican-born female to fly to space when she flies aboard Blue Origin’s NS-21 flight.
Katya, an electrical and computer engineer and online science educator, was selected from more than 7,000 applicants from over 100 countries to fly on New Shepard and experience the cognitive shift of the Overview Effect. The five other crew members will include Evan Dick, Hamish Harding, Victor Correa Hespanha, Jaison Robinson, and Victor Vescovo.
At just 26 years old, Katya is an accomplished role model in the STEM community. As a female Mexican engineer working in the space industry, she is not only passionate about electrical engineering, but also in supporting other women who have big aspirations but may be deterred from a sector dominated by men. Katya is a UCLA graduate with a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering and is completing her master of science in electrical and computer engineering at Johns Hopkins University. She worked as an electrical engineer on five NASA missions including the Perseverance Rover and Europa Clipper missions. She also currently co-hosts the YouTube series "Netflix IRL" and "Electric Kat" on the CBS show "Mission Unstoppable” while she works on writing her first book. With a prolific social media following in both English and Spanish on Tik Tok, YouTube, and Instagram, Katya is creating content to empower women in STEM.
“You’re Going to Space!”
Katya found out she was going to space when S4H Executive Director, Rachel Lyons and Director of Human Experience, Maikala Harris surprised her on a Zoom call. See what happened when she found out.
Katya was born in Guadalajara, Mexico, moved to the US at age seven, and was separated from her family for five years during the immigration process. “My Grandmother told me to ‘remember that even though we are apart, we are under the same sky.’ That message has always stuck with me and speaks to the potential power of the Overview Effect, to understand that we are all connected on the same planet, facing the same challenges regardless of where we are physically located.”
Katya is the first beneficiary of S4H’s Citizen Astronaut Program, which sponsors exceptional candidates to experience the Overview Effect and then employ that new perspective to solve some of humanity's most difficult challenges on Earth. S4H, Blue Origin and recent New Shepard citizen astronauts Cameron and Lane Bess all helped make this experience possible. Cameron and Lane were inspired by S4H founder and fellow NS-19 crew member Dylan Taylor’s call to astronauts to “Buy One, Give One” as a way to support worthy causes here on Earth like expanding access to space.
As an ambassador, Katya will focus on three areas of impact following her flight:
Connection: Spreading the S4H mission and transformative impact of the spaceflight perspective through ambassadorship.
Contribution: The support and mentorship of all future S4H Citizen Astronauts and advising on the continued development of the S4H Citizen Astronaut Leadership Program.
Change: Show the power of space to benefit Earth by driving positive change in the world with tangible and measurable outcomes.
“It still feels surreal that I am going to get to experience something that so few people in the world have ever experienced, especially because visiting space is a dream I’ve had for as long as I can remember,” said Katya. “I am honored to be representing not just Space for Humanity in this mission, but also all of the little girls and women out there who are dreaming of achieving something bigger, those that maybe just need an extra nudge or an example of someone who looks or sounds like them to help encourage them to take the next step towards their dream. I cannot wait to experience the Overview Effect and share more about my adventure with the world!”
Become a part of Katya’s journey to Space on our social media channels!