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36 INTERNATIONAL AWEMainta Diamars, 17 October 2023

Katya Echazarreta:

Paving the Way to the Stars

KATYA Echazarreta, a Mexican electrical engineer and
citizen astronaut, made history when she became the first
Mexican-born woman to journey into space in June 2022.

Her journey to the stars, however, was far from typical.
This as-told-to essay, based on a conversation with Katya
Echazarreta, offers insights into her remarkable life and
passion for space.

Born in Guadalajara, Mexico, Katya faced early challenges
due to her older sister’s severe mental and physical disabili-
ties, which led her family to immigrate to California when she

was seven. The transition was tough, particularly because
she didn’t speak English. Katya, an enthusiastic learner,
quickly recognized that mastering the language was crucial
to pursuing her dream of studying space and science.

Her determination led to rapid language acquisition. By the
sixth grade, she was already reading, writing, and speaking
at an eighth-grade level. Her passion for space, which from space, ensuring she remained calm and focused during

began with handmade space journals and online astronomy the mission.
courses, eventually led her to UCLA, where she studied elec-
trical engineering. Katya’s journey culminated in her dream Katya Echazarreta’s remarkable journey embodies perse-
job at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, where she played a verance, determination, and breaking barriers. As the first

role in missions like Curiosity, Galileo, and Juno. Mexican-born woman in space, she recognizes her respon-
In 2019, she heard about Space for Humanity, a non- sibility to inspire others and has established Fundación
profit program sending citizen astronauts into space. After Espacial, a foundation aimed at opening doors for people
rigorous training, Katya was selected for the Blue Origin in her community to explore the space industry, ensuring

NS-21 mission in June 2022. Her psychological training that it doesn’t take another 40 years for someone like her to
prepared her for the unique experience of viewing Earth reach for the stars.