SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — On June 4, 2022, Amazon founder Jeff Bezo's Blue Origin rocket blasted off, making history by carrying the first Mexican-born, American woman into space, Katya Echazarreta.
Despite already working for NASA and having a goal of one day being an astronaut, Echazarreta's mission was fast-tracked when she secured a seat on the flight through a nonprofit organization called Space for Humanity.
"I was selected out of 7,000 applicants from all over the world as their first citizen astronaut in their program," said Echazarreta.
The nonprofit wants to send people like Echazarreta to space to experience what's called the "overview effect," a unique shift in worldview achieved by astronauts, and hopefully inspire them to affect meaningful change back here on earth.
"Primarily, I want to help minorities and women interested in STEM fields," said Echazarreta.
Since her flight, Echazarreta said she's been laser-focused on doing that, using her newfound notoriety and platform to meet with Mexican leaders.
"Of course I'm going to use my voice; you're putting the highest officials of a country in front of me and I have a voice that I can use, I am going to use it," she said.
At just 27 years old, 26 at the time of her flight, Echazarreta is also one of the youngest women to go to space.
It's been a journey of ups and downs that actually began in San Diego County, growing up in Chula Vista.
And although the plan was to go to college elsewhere, Echazarreta ended up staying to help support her single mom and younger siblings and enrolling at San Diego City College.
Echazarreta's start at City College then lead to UCLA, where she graduated with a degree in electrical engineering and went straight to work at NASA.
She's now working on her masters from John's Hopkins University, creating educational programming and doing all she can to diversify the stem fields.
"I want to bring space to Mexico. I want to help any little kid who has dreams of working in the space industry. I want them to have that opportunity," said Echazarreta.
