Axiom Space, which plans to develop space infrastructure to support exploration, announced that Katya Echazarreta has signed a Seat Reservation Agreement for a future human spaceflight.
According to the press release, this mission aims to showcase the potential of the Latin American community, illustrating how space exploration can break down barriers, accelerate discovery, and foster growth.
Katya plans to inspire the next generation of explorers through innovative science in microgravity and outreach initiatives.
In 2022, Blue Origin announced that Katya was part of the crew for the New Shepard (NS)-21 mission.
According to Blue Origin, their initiatives to send astronauts to space on New Shepard, develop reusable liquid rocket engines, create a highly reusable orbital launch vehicle with New Glenn, and return Americans to the Moon will contribute new chapters to the history of spaceflight and help realize their foundational vision.
Katya, the first Mexican-born woman to fly to the edge of space as a member of Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin NS-21 mission, is an electrical engineer and a former NASA test pilot lead.
During her flight, she carried a postcard to space on behalf of Blue Origin’s Club for the Future. This foundation aims to inspire future generations to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
Space for Humanity, a nonprofit organization dedicated to expanding access to space for all of humanity, sponsored Katya’s seat. She was selected as a Space for Humanity Ambassador from a pool of 7,000 applicants due to her impressive accomplishments in the space industry.
Among the NS-21 crew of six was Victor Correa Hespanha, a civil production engineer from Brazil. He made history as the second Brazilian to fly to space and the world’s first “cryptonaut,” exploring the lesser-visited realms of the cryptocurrency industry.
His seat on the flight was sponsored by the Crypto Space Agency, which aims to merge space industry technology with the innovation and financial strength of the crypto markets to accelerate humankind’s off-world future.
Katya, born in Guadalajara, Mexico, is committed to providing representation for women and minorities in STEM fields.
She has co-hosted the YouTube series “Netflix IRL” and the CBS show “Mission Unstoppable,” all while pursuing a master’s degree in electrical and computer engineering at Johns Hopkins University.
As a first-generation college student, Katya earned her bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from UCLA with the help of a scholarship.
Following graduation, she spent four years at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, contributing to various missions, including the Perseverance Rover and Europa Clipper.
Throughout her career, she has inspired young Latinos across the country to pursue their dreams. Katya has partnered with McDonald’s on the annual HACER Education Tour, motivating Hispanic students through in-person workshops and one-on-one mentorship sessions at select high schools.
Her collaboration with the McDonald’s HACER National Scholarship was significant, as she had previously worked at her local McDonald’s as a partial breadwinner during high school.
During virtual mentoring sessions, she has emphasized how perseverance shaped her journey toward becoming an engineer. Katya credits her experience at McDonald’s as foundational to her aspirations of becoming an astronaut.
The education workshop series, hosted by CoolSpeak, a leading youth engagement company, aims to assist students in various cities with the college application process.
Katya Echazarreta (@katvoltage) has signed a Seat Reservation Agreement with Axiom Space for a future human spaceflight mission.
This future mission seeks to highlight the potential of the Latin American community in space, showing how space exploration breaks down barriers,… pic.twitter.com/pTp26ZnjE7
— Axiom Space (@Axiom_Space) September 4, 2025
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