BY EDISON JOSEPH GONZALES
The Philippines has launched satellites and trained scientists, but it has never sent a human to space.
Kristine Jane Atienza, the country’s first analog astronaut, wants to change that.
Atienza has lived in Mars-like habitats in the United States and Europe, enduring weeks of isolation, restricted diets and delayed communications. Those missions are designed to prepare crews for the physical and psychological demands of spaceflight.
“It’s not just about me going up,” she said in an interview on BNC’s “Beautiful Day.” “What excites me more is the idea of a real program – Filipinos being prepared, trained, and ready for human spaceflight.”
Her path wasn’t straightforward. “I started with physics, but I wasn’t the best at it,” Atienza said. “So I shifted to nutrition, thinking it was a simpler path. Later, I realized nutrition could literally be rocket science – space nutrition.”
That discovery helped her land analog missions, where she joined international crews simulating life on Mars and the Moon. “Those experiences showed me how much Filipinos can contribute to space research,” she said. “We just need the opportunity.”
She is also known by her nickname, the “Space Mermaid,” a reference to her mermaiding certification and diving background. The name, she said, reflects the similar sensation of floating in water and drifting in microgravity. “In space, you’re floating, you’re out of your element. It feels the same underwater.”
Atienza now campaigns for the Philippines to expand its space program beyond satellites. She calls for training pipelines, international partnerships and stronger public support to prepare Filipinos for future flights.
“We deserve to be part of the conversation,” she said. “We can take up space – literally.”
