“Pinoys to orbit!”

That declaration is Kristine Jane Atienza’s mantra for this year as she takes another step toward becoming the first Filipino in space. It is a decision she came to last October, about the same time she was featured in the Manila Bulletin.

Currently, she is an analog astronaut, also the first Filipino to do so.

An analog astronaut undergoes simulated space simulations on Earth. Atienza is also a registered nutritionist-dietitian. She is also certified for commercial and suborbital spaceflight.

Among Kristine’s other endeavors is her active advocacy for astronomy outreach and inclusion. She travels to far-flung areas to give astronomy lectures to students. Kristine has an upcoming school visit in Apo Island in Dumaguete.

Kristine’s inclusive advocacy focuses on making astronomy accessible to people who are blind or deaf.

“Every time I tell people that I do astronomy outreach at the Philippine School for the Blind, I always get bewildered looks,” Kristine said in a LinkedIn post. And despite the obvious challenges it posed, she worked to develop a telescope and planetarium for the blind.

"The first time I shared my telescope with the kids was enlightening. They were so excited with the experience," Atienza shared.

In 2023, Kristine was part of the HI-SEAS (Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation) Analog space mission, where she served as the nutritionist for a five-person crew that simulated a Mars human mission.

If you've seen or read "The Martian," which tells the story of an astronaut stranded on the red planet, played in the movie by Matt Damon. It has a similar setup to Kristine's HI-SEAS mission.

The protagonist in “The Martian” and his fellow crew members all have different specialties, aside from being astronauts. Matt Damon's character is a botanist and mechanical engineer.

Similarly, Atienza's crew in the HI-SEAS mission included a mechanical engineering student, a cybersecurity professor, a space architect, and the head of advanced strategy at NASA JPL (Jet Propulsion Laboratory). Atienza was the crew's nutritionist and medical officer.

The HI-SEAS crew spent six days in a dome located on the slopes of Mauna Loa volcano in Hawaii, simulating what life on Mars would be like.

This once-in-a-lifetime experience alone was not enough to satisfy Kristine’s curiosity. Two years later, she began her journey to suborbital spaceflight training. She sent an email to the National Aerospace Training and Research (NASTAR) Center, and while she had initial doubts about moving forward with the program, she considered the possibilities that would open for our own human spaceflight program in the Philippines.

“This is what made me decide to go through with it,” Kristine said of that pivotal moment.

While she wears many hats and juggles tasks and responsibilities, to her, there is only one ultimate goal — to represent the Filipino nation in space — and she is determined to get there, one small step at a time.

What began as a childhood dream to become an astronomer has led Kristine to reach beyond the stars; she has also brought the stars closer to children who don’t have access to science programs or telescopes.

“I believe that astronomy is for everyone,” Kristine said with conviction. Which is why she has been giving astronomy lectures to children across the Philippines. “I feel that it is my responsibility to the kids to have access to astronomy and have a chance to become astronauts someday.”

Part of Kristine’s advocacy is organizing and participating in public telescope viewings. She shared that she was part of a similar outreach back in 2011 at Luneta Park.

“There was this out-of-school youth who did not leave my side and listened to everything that I was saying. He was clearly amazed; it was his first time to look through a telescope.” She shared.

“If any of my astronomy outreach activities will inspire someone to go into astronomy or general sciences, then I will keep on doing this,” Kristine promised.

When asked what her message is to young scientists aspiring to reach for the stars like her. This is what Kristine had to say: “Create and follow opportunities, learn new skills, go beyond your degree, and don’t be afraid to explore other disciplines. Curiosity and your willingness to learn will take you farther,” she advised.

While Kristine has been coy about the next steps in her space odyssey, she did tease that she is currently working to build a community and ecosystem here that will make Filipinos ready to take on the space challenge. In the meantime, let’s cheer on with Kristine and believe in her mantra: “Pinoys to orbit!”