Latina Aspiring Astronaut Accepted to NASA Program in 2021

Have you ever dreamed of seeing the next woman in outer space? Well, we’re getting close.

Daniela Villegas, a Mechatronics Engineering student from Mexico, was accepted to attend the 2021 program of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration —aka NASA— and the best thing is, she made it in with the support of her community. 

Talk about a go-getter! She requested support on social media to collect the amount needed to travel from Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico, to the state of Alabama.

Daniela published an image announcing that she was one of the 60 selected worldwide to attend the prestigious NASA space program, however she needed to raise 70 thousand pesos, the equivalent of $3,500 to cover the cost of the program.

This is where the beauty of the internet comes in. 

A Twitter user asked her for proof to verify that it was not a fraud and that people can support her with confidence, so Daniella published a photo of her TecNM credential along with her letter of acceptance to the International Program of NASA. 

Everyone learned it was legit and supported her to make the amount she needed and make her dream come true. 

Due to current COVID regulations, participants of the NASA program will interact with experts through online courses. However, the project will culminate with a visit to the United States Rocket and Space Center in the spring of 2021, where students will present their projects to a panel of expert judges and hear from aerospace speakers.

Ellen Ochoa, a Los Angeles native, was the first Hispanic woman to travel into space in 1993. She later served as director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center.

How exciting! Daniela’s dream is such a good example to always reach for the stars.