Green (center) with her fellow space travelers.
By Julia Lantos, Space Camp and Aviation Challenge Alumna
I was 15 years old when I stood in the West Texas desert and watched a rocket carry my mom into space.
In May 2025, she launched aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard as part of the NS-32 mission, becoming the first woman physician commercial astronaut. Watching her rise above the Kármán line was incredible—but it wasn’t the beginning of the story for me. It was the continuation of a journey that started in Huntsville.
I first attended Space Camp in 2019 and later completed Aviation Challenge in 2023. Both programs helped me see that space wasn’t just something to read about—it was something I could be part of. My mom had been a camper too, back in the 1980s, and even returned as a Crew Trainer in college. We were two generations shaped by one incredible place.
One of her NS-32 crewmates, Amy Medina Jorge, (left) is also a Space Camp for Educators alumna. Their flight marked a historic milestone: the first time two Space Camp alumni launched together on the same mission. For every camper who has ever looked up at the stars and wondered, Could that be me?—the answer just got a lot closer to yes.
Amy’s participation was especially meaningful because the Educator Camp programs were made possible thanks to the Save Space Camp campaign during the pandemic. My brother and I helped support that effort by hosting alumni trivia nights and donating our allowance. We just wanted to help keep the dream alive for future campers and teachers.
When launch day came, I didn’t know exactly what to expect. I had so much anticipation—I thought the countdown would feel like forever. But when it happened, it all moved faster than I imagined. One moment we were standing on the viewing platform… and the next, the rocket was already climbing. It felt surreal, like time sped up and paused all at once. But I wasn’t scared. I trusted my mom—and I trusted Blue Origin. I felt proud, not anxious.
Being there, I also discovered a lot I hadn’t known about Blue Origin. It’s not a company I had heard much about in the news, but after speaking with the team and hearing directly from the people who work there, I came away with a much clearer understanding of their mission: to build a future where millions of people can live and work in space—for the benefit of Earth. That message stuck with me. I realized how important it is to share that story and help others understand what commercial spaceflight is really about.
I met so many inspiring people that week—including Jaime Alamán, who became the first Panamanian citizen to fly to space. He’s also the first human to visit all 193 countries, the North Pole, the South Pole, and now, space. That showed me how exploration isn’t just about reaching new frontiers—it’s about connecting them.
People sometimes say space is only for the rich, or that it’s a waste of Earth’s limited resources. But what I saw changed my view completely. Earth’s resources are indeed finite—but space holds vast possibilities. And it’s through progress—like the kind Blue Origin is working toward—that those resources can be made more accessible to more people. Commercial astronauts like my mom and her crewmates are pioneers in a new way. They’re helping to pave the path so others can follow.
After the launch, I told the Blue Origin team that I want to fly one day too—to become the first mother-daughter duo to cross the Kármán line.
To the donors, alumni, and supporters who help keep Space Camp and the U.S. Space & Rocket Center going: thank you. You’re not just helping kids like me dream bigger. You’re helping us believe those dreams are possible.
And one day, I plan to prove it.
