Non-Profit Provides Nine Individuals With Life-Changing Experience in Zero Gravity
On Sunday, June 1, nine young dreamers from around the world took to the skies above Los Angeles and floated outside the bounds of gravity. Space for Humanity, a non-profit with the goal of expanding access to space, sponsored a Zero-G flight for a dynamic group of young changemakers — scientists, teachers, advocates, and visionaries — pairing them with civilian astronauts, science communicators, and space science thought leaders as mentors. Together, they represented six nations and countless dreams.
The Zero-G flight, aboard a specially modified Boeing 727, flew parabolic arcs, allowing participants to experience true weightlessness. This experience represents an expansion of Space for Humanity’s Citizen Astronaut Program, which empowers individuals to experience the “Overview Effect” — the profound shift in awareness that occurs when seeing Earth from space. While the Zero-G flight did not leave the atmosphere, its impact was no less transformative for these participants who would have otherwise been unable to have such a journey.
“Whether we are talking about a zero-gravity flight or traveling to space, these incredible experiences have become ever more possible in recent years. However, these perspective-shifting moments shouldn’t be reserved for just high-net-worth individuals and celebrities. That’s why we do what we do,” said Antonio Peronace, Space for Humanity’s Executive Director. “Space for Humanity helps impact-driven individuals experience the transformative power of space and space-aligned events that stir the soul and ignite inspiration.”
Among the exceptional flyers was Eduardo Canul, an Indigenous electrical engineer from Mexico using his talents to champion educational equity and inspire future scientists. Samuel Carlos, a primary school teacher, hopes to take the weightlessness he felt and turn it into a classroom of limitless possibility for his students. From Paraguay, Alma Irala is reimagining STEAM education for underserved and often unseen communities. Geraldinn Barahona of Guatemala is using space science to combat hunger and climate change. Melissa Tackett, a Missouri-based teacher and lifelong space enthusiast, is preparing to turn her elementary school classroom into a launchpad of wonder.
Roxy Williams, an Afro-Indigenous refugee and aerospace engineer, applies her expertise to help Latin American communities use Earth observation data to forecast hurricanes and protect biodiversity. Guadalupe Méndez, an aspiring space lawyer from Mexico, and Khuloud Shibani, a Yemeni-born, Canadian-based pharmaceutical scientist and science communicator, joined the flight with dreams of opening the cosmos to every voice, every background, every story. And Lauren “Vic” Paulson, currently pursuing a PhD in Aerospace Engineering and a certificate in Astrobiology at Georgia Tech, is reimagining the future of space exploration.
“We don't do this just for the benefit of these individual flyers,” Peronace said, ”but for the impact they will now have carrying their increased passion back to their communities. They are now inspiration engines for others to reach for the stars with them. That’s why we often say that we go to space for Earth.”
The exceptional riders were lifted, not just by Zero-G’s parabolic arcs, but by the vision and support of their Space for Humanity mentors:
Katya Echazarreta, the first Mexican-born woman to go to space and Space for Humanity’s first Citizen Astronaut. She is the Founder of the Fundacion Espacial Katya Echazarreta which aims to provide resources and opportunities for individuals without access to space industry related education and training programs.
Amanda Nguyen, a trailblazing civil rights activist who was part of Blue Origin's recent all-female space flight.
Dr. Sian Proctor, who made history as the first African American commercial astronaut and the first Black woman to pilot a spacecraft on SpaceX’s Inspiration4 mission — the first all-civilian orbital flight.
Emily Calandrelli, an MIT-trained engineer turned science communicator and Emmy-nominated television host who also holds the distinction as the 100th woman to ever travel to space.
Trace Dominguez, an award-winning science communicator and television personality.
The Mentees
Eduardo Azael Hoy Canul always dreamed of becoming an astronaut, but growing up in a small Indigenous community in Mexico, he never imagined he’d come close to space. That changed when he discovered a love for science at university and pursued a career in electrical engineering. Today, he works in computational thermodynamics at the Center for Research in Advanced Materials, focusing on advanced materials research related to radiation and microgravity. As a Space Generation Advisory Council Delegate, Eduardo has contributed to science and technology projects around the world. He was selected by the Mexican Space Agency to participate in the International Space Education Board, presented a project to reduce educational inequality on the Yucatán Peninsula at the Mexico Aerospace Forum, and spoke at the International Astronautical Congress in Azerbaijan. Eduardo has earned multiple national and state- level awards for his scientific research and leadership, including the State Youth Merit Award and the Young Researcher Award from the Consejo Quintanarroense de Humanidades, Ciencias y Tecnologías. He served as a mentor at Latin America’s first aerospace camp, founded by Fundación Katia Echazarreta, and collaborates on inclusive science education initiatives aligned with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.Through projects like JuventudEs Bacalar, Mi Primera Misión Espacial, and Verano STEAM, Eduardo has empowered children and youth in rural and Indigenous communities. Eduardo notes that there are very few Indigenous professionals in STEM and space exploration, and he is determined to open doors for the next generation. For him, space must be for everyone.
Alma Ocampos Irala is a powerful example of resilience and advocacy. By the age of 17, she had already founded an NGO to teach math to women in Paraguayan prisons, led workshops on teaching techniques for educators in Ecuador, trained underprivileged students in STEM at public schools across Paraguay, coordinated a turtle conservation project in Central America, and volunteered at a Latino immigration NGO in New York City. The first in her family to pursue higher education, Alma is driven by a deep sense of justice and a lifelong commitment to educational equity. She is the co-founder of Lunion Innovations, which will be sending an experiment to the ISS in 2026 as part of the Materials International Space Station Experiment — an opportunity that came after her team won first place in the International Air and Space Program contest hosted by AEXA at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Alma is also a Reinvented Magazine Space Gala ’23 Scholar through the Kennedy Space Center, a 2024 Diversity Scholar with the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and a participant in NASA’s L’SPACE Program at Arizona State University. Most recently, she was a speaker at the Space Exploration Educators Conference at Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. She is currently developing a book featuring messages of resilience from survivors of sexual assault across Latin America. If given the opportunity to travel to space, Alma’s dream is to create a free, online platform that allows students — especially those from Indigenous communities, survivors of gender-based violence, and people with disabilities — to send their own experiments into orbit. Her mission is simple yet profound: to lift others as she rises.
Geraldinn Andrea Cortez Barahona believes that space isn’t just about reaching for the stars — it’s about protecting the planet we call home. She earned an Agronomic Engineering in Natural Resources degree from the University of San Carlos in Guatemala, and is currently pursuing a master's in Digital Soil Mapping at the University of Arkansas, focusing on soil fertility. She is passionate about using microgravity research to develop sustainable farming solutions to combat hunger and climate change. Growing up in Guatemala, space felt far out of reach — especially for women — but that didn’t stop Geraldinn from dreaming. She is currently working with her research team, Luminys, on a Bio-Coating project, scheduled to be sent to the ISS in 2026. She is also analyzing the results of microgravity exposure on seeds from seven different Latin American countries — an experiment conducted during the Valquiria analog mission simulating Martian conditions, in which she participated. Geraldinn's vision goes beyond science — it’s rooted in creativity and art. She believes in STEAM — not just STEM — recognizing that every great discovery begins as a dream, a sketch, a vision painted across the stars.
Samuel Eduardo Castillo Carlos is a primary school teacher in Mexico with a boundless passion for space. He constantly brings the wonders of the universe into his classroom, inspiring young minds to look up and dream big. His ultimate goal is to travel to space and return to the classroom to use that experience as a transformative tool for education. Samuel has participated in both national and international forums and conferences, including the International Astronautical Congress, where he has presented work focused on education, space, and cultivating scientific thinking in children. He has volunteered in various social impact projects and coordinated Semillero Ambiental, an environmental education program implemented in remote communities. In his hometown, he designed and led a scientific summer camp that introduces children to science through a playful, inclusive, and culturally grounded approach. Samuel’s long-term dream is to create an educational center where all children — regardless of socioeconomic background — can explore the universe. He envisions a place that encourages research, experimentation, and critical thinking, equipping the next generation with the tools they need to shape the future.
Melissa Tackett is a kindergarten through fourth grade innovations STEM teacher at Discovery Elementary in St. Charles, Missouri. The winner of the Xploration Outer Space Teacher Astronaut contest, Melissa is known for her infectious enthusiasm for space and STEM education. She brings science to life in the classroom, inspiring her students to stay curious and dream big. As a lifelong space enthusiast and proud “space nerd,” she uses hands-on learning and creative teaching methods to make complex topics engaging and accessible for young minds.
Roxy Williams is an Afro-Indigenous woman and Nicaraguan refugee whose passion lies in using technology to solve complex challenges in aerospace. Known as Roxy, she is a software engineer and Software Development Intern at Intel, currently completing her Bachelor’s degree in Software Engineering at the Latin American University of Science and Technology in Costa Rica. She applies her expertise to help Latin American communities use Earth observation data to forecast hurricanes, protect biodiversity, and advocate for their needs. Roxy serves as the Latin American Coordinator for Cosmos for Humanity and has held several leadership roles within the Space Generation Advisory Council. She also leads DIVINAS, a project aimed at transforming astronaut recruitment practices. In 2021, she served as Crew Commander for the Mars-Moon Astronautics Academy and Research Science program, leading teams in designing human settlements on the Moon and Mars. Her technical contributions include leading the Command and Data Handling and Communications teams for a Mercury Sample Return Mission, developing an AI-powered lunar rover concept, and authoring a dozen technical papers published by the International Astronautical Federation. She is a recipient of the IAF Emerging Space Leader Award and the Space Generation Advisory Council Pioneer Award. Roxy believes one spark, one story, and one role model can ignite a new future, and she is determined to make curiosity contagious.
Guadalupe Montserrat Peralta Méndez has always seen space as a realm of wonder and possibility. Growing up in Mexico as part of the Indigenous Mazatec culture, Montse spent her childhood exploring local caves and imagining herself walking on the surface of Mars. That early curiosity has grown into a lifelong passion for space, which continues to fill much of her free time. Having graduated with a law degree from the Benemerita Universidad Autonoma de Puebla, Montse aspires to become a space lawyer, with a focus on deepening her knowledge of aerospace law and understanding how legal frameworks will shape the future of space exploration. She is also working to bring space science into her community — empowering those who have not yet had the access or opportunity to engage with the field. A long-time activist for the rights of Indigenous women and children, she promotes Mazatec cultural and linguistic traditions, and is a core member of the “Xkōn jā jinsén Ng’ajmi” collective. Unsurprisingly, Montse is a member of the National Speleological Society and the “Huautla System Speleological Project PESH.”
Khuloud Shibani believes that you can’t be what you can’t see. Born in Yemen and now living in Ontario, Canada, her passion for science led her to study Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Ottawa. Wanting to bridge the gap between science and leadership, she later pursued an MBA from Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada. Today, she runs a science communication platform on Facebook with over 100,000 followers around the world, and trains artificial intelligence models to accurately process scientific knowledge. For Khuloud, space should be accessible to everyone. She knows that too many young women — especially those from underrepresented backgrounds — grow up believing that space and science are not for them simply because they don’t see people who look like them in those fields. Khuloud is determined to change that. She wants to inspire others to find their voices in STEM and believes that the true strength of space exploration lies in the diversity of the people in it. Space is about shifting perspectives — both above and here on Earth. And if she can do it, she wants others to know, they can do it too.
Lauren Victoria Paulson has always had a deep love for math and science. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Aerospace Engineering at Georgia Tech, where her research focuses on sustainable space habitation and resupply logistics for lunar and deep-space missions. Alongside her doctoral work, she is earning a certificate in Astrobiology to better integrate planetary science into space system design. Vic’s hands-on experience includes serving as an Asclepios analog astronaut and completing internships at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, Draper’s Harsh Environments Group, and McKinsey’s Digital Capability Center. A 2023 Brooke Owens Fellow, she served as the Habitation Lead on a lunar base project that took first place at the Dassault Community of Experts awards. She also led the design of a non-terrestrial aircraft intended to explore Titan’s largest methane lake in the search for life. When she’s not imagining the future of space exploration, Vic — a licensed, instrument-rated pilot — can likely be found flying through the skies or scuba diving beneath the waves.
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