I talked with an astronaut! I'm joined this time by Sara Sabry, the first Arab, Egyptian and African woman to ever go up in Space. She made history on August 4th of 2022 by flight on Blue Origin's NS-22 mission, this day forward we all stand on her shoulders. All little girls and women of the region and beyond are proud, inspired by her achievement and as she said: “They can finally see themselves represented in space”.
I had the chance to talk with her before the launch of the Shepherd Suborbital rocket and a couple of days after she landed. You will be able to listen these two moments on today’s episode. It was fascinating seeing the excitement and expectation when we first talked and then listening to her sharing the unique and personal experience was really impactful.
We also talked about her trajectory, how she was prepared to the mission—breathing exercises and envisioning being one of tools used—she also shared her nexts steps after comeback to earth: working on her non-profit company Deep Space Initiative to increase the opportunities of space research in the Middle East region, and as a mechanical and biomedical engineer keep doing her PhD research focused on developing the next generation of planetary spacesuits.
Expect to see more and more of Sara Sabry because she is continuing to do astronaut training to be qualified to do research on space. My Egyptian heart is full after this amazing episode.
Links:
- Sara Sabry's social
- Deep Space Initiative: Website • Instagram