Galveston educator Aymette Medina Jorge made history aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard and now dreams of reaching the International Space Station to inspire Hispanic students in STEM.
On Saturday, Galveston educator Aymette "Amy" Medina Jorge participated in Blue Origin's 12th human spaceflight, an 11-minute mission that crossed the Kármán line, the official space barrier.
The NS-32 mission of Blue Origin's New Shepard program included six crew members, including Odyssey Academy's STEM teacher, Medina Jorge. The brief but life-changing suborbital flight gave her weightlessness and stunning views of Earth, which she hopes is just the beginning.
After landing, she stated, “I would love to visit the space station, if you're hearing me, I'm ready to go,” noting that she and her students have been building an ISS replica.
Medina Jorge, from Puerto Rico, considered the mission an honor and an obligation to represent her background and Latin American STEM goals. She has led over 60 Zero-G and space experiments, including student-designed in-flight 3D printing and biometric sensor testing.
Mexican healthcare and education company Farmacias Similares sponsored her airplane seat. Blue Origin's mission patch acknowledges her dedication to promoting Hispanic STEM representation.
Medina Jorge, who won the 2023 AIAA and Challenger Center Trailblazing STEM Educator Award, continues to inspire young explorers, now with a focus on the International Space Station.
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