Space for Humanity’s Citizen Astronaut program is dedicated, in part, to eliminating long-standing barriers within the space sector – namely, those related to space flight participation, astronaut training, and space research accessibility. In pursuing these goals, the program has had the honor of facilitating historic milestones for space industry equity and advancement, helping some of the world’s most ambitious and impactful leaders achieve their goals of entering space, experiencing the overview effect, and leveraging their accomplishments in their ongoing work and space advocacy on Earth.
Sara Sabry is one prominent example of this success; as Space For Humanity’s second citizen astronaut selection, she became the first Egyptian person, the first Arab woman, and the first African woman to enter space in 2022. The feat came aboard Blue Origin NS-22, or “Titanium Feather,” the 22nd successful flight of Blue Origin’s New Shepard program. Sabry joined a 6-person crew in training for and ultimately achieving the sub-orbital mission, which launched from Corn Ranch space station on August 4th, 2022, and lasted approximately 10 minutes and 20 seconds.
Before her historic space flight, Sabry earned mechanical and biomedical engineering degrees, pursuing research surrounding AI-driven medical robotics. Her work eventually expanded to the space sector, culminating in her completion of the IIAS Scientist-Astronaut Training Program, making her the first Egyptian woman to become fully qualified to conduct space research. She then participated in a 2021 moon mission simulation at Poland’s LUNARES research station, which made her Egypt’s first female analog astronaut. This simulated mission entailed various tasks centered on station stability and daily functionality, from station maintenance and agricultural testing to food preparation and emergency protocol – all providing the physical, mental, and practical means of better navigating a real-world lunar mission of this nature.
Sabry has since remained significantly active in the space community as a leader, innovator, and entrepreneur. She is the founder of Deep Space Initiative (DSI), a Colorado-based nonprofit aimed at increasing and fostering space industry accessibility via educational and research-based opportunities. The initiative’s website leads with a simple yet profound question: “Why limit the limitless?” This notion represents an important paradigm shift in a long gatekept and siloed space industry, with citizen astronaut leaders standing as major influences on tomorrow’s space innovators.
As Space for Humanity continues its journey toward such expansion, its citizen astronauts represent its deepest values and highest ambitions. In realizing her own noteworthy ambitions on and off Earth, Sara Sabry remains one of the program’s proudest success stories.
Photo credit: Space for Humanity
