Space for Humanity Immortalized at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum

WASHINGTON, July 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum opened five new galleries, part of its monumental multi-year renovation, which began in 2018.

Among the new exhibit halls is Futures in Space, which invites visitors to consider humanity's next steps into the cosmos. To help explore this question, visitors encounter two spacesuits as they enter the gallery. One is the orange training pressure suit worn by Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, the first human in space. The second is the flight suit Katya Echazarreta wore on Blue Origin's NS-21 mission, marking her historic journey as Space for Humanity's first Citizen Astronaut. The exhibit description reads: "Electrical engineer Katya Echazarreta wore this suit. Her trip was sponsored by Space for Humanity's citizen astronaut program."

"We are honored, humbled, and thrilled to see Space for Humanity's mission memorialized at the world's most popular space museum," said Antonio Peronace, Space for Humanity's Executive Director. "We pioneered the world's first sponsored Citizen Astronaut Program to give aspiring leaders from all backgrounds the chance to travel to space and experience the Overview Effect — the cognitive shift in awareness that occurs when a human being looks down on the Earth from space. They apply this new viewpoint to drive meaningful change here on Earth. This exhibit at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum isn't just a celebration of Katya's journey, but, standing next to Yuri Gagarin's suit, serves as a powerful symbol of how far space travel has come and the promise it holds for anyone around the world who is willing to dream and reach for the stars."

"As the first Mexican-born woman in space," the Futures in Space placard continues, "Echazarreta has used her new perspective to encourage others. She gives practical advice to girls who want to enter STEM fields but may not know how. She has worked with the Mexican government to promote that nation's further engagement in space."

"Katya was our inaugural Citizen Astronaut and we couldn't have picked someone who better embodies the passion and promise of the role," said Peronace. "Since her return, she's founded an organization dedicated to encouraging others to pursue advanced studies in space-related fields. She continues to inspire communities across Mexico and the world. That's why she's commemorated here. She, like this exhibit, is a catalyst of positive change encouraging others to ask, 'why not me?'"

"It's an incredible honor to have my flight suit on display at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum — a place that inspired me long before I ever stepped into a flight suit myself," Echazarreta said. "I've walked those halls with awe, looking up at the achievements of those who came before me, and it's surreal to now have something of mine included in that legacy. A sincere thank you to Space for Humanity for opening the door to a flight that changed the course of my history, forever!"

As described on the National Air and Space Museum's website, "Futures in Space explores the potential near- and long-term futures that may emerge with advances in space exploration technology and enterprise. The gallery features developing technologies that bring down the cost of space (and) aim to inaugurate the era of commercial and tourist spaceflight…"

As visitors leave, they are challenged with the words: "Who decides who goes to space? Why do we go? And what will we do when we get there?"

"It's my hope that the Futures in Space exhibit leaves visitors with the same sense that Space for Humanity works to impart to audiences around the world," said Peronace. "That the future of space isn't reserved for the privileged few, but instead for all of us. That humanity's future is in space and now, more than ever, we need the perspective space provides to shift our understanding of what it means to be human, live on this small planet hurtling through space, and gaze up with wonderment from our unique position in this vast universe."

For media inquiries, please contact Space for Humanity's Director of Communications, Brandon Fibbs at: [email protected]
www.SpaceForHumanity.org

About Space for Humanity:
Space for Humanity is a nonprofit organization committed to expanding access to space and cultivating a global network of leaders equipped with the perspective to create a more just and interconnected world.

SOURCE Space for Humanity