An upcoming crew member on Blue Origin’s next flight into space, Kitchen said she knew from a young age that this is what she wanted to do.
“I was born loving space. I’ve always liked space,” she said in an interview with 97.9 The Hill. “I used to go outside with my dad when I was younger and we would look up at the night sky, and I remember telling him that I wanted to be an astronaut.”
The UNC senior has previously worked at Morehead Planetarium, conducted research in radio astronomy at Green Bank Observatory, and interned with Blue Origin. But the upcoming space tourism flight, which is set to take place before the end of the year, will be her first time in space.
Out of about 650 people who have traveled to space, less than 100 have been women. At 21 years old, Kitchen said she’s humbled to make history as the youngest member of that group.
The Carolina student is one of six crew members to be on the flight, and she said the opportunity arose after attending a previous Blue Origin launch. There, she said she shook as many hands as she could.
“I told most of them two things: that I want to dedicate my life to the space industry…and secondly, if they had any opportunities to send a young woman to space, that I’m your girl. Call me,” she added.
While the total trip only lasts between 15-20 minutes, Kitchen said she’s been preparing for something like this for years, engaging in zero-gravity flights and centripetal force training. She will also undergo intensive training a few days before launch.
New Shepard #NS26 crew will include Nicolina Elrick, Rob Ferl, Eugene Grin, Dr. Eiman Jahangir, Karsen Kitchen, and Ephraim Rabin. Read more 🚀: https://t.co/qEIyuoLeR4 pic.twitter.com/D5SfdnB3vy
— Blue Origin (@blueorigin) July 24, 2024
The future crew member said she’s also been thinking about what to take with her on her first trip to space.
“You can bring up to three pounds,” she explained. “So they give you a bag, and they say ‘fill this up with whatever you want,’ and I’ve asked all my friends and family to give me something that I can bring up with me and that I can give back to them.”
For her own item, Kitchen plans to bring Astronaut Barbie, a doll that she said represents the unlimited possibilities that women have, opening more channels for them by breaking the glass ceiling.
The UNC senior currently studies communications and astronomy, and she said she’s excited to explore a variety of professional routes within the space industry after graduating in the spring – like, for example, marketing and customer experience.
The fact that there’s more to the job field than astronauts, rocket scientists, and those with STEM educations is the driving force behind Orbitelle, an initiative Kitchen founded this year that aims to inspire young women to pursue opportunities and careers in the space industry.
She said she’s proud of how the launch is an opportunity to motivate others who are curious about space.
“A lot of people have dreams of becoming a professional baseball player or a movie star,” said Kitchen, “and a lot of those dreams don’t come true, but if you keep your dreams alive and you keep working towards them every day, then they have a much greater chance of coming true.”
The date for Kitchen and Blue Origin’s New Shepard 26 launch will be announced later in 2024.
Editor’s Note: Jim Kitchen, who is Karsen’s father, is a co-owner of the Chapel Hill Media Group — which consists of 97.9 The Hill and Chapelboro.com.
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