Out of this World History: Aisha Bowe the Astronaut in her Own Words

The Bahamas, April 17, 2025 – “As an aerospace engineer, former NASA rocket scientist, and the first Bahamian to fly to space, I care deeply about science, sustainability, and what this mission actually represented.

For ya’ll who think it was short, traveling at 2,300 MPH makes you feel a way…So let’s break it down:

1. Purpose of the mission:

Yes, Blue Origin’s New Shepard is suborbital. But I wasn’t there for the view. I was a science payload operator, flying multiple experiments. One with NASA’s TRISH (Translational Research Institute for Space Health) studied how women’s bodies respond to spaceflight, an area critically understudied, and essential for deep space missions.

I also tested how plants like chickpeas and sweet potatoes grow in microgravity to support future food security.  AND, I also flight-qualified new hardware clearing it for future use in orbit. Not tourism. Research.

2. Climate impact:

Rockets do have an environmental cost just like cargo ships, long-haul flights, and even your average data center. But this wasn’t just about one flight. The long game is reusability. New Shepard is fully reusable, and part of developing cleaner, more sustainable launch vehicles, something we need if we want to monitor climate, deliver satellites, or support Earth-observation missions. And by the way, many climate-monitoring tools rely on space infrastructure.

3. The role of private people:

I left NASA to find two companies focused on education and equity. Through LINGO, we’ve brought STEM access to over 10,000 students worldwide, including in The Bahamas. The goal isn’t just to go to space, it’s to bring what we learn back home.

4. Private vs. public investment:

Let’s not pretend private sector innovation doesn’t play a role. Commercial spaceflight now delivers satellites for disaster tracking, global internet, and agriculture monitoring.

5. Marketing and representation:

Representation isn’t just about optics, it’s about access. As a Black woman and first-generation Bahamian-American, I didn’t grow up thinking space was for me. This mission sent a powerful message: that science isn’t reserved for the elite few. It belongs to all of us. And if one young Bahamian girl saw me and thought maybe I could study engineering, I consider that a mission success.

Yes, be critical. Always. But don’t dismiss the science, the significance, or the opportunity to inspire and inform.

This wasn’t just a moment. It was a launchpad for much more to come.”

Photos courtesy of Aisha Bowe