November 23, 2022, Pablo Alvarez Fernandez and Sarah Garcia Alonso They were called astronauts European space agencyHe became part of the body of career astronauts with a field, it is from the reserve. Almost 30 years ago, the last appointment of the Spanish astronaut. Paul became the third astronaut in our country after Michael Lopez-Elegry and Pedro DukeThe field of Sarah, on the other hand, became The first Spanish woman is cosmonaut.
So until then it was an anonymous, but very appropriate researcher National Center for Oncological Research CSIC (CNIO) became Public character This will be part of the history of our country. The character, who, meanwhile, became the source of inspiration for thousands of children and, above all, Girls
He recently talked about this and much more Astronomical conference that every year they keep in AlmeriaHe was a pole of a speaker with such important personalities as John Mat, the Nobel Physics Prize and the father of the Space Telescope James Webb. Coincides with this event, in Hypertual We took the opportunity to ask some questions about how his career as a researcher with his training as an astronaut and, first of all, about how a girl who dreamed of living adventures ultimately became a source of inspiration for all those girls whose most desired adventure will be like her.
From laboratory to space
Sarah Garcia Alonso began working in Cnio in 2019 in a team Mariano BarbacidThe Spanish biochemist, known for revealing the first mutation that can cause human cancer.
Sarah’s own achievements in this group led her to advance until she becomes a starting researcher. However, since 2022, he unites this work with his Training as an astronaut of the European space reserveThe field for this, two months a year, he asks to suspend work and salary in CNIO and travels to Germany, where he receives minimal training. As soon as you choose it for a specific mission, you will need more time, perhaps at least one year to find out everything you need.
The researcher and astronaut may seem two completely different jobs, but Sarah finds There are many parallels between them. And, as he points out when we talk to her, and then during her conference, she was never clear to her that she wants to be a scientist or astronaut. I just knew what I wanted Live adventures and help peopleHelp the field to make the world better. Both professions, despite the fact that they literally make up at least 400 km (the height at which the International Space Station is located) meets these requirements. They can even converge, since the studies that are carried out in space are often aimed at improving the lives of people here on Earth.
Starting from the ground … why cancer?
Sarah Garcia is one of those people who compress their lives and use the possibilities that she gives as much as possible. This is exactly what he did when he had the opportunity to work in cancer studies. “During the race, I studied in a series of laboratories, and one of them worked in Projects related to projects“He explains.” I liked the investigation, hooked and participated in its first person. “
And, although this was not his goal from the first minute, he soon realized that this is a research area that meets all the requirements for which she decided to devote herself to science.
“For me, cancer at the level of a scientific problem is so complicated that it is gallimatism, whose decision I wanted to participate to promote knowledge,” the researcher says. “I think the consequences of creating withAny progress in this area They really help society help people. ”
Why space?
In February 2021, the European Space Agency announced that I was looking for astronauts After more than 10 years without a call to new places. The published announcements were very insisted on the interests in which women were presented to select the square. Sarah saw an advertisement, and although she was more than pleased with her work, she saw an opportunity that she could not release. “If such an opportunity arises, and you have any interest rate – this is a train that you rise at this time or may never happen again.”
Therefore, although he did not make a decision at that time, he meditated, so far he did not understand that the astronaut’s work would be another way to fulfill his dreams. “I realized that the profession of an astronaut did everything that I always searched in the work of my dreams, and that for me I found in the world of research, but with Adventure This means that work in space sees this blue marble, which is our planet. “
Curiosity and transversality: two fundamental pillars in the career of Sarah Garcia Alonso
Sarah is a person with many interests of the most diverse, both in her work and outside. In fact, he has a lot of hobbies, from weaving to practice under water, through the landing and krav of the magician.
It seems logical and organic that a person with such a variety in his personal life led to a maximum of transverse to a maximum during his career. She, in fact, confirms this when we ask about it.
“The fact of a clash with all kinds of scenarios, whether from a professional, personal or playful field through a hobby, makes you a more resulting person, because the more scenarios you train, the more problems you find and develop this lateral thinking that they say, and now the companies are looking for,” says Sarah Garcia Alonso. “I use things from my personal, professional and playful life in some way Intersectoral, To express it in some way. “
“I applied things from my personal life to my work, from my work to my personal life, and, in the end, I really believe that yes, what, that makes you more religious And it helped me choose, perhaps. “It makes it easier with an example.” Through a hobby, such as ImmersionYou are developing these skills, such as the implementation of procedures, maintaining certain security standards, working in a team, always with a partner, these skills are useful in many professions, including astronauts. “
Two worlds have joined the cosmos
From this across, the missions that Sarah Garcia will be born in the future. As a backup astronaut, the time will come when it will be allocated to the mission for approximately 15 and 30 days in which he will perform Experiments in accordance with your profileYou can study a lot of important problems in space in space to improve our life on Earth. This is because he offers us in all its purity quality that changes everything: Microgravity.
“The fact of a study of microgravity is what changes the paradigm,” he begins. “This changes the properties of matter and physical phenomena that dominate various processes and which can be used as advantages for new materials that cannot be reproduced on Earth, new chemical compounds in medicines, the study of the science of burning or studying, as the human body and physiology affects Radiation and microgravity“
As a result, among many other applications, “new technologies, diagnostic methods or treatment methods” can be obtained.
Inspiration of the one who inspires
Sarah Garcia Alonso was a link for girls. Be that as it may, we see how they celebrate their arrival, since they would celebrate Taylor Swift or any of their idols. Because Sarah is a mass idol. But the idol, which teaches them to be scientific, especially in two very different areas, can be Fun and interesting. The whole adventure. Idol, who also tells them about the importance of hard work, but not as a victim or suffering, but as a way to get great satisfaction.
For her all this responsibilityBut something is very good. “I think it’s good that they see nearby examples that they see that mistakes can be made, that it can be vulnerable and that you can continue to have these ambitions, such a desire and such a passion for studying science, technology and in order to go a little further,” he says.
In addition, Sarah insists that many other scientists fought for a long time. One of the reasons why International Day of Girls and Science which is noted on February 11th. The importance of availability Referents.
“I think it is important to give them these examples in order to be excited and see what they are capable of. Because if the whole environment tells you that in this area you do not see women, what makes you think, from 10, 12 years old, are you going to be the first? You cannot wish anything that you do not know that it exists. ”
It is clear that it is a link, as well as a source of inspiration. But what inspired her? “I had no referents that society can know,” he explains. “They told me about scientific women dedicated to a more technological career, but I did not see them as a mirror in which you can look at me.”
Here, in fact, is the importance of the presence of referents. He knew that these women exist, but he did not see them close or affordable, and this prevented her from comparing. “For me, these were very distant figures that did not imagine what my everyday and my environment were.” But this does not mean that I did not have referents. “In the end, like links, you look at your mother, your classmates, with teachers. These were my referents, but in general people, people who dared to pursue what motivated them regardless of what society expects from them. These people made me think that if they were able, I can also. ”
Therefore, she wants to be a closer link for girls in the field of scientific women. The one that she did not have. “My example is an example of a normal person from a modest family, from a small city who studied at a small university and managed to continue it,” he says. “If this inspires other people to do this, for me this is the biggest pride that I can have.” And, of course, he inspired him, inspires him and will continue to do it. He has many reasons to be proud of.
Source: Hiper Textual
