MURAL HONORS SPACE TRAVELER
Katya Echazarreta was the first Mexican-born woman to travel to space on the Blue Origin mission in June
Katya Echazarreta’s first childhood memories are of Tijuana. Now, the 27-year-old, who in 2022 became the first Mexican woman to travel to space, gets to add another memory of this city: a mural featuring her historical achievement.
“Tijuana has always been a very important part of me,” Echazarreta said. “My memory begins stepping off the plane at Tijuana’s international airport and arriving at our first house in (the neighborhood) El Mirador. So, for me, my life really started here.”
Echazarreta, born in Guadalajara, lived for a time in Tijuana before moving with her family to San Diego when she was 8 years old, eventually becoming a U.S. citizen.
She graduated from Eastlake High School and later studied electrical engineering at San Diego City College before transferring to UCLA.
Echazarreta, who has worked on five NASA missions, was chosen by the Space for Humanity organization among 7,000 applicants from 100 countries to be part of the crew of Blue Origin’s New Shepard NS-21 Mission to space in June.
On Tuesday, Echazarreta was witness of the unveiling of a mural, 105 feet wide by 10 feet tall, featuring her image on the left corner.
“It is a very emotional moment, especially because I am an engineer, and these type of things do not happen to engineers,” she joked about being depicted on the mural. “All of this has been so beautiful to me, to see the love of my fellow Mexicans and especially with something like this.”
The mural by artist Iván Arévalo was an initiative of the U.S. consul
ate in Tijuana. It is part of a series of activities that began last year to celebrate 200 years of diplomatic relations between Mexico and the United States.
On Dec. 12, 1822, U.S. President James Monroe, welcomed José Manuel Zozaya y Bermúdez, Mexico’s first diplomat in the United States, at the White House.
“This mural depicts the deep, rich and extensive ties between our two great countries. We are partners and neighbors. Strengthened by common values, strong
business connections and shared cultural ties,” said Tom Reott, U.S. consul general in Tijuana.
The mural, located at the top of the Santa Fe gas station on Revolución Avenue, shows symbols representative of the two countries and the San Diego-Tijuana region: tourism, science, migration, industry and family, among others.
The mayor of Tijuana, Montserrat Caballero, celebrated the presence of Echazarreta at the ceremony. Her name, she said, “will remain in the hearts of all Mexicans and above all as part of the history of the United States and Mexico.
“Today, Katya shows us
and demonstrates to all the girls in the country, the nation and the world that it can be done,” the mayor added.
Echazarreta said she hopes to promote a constitutional reform in Mexico that will allow the aerospace industry to grow, as well as back the creation of a stateof-the-art scientific and technological research center in Mexico.
“I will continue to fight, and I will not stop until we can have the first Mexican mission with Mexican astronauts and eventually, we can reach the moon and Mars together,” she said.