As students of the sciences, we dare to imagine ideas that could change the world.
As engineers of every discipline, we develop technologies that could change the future.
As humans, we dream not just of what we can create, but of the legacy we can leave behind.
Our goals and our dreams stand on the simple, yet daunting hope that we might leave this Earth a better place than we found it. That dream is beautiful, but also very hard.
At the time that I’m writing this, it’s T-7 days until launch. I’m sitting just outside my laboratory, taking in a moment of quiet before the whirlwind of launch takes place. Inside, one of my colleagues is rehearsing her master’s thesis proposal, in front of our entire research group. This particular day, I arrived just a little too late, so instead of slipping in, I sat to listen from the hallway. As her presentation progresses, I listen to the voices of my colleagues echoing from within, providing feedback, building on her ideas, refining her vision. The true essence of scientific collaboration in action. And I think to myself: How lucky am I to be surrounded by such brilliant, innovative minds?
However, my fortune doesn’t stop at these walls. Through Higher Orbits, I’ve also become a part of an intergalactic community, spanning states, careers, and generations. They have given me tools to build a launchpad for myself, to take me where I need to go.
As we approach launch day, I think back to when I first heard about Higher Orbits, and how I hesitated to attend Go For Launch!, because I didn’t know what it was. Now, knowing what I know, I would choose this community over and over again, in every possible universe. Because, as young scientists, we don’t just need opportunities to succeed, we also need support. We need people who believe in us, challenge us, and celebrate with us when we do something exciting. Our careers can be exhausting, but when you’re surrounded by people who are supportive, collaborative, and endlessly inventive, it’s also exhilarating.
The first Go For Launch! I attended was the Space Coast 2023 event. I attended as the professor that was mentoring me at the time recommended the program to me. As I walked into the conference room of the KSCVC, Michelle greeted us, welcoming us to the program. At the time, I didn’t know anyone, and I sat at the nearest empty seat, next to the girls who would go on to be my partners in orbit, in this research experiment.
As Michelle introduced us all to what the next couple of days would look like, we got to working. We brainstormed, refined, dug through literature, sketched our CubeLab diagram, designed a mission patch, and communicated as if we had known each other for years. It was unlike anything I had ever experienced up until that time in my life. Presenting our project to a panel of aerospace professionals, astronauts, engineers, and educators, was such a surreal moment. It almost felt as if we were actual adults, working in the industry, proposing a project idea to other professionals.
Prior to learning who the winner of the event was, I already knew that, regardless of the outcome, I was leaving that day having learned so much and formed so many space friendships. In my mind, I had already won because of that. However, hearing the words “Team SuperNOVAs” come out of Michelle’s mouth at the time of the announcement, was a life changing experience, one I will never forget.
We had done it.
The launch of my team’s research experiment does not mark the culmination of my time with Higher Orbits. As an alumna of Go For Launch! I will continue to contribute to this very community that has helped me reach higher orbits. Words could never truly express how incredibly grateful I am for the support I’ve received, but I will spend my life trying. And, in any way I can, I’ll always strive to continue showing how thankful I am. Because, if my life was changed in this way, how many other young lives could be? How many dreams could take flight?
So, as I’m about to hop back into my research for today, I reflect on all the incredible opportunities I’ve had, the brilliant people I’ve met, and the knowledge I’ve gained these past couple of years. And I know it has all been a result of that hot summer day in 2023, right here on the Space Coast, when I first walked into Go For Launch!, and met my Space Family.
Higher Orbits, thank you.
With love,
Valentina
Written By Stellar Student Valentina Guillen Pacheco, , Team SuperNOVA,
Winners of Go For Launch! Space Coast 2023 and the winners of the Go For Launch! 2023 Series
