On a day that will be recorded in the Annals of space Exploration, the aerospace Engineer Diana Trujillo, born in Cali, Colombia, directed last Thursday, May 1, her first space walk as NASA certified flight director. From the mission Control Center in Houston, Trujillo was in charge of approving each procedure and leading the land team in an operation that involved two astronauts outside the International Space Station (EEI) for almost six hours.
The space walk – the number 93 in the history of the US – was made by astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, who worked on the installation of a modification kit for new IROSA solar panels, technology that will increase the energy capacity of the station by 30%.
But while the eyes of the world were put in astronauts floating more than 400 kilometers on the earth, from the control center, Trujillo made key decisions. As a flight director, he had under his responsibility the coordination of dozens of specialists in communications, crew health, functioning of space costumes and squad operation.
A trajectory that inspires
Diana Trujillo is not new breaking barriers. He arrived in the United States at age 17 with just $ 300 in his pocket and without knowing English. Her perseverance led her to become a aerospace engineer, work in the NASA jet propulsion laboratory (JPL) and be part of the team that developed the robotic arm of the Perseverance Rover, sent to Mars in 2020.
In 2023 he became the first Latin woman to be certified as NASA flight director. The space walk of May first marks another milestone in his career: the first time he leads an operation of this type.
As flight director, Trujillo supervised each maneuver of the space walk, coordinating in real time with the equipment on the ground and the astronauts in orbit guarantee the success of the mission. This time, he did it in charge of a complex and symbolic mission: it was also the fifth space walk starring exclusively by women.
A Latin American mission
Trujillo was not the only Latin representative in this mission. The Puerto Rican astronaut Marcos Berrios also actively participated from the control center, who performed the role of Capcom, in charge of reading the procedures to astronauts step by step during their extravehicular work.
With his leadership, Trujillo continues to make his way to the new generations of Latin young people who dream of a successful career in the United States. In its multiple public appearances, it has insisted on the importance of visible women and minorities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (Stem).
The walk was broadcast live by NASA’s official channels and can be revived online, including an animation previous narrated by Trujillo herself.
The success of this space walk not only represents an advance in the EEI energy infrastructure, but also a reminder that “space” everyone fit. Diana Trujillo has already won her own and now is an example for many.
