COVER STORY
IN SIG H TS
Stars in Her Eyes
Astronaut-in-Training Elsa Shiju Pursues a Gravity-Defying Goal BY CALEB SCARLET PHOTO COURTESY OF ELSA SHIJU
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S CHILDREN are often confronted with the question: “What do you want to do when you grow up?” and most often, we have the wildest ideas of what we want to do. We want to become sports professionals, princesses, adventurers, or astronauts. In our innocence, we believe that anything is possible, but regrettably, most of us lose our innocent belief and give up on our dreams. Not Elsa Shiju, though. Already at the age of 3, she dreamed of being involved in space exploration. “My father told me about the moon landings and that we could one day travel to Mars,” and that got her curious about the topic and made her watch videos, read books and go to all the Space Camps she could find. By age 7 she knew space was her dream and Mars her destination, so she went for it with all she’s got. For almost her entire life, she's been planning to become an astronaut and be one of the first humans to step foot on Mars. And judging by how committed she seems to the cause, she just might stand a chance. She's already attending NASA's Space Camps, and is now studying collegelevel classes from 8th grade. At just 13 years old, Elsa’s list of accomplishments include witnessing 3 Space Shuttle launches, attending Space Camp 4 times, Space Academy, 38
STEM TODAY | SPRING 2022
Robotics Academy, Cosmosphere Camp, National Flight Academy and VA Space Flight Academy including obtaining her Open Water Scuba Certification. That's an impressive list of achievements already - you have to tick a lot of boxes if you want to make it as an astronaut, but Elsa is checking them off one by one. But it hasn’t always been easy to be taken seriously at such a young age in that industry, she explains, and it’s still sometimes a struggle. Her older peers “have always been welcoming and nurtured my interest in space, but at the same time, I’ve always had the feeling I had to prove myself, and I had to show that I was just as skilled or could contribute just as well.” Elsa’s advice to any young person following their dreams include: Passion: She loves space, so no matter if she experiences challenges or setbacks, she has a fire burning in her which keeps her going. So do something you’re really passionate about and let that fuel your motivation when you’re meeting resistance from your environment. Balance: Although she is full of space passion, she thinks it’s important to balance out her life and not only to focus on her dream. Otherwise, her passion might burn out. So, if you’re working hard to achieve a
goal, remember to take time for fun and other activities too, so you don’t lose your motivation. Openness: Goals are important, but life is full of surprises and the future unpredictable. She always tries to stay open and look out for unexpected opportunities and advises you to do the same. Keep exploring and trying new things out. Once you figure out what you’re deeply interested in and you learn to trust yourself and your abilities, any obstacle becomes manageable. Astronaut isn’t a job; it’s a destination. – Elsa Shiju Training to become an astronaut is no easy feat. It’s not only physically intense, but also psychologically. During her training, she has practiced navigating in zero gravity deep under water. Elsa definitely believes in pushing oneself out of one’s comfort zone in order to learn and grow oneself. It’s scary sometimes, but always incredibly rewarding afterwards. “Right now the plans for going to Mars are set for the early 2030s, which is great because I still have to finish school and get some work experience before applying,” Elsa’s practical nature keeps her relaxed about the upcoming mission and the role she will be playing.
"I’ve always had the feeling I had to prove myself, and I had to show that I was just as skilled or could contribute just as well."
