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Sara García Alonso, scientist, astronaut, and author of 'Orbits', her first book which will be available on the 23rd. José Ramón Ladra
"I Can Be a Warrior and a Granny at the Same Time"

"I Can Be a Warrior and a Granny at the Same Time"

Releasing 'Orbits' on the 23rd, where she shares her life experiences, narrates some adventures like her time at a combat camp, and opens up about why she almost quit the space career at the last moment.

José Antonio Guerrero

Madrid

Sábado, 18 de enero 2025, 13:21

A light-year before becoming the first Spanish astronaut in history, Sara García Alonso (León, 36 years old) was a shy, solitary, clumsy, and somewhat self-conscious child who grew up as an only child in a humble family home and studied with scholarships at a public university. Later, that young woman decided that nothing and no one would limit her life, and in that process, she dyed her hair the iconic 'Mars color' that characterizes her, tattooed half her body, learned to say no, started exercising (by 6 am she is already working out), and earned her stripes as a cancer researcher at CNIO after earning a PhD in Molecular Biology. She also signed up for a commando course aimed at hand-to-hand combat where six men "with the physique of Conan the Barbarian, military uniforms, and balaclavas" pushed her to the limit with taser gun electric shocks, tear gas, extreme interrogations, and night baths in the icy waters of a river in Spain, which she does not identify for confidentiality reasons.

Like most participants, she 'gave up' in less than 24 hours (the course lasted four days), but she became very good friends with her instructors, who from that moment treated her "with deep respect" and congratulated her for enduring so much. This brutal experience and others that are a continuous demonstration that one can go beyond, that there are no limits, are deliciously described in 'Orbits' (Penguin), the first book by our brilliant 'starwoman' - on sale this Thursday the 23rd - in which Sara unravels her inspiring life journey ("a life in continuous exploration," as she herself points out) until the great day in 2022 when she was chosen, among 23,000 applicants, as the first Spanish astronaut of the European Space Agency.

The book is dedicated to Mario, her partner, "the person who makes me laugh the most in the world and with whom I most enjoy being," and to Esther and Marino, her parents, "for their immense love and unconditional support" and for encouraging her to be a peg-legged pirate, "if that made me happy."

– At 6 years old, she asked the Three Wise Men for a microscope to learn beyond the visible. And that spark of curiosity traced the orbit that has marked her life. Did curiosity lead her to become an astronaut?

– Curiosity is what has led me to do all the crazy and non-crazy things in my life, wanting to experience, squeeze every moment, and learn and grow in each of its steps.

– And today, what intrigues you?

– I have the uncertainty of how the book will be received. This is a new adventure, it's my first literary orbit, an unknown territory to explore.

– In 'Orbits', you mention that you were a very introverted child, but in two years you have participated in 500 public events…

– I don't know if they have helped me overcome my shyness, but they have made me capable of facing a social environment that I don't know, and even enjoying it. Although I still prefer moments of solitude, I am very happy like that or with my partner.

"I don't have a phrase planned if I step on the Moon, but my body asks for a joke"

– You were also a child who was anxious about the dark, but you weren't afraid of night walks with your father in Candanedo de Boñar (the village in León of your grandparents where you escaped on weekends)

– By observing the vastness of the universe on those walks, I became curious about whether we are really alone and what we can discover about our origins.

– There you keep a wooden cabin on a tree that you built with your father as a child. Was adventure already calling at your door?

– I believe that the way you grow up when you are a child is what permeates your brain the most, perhaps what marks you the most and towards what your tastes will be. Growing up in a village and spending all my vacations in the mountains and camping awakened in me that feeling of exploration, of adventure. And over the years, I have been enhancing it. I still escape to that little cabin and spend a few hours reading.

– You were a tall and burly teenager and suffered bullying, what would you say to kids who suffer from bullying today?

– Don't keep it to yourself because that wound festers and it's better to heal it as soon as possible. When you are twelve or fourteen years old, you think you are alone in the world, that what happens to you only happens to you, but if you share it, you see that you are not alone, that those complexes, those fears, those insecurities, that damage that others' words do to you… it happens to everyone. Sharing it helps you feel supported, to share it with other friends, with parents, or with educators.

– At 18, you traveled to London to overcome your shyness and shed the fear of traveling alone. Have you always wanted to overcome fears?

– Yes. I was afraid to travel alone, of the dark, of speaking in public… and that fear limited me. Whenever something like that happens to me, I try to face it.

– You were nicknamed Nancy Saffron (after the doll's name and the fiery red color of your hair) at a hand-to-hand combat camp, with hooded monitors who insulted and mistreated you. How do you remember that brutal experience?

– Hahaha, I did it a bit to see how far I am capable of going, I think I'm not that strong, that I'm not that resilient, that I'm going to give up easily… and when you test yourself, you realize that you are stronger than you thought. And believe me, after that camp, you put everything into perspective. I still have scars on my back, but it did me a lot of good. Then I spent three days in bed unable to move, vomiting from how bad I was, but even so, I have a wonderful memory of my most outlandish adventure.

From top to bottom, the Leonese astronaut at the Penguin headquarters, the publisher of 'Orbits'; with children from an Asturian school; and in the uniform of the European Astronaut Centre of the European Space Agency. José Ramón Ladra and E. C.
Imagen principal - From top to bottom, the Leonese astronaut at the Penguin headquarters, the publisher of 'Orbits'; with children from an Asturian school; and in the uniform of the European Astronaut Centre of the European Space Agency.
Imagen secundaria 1 - From top to bottom, the Leonese astronaut at the Penguin headquarters, the publisher of 'Orbits'; with children from an Asturian school; and in the uniform of the European Astronaut Centre of the European Space Agency.
Imagen secundaria 2 - From top to bottom, the Leonese astronaut at the Penguin headquarters, the publisher of 'Orbits'; with children from an Asturian school; and in the uniform of the European Astronaut Centre of the European Space Agency.

– You chose grunge to start with, love rock above all things, enjoy metal "to the point of a neck sprain," but also enjoy classical music… You say in the book that you have always found the perfect song to release tension or boost your mood and seek motivation. What is the song that defines your life?

– Because of that passion I feel for music, I can't stick to one because now I would tell you one and in 5 minutes I would tell you another, but I have always identified with The Great Gig in the Sky by Pink Floyd. It has no lyrics. It's a woman humming, but I am passionate about those notes. It is part of the album The Dark Side of the Moon (here Sara shows her wrist with a small tattoo that reproduces the famous prism on the cover).

In 'Orbits', you include the phrase 'I'll see you on the dark side of the Moon' as a presentation card...

I put that reference to manifest all the faces, the brightest and the hidden side that we all have. Nothing is as wonderful as it may seem on social media. And at the same time, I added the Monty Python phrase 'Always look on the bright side of life' because just as I tell you there is a hidden side, I believe you should always look on the bright side of things. We all live in that kind of duality. In the end, we are monsters with many heads, and each one manifests in a different way. You don't have to choose black and white, which is why I also find it hard to choose a song.

Rebequita and knitting

– Sometimes you are seen as a mix of supermodel and space warrior with a rebellious and alternative spirit, with 'Mars red' hair, tattoos… but you also crochet!

– Hahaha, and I also make homemade stews! I'm very much a granny. And when I'm at home, I'm with a little cardigan, glasses, and knitting. I can be a warrior and a granny at the same time!

– That warrior parachuted and on her first jump, it got tangled, and with a cool head, she started kicking in the air to untangle it. She was close to death, but as soon as she landed, she didn't hesitate and jumped again.

– It's just a bit of a gruesome anecdote, but you have to take all the epicness out of it. I know myself, and jumping again was a way to get ahead of my limitations.

– You were already a biotechnologist and dedicated to cancer research when you saw the news that Europe was looking for female astronauts, what was the motivation to try?

– I entered out of curiosity but with no intention. I was 32 years old, and my career was very focused on science and research. But I saw that I could transfer my research to space and solve problems, which is what scientists do. I like solving problems. The job characteristics seemed fascinating to me. I saw myself reflected in many things, even though my knowledge of astronomy or aerospace engineering was nil. But that's not what they asked for, which surprised me. What you really need is the willingness to learn anything, to face problems and solve all kinds of situations, to work as a team… Seeing all that together, I realized it was what I had always sought, the job of my dreams since I was a child.

– And on November 11, 2022, the big news, you had been selected by the European Space Agency! What did you think?

– That someday I could be one of those bright dots observing Earth from the International Space Station.

– How beautiful is that!

– Hahaha, the first time I thought about it was in the middle of the process when I didn't know if I would make it. It was summer, I was at Mad Cool with my boyfriend at a concert, and it started to get dark. And the moon came out just above the stage, and I kept looking at it thinking 'what if I could be there on the Moon imagining that I'm looking at people while they look at me?'. And now it could become a reality. Just thinking about it still seems incredible to me.

– Was being yourself with your virtues and flaws key to the selection?

– Well, maybe yes. I can't conceive of deceiving myself, and deceiving others goes so against my personality that I prefer to be straightforward. I am a human being, I make mistakes, and I am vulnerable too. That's it, it's no big deal, and that has given me tremendous peace of mind. And in the case of the selection process, I also applied that mentality. They are looking for a very particular profile. It doesn't mean that if you don't get it, you're not a great professional in a thousand other fields. It means they are looking for this specifically. If you meet it, fantastic… but if you don't, it's better they detect it because you won't be able to perform your job, and we are talking about a very extraordinary job because, besides representing the European Space Agency, you represent a country, a spirit, ideals, generations… If you don't know how to do it, if you won't be happy, if you won't be comfortable, it's better not to get there. And that gave me a lot of peace and allowed me to be completely honest.

– But you yourself say in the book that at the last moment you were about to step back…

– Before taking that step, I was Sara, meaning no one knows me, I don't represent any country, any institution. I can back out because the Spanish astronaut doesn't exist, but the moment I step out there, I'm no longer Sara. I represent Spain, science, women, the European Space Agency, space research… and that implies a responsibility, and I have to be sure that I will be the last to fall and will carry that responsibility to the last consequences. That's when I doubted if I was willing. Everyone will know you, you love your privacy, your solitude, you like being alone… That's over, your life will change. I decided to take the step, and here I am, overcoming shyness for the rest of my life.

– When you walk down the street, do people ask for selfies?

– I still think I'm anonymous, that no one knows who I am, and I'm so happy. But if they recognize me in a bar, they don't interrupt me or do so when I'm already leaving the place. People are super respectful.

– What do you say to young people?

– That the limits are in our heads, that the more we face them and test ourselves, the stronger we will come out.

– And when girls tell you they want to be scientists?

– If I have had anything to do with that, there can be no greater pride.

– What is your dream?

– A space mission focused on biomedicine.

– Will we step on Mars or cancer first?

– We don't have a crystal ball. Cancer is a tremendously complex set of diseases that we tend to simplify under that word that scares us so much. Just like stepping on Mars, it seems a bit ambitious and science fiction. But step by step, exploring, researching, putting more pieces in the puzzle, is how we will get to a place we didn't even dream of reaching 20 years ago.

"I have no attachment to almost anything"

– Come on, an exclusive. If the challenge of a woman stepping on the Moon is met and it's you, what would be your phrase for history?

– I haven't thought of it because it has to be something quite epic. Maybe they'll even give it to me. What my body would ask for is to make a joke.

– Would you take any amulet?

– I'm not superstitious at all. I'm very little materialistic and have almost no attachment to anything, but in that kilo and a half that we are allowed per astronaut, I would like to take many small things or a fabric that can be cut into pieces to later give away little pieces to many people because all that carries an official certificate that it has been outside planet Earth.

"It's incredible to think that someday I could be one of those bright dots observing Earth"

– Who would you never get on that rocket with?

– With a negative person, one of those who drain your energy and never see the good side of anything.

– Is there intelligent life up there?

– I think there is probably microscopic extraterrestrial life. Intelligent life? It seems incredible to think we are the only ones in the universe. So, as Mulder said in 'The X-Files', I want to believe. Now, why would we think an intelligent civilization communicates the same way we do? I think even if there were, we might not know how to detect that communication.

– You have just returned from the European Astronaut Centre in Cologne after completing the first of three two-month training blocks as a reserve astronaut, and you concluded it with a survival course in the Pyrenees!

– Yes, and I have learned so many things from the instructors! They have been Rangers, have been in many armies, and are survival experts. Also, to handle the cold and solitude. Because part of the training involved being on your own for 14 or 16 hours building a shelter, dealing with the cold and isolation. It's one of the things I'm most proud of. When I was alone at night without lighting and at 15 degrees below zero, I thought of the Sara who was in Candanedo de Boñar with her father saying "My God, if I were here alone in the woods, I would die of fear," and now I was alone in the middle of a snowy forest, and not only was I not afraid, but I was tremendously happy.

– Where do the stars guide you now?

– To keep challenging myself. This book is a challenge, and everything that will come with it and what I will face is a learning experience. New lessons, new perspectives, new people I will meet.

– Are you already thinking about a second book?

– I have ideas for a novel and also for scientific outreach books.

– Are you interested in politics?

– No. Up there, there are no ideologies, all kinds of cultures coexist, and all the nationalities in the International Space Station are needed for it to function. We should be less localist and more citizens of the universe.

– In the face of the climate catastrophe, do we have no choice but to find a place outside Earth?

– Right now, there is no planet B. We have to take care of the one we have. I advocate for exploration and going further and further, but for science, not for tourist, political, or economic ambitions, or because we need to find an alternative to planet Earth.

– You say in the book 'How far do we have to be to appreciate the beauty of what we have so close'.

– Certainly. It's the perspective effect that many astronauts have felt when they look at Earth from space and realize how beautiful and perfect our planet is, and at the same time, how fragile it is. How can we be destroying it in this way!

– A researcher who studied at a public university and with scholarships, what do you think of millionaires like Musk leading the space race?

– I have always done public research, but public-private collaboration usually brings synergies. The private part accelerates things. We have to build those bridges so that both go hand in hand and go further. What Musk has achieved by capturing a Starship rocket is a milestone in space engineering. I recognize those achievements. What is he like as a person? I have my own opinions. I recognize that part, other parts not.

– What would you do on the last day of your life?

– Be with my partner having some beers and having the conversations we usually have every day about any topic of life and laughing with him, who is the person who makes me laugh the most in the world.

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