By: Kristina Bradford 

Space exploration has long paved the way for numerous innovations and advancements that have benefited humanity on Earth — from healthcare to innovations in satellite and communications. However, while the developments of space technology have dominated much of the conversation surrounding the sector, more humans than ever before can experience space — and there’s one nonprofit helping to get more people there.

Space for Humanity, established in 2017 by Dylan Taylor, the CEO and Chairman of Voyager Space, has become more than a philanthropic organization; it has now become a social movement to help democratize space access for Earth’s citizens.

Space for Humanity’s mission is to help mission-driven leaders go to space to serve Earth better. It also allows them to see Earth through the eye-opening Overview Effect, offering a cognitive shift in awareness that humans experience when seeing Earth from space for the first time. Taylor is no stranger to witnessing the life-changing Overview Effect. He had the opportunity to travel to space in 2022 aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard spacecraft.

“Looking out the window, literally took my breath away. It’s a feeling. I know it has been said so many times before, but I never understood it. You have to have the experience. It is so much more profound than it sounds,” says Taylor of the Overview Effect. 

However, Dylan Taylor’s goal was to democratize space well before experiencing the Overview Effect himself. Dylan Taylor’s vision for Space for Humanity came from hearing the stories of astronauts who returned home and viewed the world differently.

“The human potential to pursue a life and economy in space may seem futuristic for many people, but it actually has huge potential for humans to see the best of themselves and drive innovation even further,” says Taylor. 

The Space for Humanity Movement

Since its inception, Space for Humanity

has procured applications from over 10,000 people from diverse backgrounds and over 150 countries to travel to space with help from the organization.Dylan Taylor reflects on how the goal of Space for Humanity is to first focus on sending people based on their potential to create a significant impact on Earth. The organization also takes into account their history and demonstration of leadership skills, proactivity and alignment with the space mission, among other criteria.

One of the first citizen astronauts to travel through Space for Humanity’s program was Katya Echazarreta, the first-ever Mexican woman to travel to space. Space for Humanity chose the candidate due to her achievements in bringing more students to the STEM fields and promoting space exploration in Mexico. Sara Sabry joined Echazarreta on the trip and became the second citizen astronaut to be chosen by Space for Humanity and became the first Egyptian astronaut to travel to space in 2021.

Upon their return, the trip changed their perspectives and understandings of human existence on Earth, with Sara having tears in her eyes at the awe-inspiring view.

However, Space for Humanity is a one stop shop to help train and prepare these astronauts for spaceflight. The organization has also developed a strong pre- and post-flight training program. 

Thankfully, the impact of citizen astronaut travel has already paid off as the chosen astronauts are able to spread their awareness and knowledge to others. As space travel remains expensive, the focus is for these individuals to support the cause before hopefully expanding the organization’s services to allow more individuals to experience space travel in the future.

Space for Humanity accepts donations from members and individuals interested in the organization’s mission. Taylor notes that donations to the organization help support the training and launch of these astronauts into space. Ultimately, he says, the goal is to spread knowledge that we live on a planet in a vast universe and we need to understand how to become stewards of Earth for a more sustainable planet.

“The science and technology that the NewSpace sector has developed to charge a path into space is limited without humanity. We must have an ethical and sustainable focus to help humans experience and utilize space to its fullest potential,” says Dylan Taylor. Thanks to organizations like Space for Humanity, humans are driving the revolution in space sciences so that our knowledge, resources and existence can expand far beyond what we once thought was possible.

Published by: Nelly Chavez