Dr. Norah Patten, a woman from Co Mayo living in Dublin, is set to become Ireland’s first astronaut in 2026. She will be part of an all-woman team sent by the International Institute for Astronautical Sciences on a sub-orbital space mission. The mission aims to advance scientific knowledge in areas like fluids and biomedical research in space using Virgin Galactic’s Delta spacecraft.
Dr. Patten, an aeronautical engineer with a PhD from the University of Limerick, has dreamt of space travel since visiting NASA as a child. Her hard work and persistence have now made her dream a reality. The cost of the flight is estimated to be around $600,000 and will focus on studying life performance in space.
As a payload specialist, Dr. Patten will test various experiments during the two-hour flight to maximize research outputs. She also plans to engage with Irish people and promote the space sector. Despite some family members being nervous, Dr. Patten feels a sense of pride and responsibility in representing Ireland on this historic mission.