Kristine “Tin” Atienza’s story begins far from spaceports and astronauts. It starts in Bataan, where as a young girl, she would gaze at the night sky and marvel at its brilliance.
“I was born and raised in Bataan where I also first fell in love with the night sky, and astronomy,” she recalled. “Back then the stars were very much visible as compared to now. I also got fascinated with astronomy because of a colored astronomy encyclopedia, where I learned about the planets, galaxies and constellations. Because of those things, and of course with the help of my parents, I started to dream of becoming an astronomer.”
Her plan was clear: study hard, enter the Physics program at the University of the Philippines, and pursue graduate studies in astronomy abroad. Yet life, as it often does, charted a different course.
Tin was accepted into the BS Applied Physics program at UP Diliman—her first choice and the dream she prayed for every night in high school. But her confidence was shaken when she faced her first academic setback.
“Kind of dramatic and anticlimactic but the first trigger was I failed my first exam in UP, which was Math of all things, and I didn’t just fail. I got a 20%,” she admitted. “Coming from the province, I was insecure to say the least. And all around me were the top of the top of the Philippines. So I decided to shift to a course that at first I didn’t care about much (now I love being a nutritionist/dietitian, and I am super proud of our field).”
That shift—to Community Nutrition—would unknowingly become the bridge between her childhood fascination with the cosmos and her pioneering path to space.
“For me, space and astronomy has been part of my life since I can remember, and although my dreams of becoming an astronomer didn’t come true, it didn’t hinder me from sharing my love for the cosmos to everyone, especially to Filipinos,” she said.
It was during her undergraduate years that a thought began to take shape: if astronauts are humans, then surely nutrition should matter in space. “At first during my undergrad years taking community nutrition, space nutrition was just a passing thought. I know if it actually existed, but it should exist because astronauts are humans too, and they also need food and nutrition even in space.”
Remaining active in the astronomy community, Tin connected with peers across Southeast Asia and Europe, eventually collaborating with nutritionist-dietitians equally interested in the intersection of space and health. “We started to form a group, and later on started our own paths in space nutrition, which until now is not yet established, not as much as other fields. We collaborated in different studies which we conducted in different analog space missions across Europe. That was the reason why I got introduced to analog space missions, and later on, I decided to apply as a crew member myself.”
Looking back, Tin admits she never imagined that her beginnings would lead her toward the possibility of being the first Filipino in space. “NO, not at all. Growing up, I didn’t really dream of becoming an astronaut. It was space nutrition, or nutrition that led me to become an analog astronaut. And with that title, I started to talk about analog space missions to school, and different venues and platforms. Doing those talks and presentations, I saw that people, especially the younger generation, are now hopeful that we too, the Philippines, can go to space someday.”
That realization reshaped her mission. “It felt that it now became bigger than my own goals and aspirations. I felt like I have a responsibility to look for ways on how the Philippines can break the highest glass ceiling (literally), which is the Karman line. That’s why I decided to get certified for spaceflight at NASTAR center, and now, I have this opportunity to finally fly and bring our flag beyond the Karman line through the SERA campaign.”
From nutrition to the stars, Tin’s path may not have been straight, but it is a story of resilience, rediscovery, and responsibility—proof that the roads we don’t expect can sometimes lead to the most extraordinary destinations.
