The First Filipino Analog Astronaut Wants to Bring Adobo to Space
She’s a nutritionist, an analog astronaut, a certified mermaid, and the first Filipino to train for space flight. For Kristine Atienza, the sky isn’t the limit—it’s just the beginning.
Kristine Atienza, the Philippines’ first analog astronaut, had a different dream as a child: she wanted to become an astronomer.
It was a passion spurred by the hours she spent poring over the pages of an encyclopedia and nights spent staring at the stars. “My parents, they nurtured that,” she tells Allure Philippines. “We would go out to see meteor showers or eclipses and admire the beauty of the cosmos.”
On the day of our interview, Atienza wore star-shaped hoop earrings and a matching star pendant—a subtle nod to her lifelong fascination.
As early as first grade, she had her life mapped out. “The plan was to study hard, get a physics degree from U.P. Diliman, and then go to graduate school for astronomy or astrophysics.”
But when she finally made it to the University of the Philippines, reality hit hard. Atienza, who consistently got high grades in elementary and high school and graduated with honors, was surrounded by other achievers in the applied physics program. “Everyone was very good. My classmates were from science high schools. It was the first time I felt below average. I went from always being on top to just being in a pool of people. I started asking myself, ‘Am I really meant for this?’ I lost my self-confidence. Looking back, I was too hard on myself. I felt defeated too easily.”
Atienza, then only 16 or 17, made a big decision, one she called “more painful than heartbreak”—she chose to shift courses and she went for nutrition, a field she would eventually come to embrace. “I found my vocation in nutrition, specifically public health, when I interned at the United Nations. Until now, I’m a public health nutritionist.”
That doesn’t mean she gave up astronomy though—not at all. It was the only thing she wanted to do and so she persisted. She joined the U.P. Astronomical Society, eventually leading it, and began dedicating her time to teaching others about astronomy.
Two worlds
Gail Geriane
“I was doing nutrition during the day and astronomy at night. So even back in college, I had two worlds.”
What she didn’t know then was that these worlds would come together and lead her to a new path: making history as the country’s first analog astronaut. “I think, if not for nutrition, I wouldn’t have become an analog astronaut,” she said.
There’s a thin line between the space industry and the astronomy world, says Atienza, who joined and later became an officer of the Space Generation Advisory Council, the largest international organization for youth in the space sector. It has well over 20,000 members from more than 165 countries. Within that group, Atienza found other nutritionists and dietitians and they formed a subgroup dedicated to space nutrition. “The connection is there because astronauts are human beings and human beings need proper nutrition. When we go to outer space and beyond, our physiology will change and that includes our intake of food.”
She dove into this by becoming a nutritionist for analog astronauts who were part of analog space missions—specialized Earth-based simulations of space exploration in which crews are placed in isolated, confined, or extreme environments to mimic the conditions and challenges of missions to the moon or Mars. “I compute their nutritional intake versus physical activity and I do nutrition counseling for analog astronauts.”
Eventually, Atienza thought, “What if I became a crew member? I wanted to feel what analog astronauts feel so I could be a better space nutritionist and a better researcher.”
On a mission
In November 2023, Atienza joined an analog mission at HI-SEAS (Hawai‘i Space Exploration Analog and Simulation), a research station perched on the slopes of Mauna Loa, the world’s largest active shield volcano. “Our scenario was that we were on Mars. Our mission was to compare food systems.”
She spent six days isolated with the rest of the crew, cooking freeze-dried food and hiking down the volcano while wearing a spacesuit.
Atienza was surprised by the attention she received after leaving the habitat. “We had no internet access during the mission. I had no idea what was happening outside. When I got out, there were articles, there were posts, and a lot of people were sharing them.”
She was lauded for being the first Filipino analog astronaut. “The response was bigger than I expected. I thought the astronomy community in the Philippines might notice, but it reached beyond that.”
Using her platform
Gail Geriane
With this platform, she saw a chance to do more. She said yes to interviews, school talks, and mentoring—not for recognition, but to share what she has learned and inspire others.
That’s what Atienza has been doing since her first analog mission. She’s working with the Philippine Space Agency to keep teaching more Filipinos. She helped establish the Philippine chapter of CHASM (Community of Human Analog Space Mission). She founded the Space Nutrition Network. She’s part of Manila Street Astronomers—a group that goes to malls and even the streets to share their telescope with people.
In fact, there was a lunar eclipse on the day of our interview and after her shoot for Allure Philippines, Atienza was planning to head to a mall in Quezon City to set up her telescope so people could get a good look at the blood moon.
Sharing is important to her. “I also do astronomy for the blind and for the deaf. I made a planetarium for the blind using braille. We’re partnering with an organization to make more resources for the blind community and visually impaired. For the deaf, we are planning to compile astronomical terms in Filipino sign language.”
Atienza has a lot of dreams, not just for herself, but for the Philippines. “I’d love for us to have an all-Filipino mission. And eventually, have a habitat here so people can do analog space missions here too. We have caves. We can do that.”
It took a while, but her worlds are coming together. “Now, it’s all mixed up for me. It’s intersecting. I think I’m privileged enough to merge most things. I love finding connections between my passions and making bridges in different fields.”
Filipino space food
The company where she works now as a nutritionist is actually collaborating with a school in developing a rocket. She’s also working as a consultant for different projects. “One is for developing Filipino space food. So we plan to bring our dried mango to space.”
When it comes to space nutrition, she has another dream. “I really want to bring adobo to space,” she says, laughing. “But beyond adobo, I hope to establish space nutrition as a field. I want to empower dietitians, nutritionists. Because we’re a field that’s a little overlooked in allied health,” Atienza explains, referring to the sector of health professionals who are not nurses, doctors,or dentists.
As if those passions aren’t enough, this analog astronaut is also a certified mermaid—certified to dive and swim underwater, while wearing a mermaid’s tail, after undergoing training. Atienza laughs, saying, “They call me ‘space mermaid.’ I’ve wanted to become a mermaid ever since I watched ‘The Little Mermaid 2’ in fourth grade. Like scuba diving or free diving, there are different levels. I’m at an advanced level now.”
Her love for being underwater isn’t so unlike her obsession with the cosmos and exploration, she says. “There’s so much we don’t know yet. The ocean is so beautiful. I feel so much calmer underwater than I do on land.”
As a woman, Atienza has faced a lot of barriers. “Especially in space, and in science in general. When I go outside the Philippines, I’m not just a woman, I’m also a minority of minorities. Even my age and the fact that I look young are barriers. I overcame those by thinking that all these barriers are actually another perspective. If I feel like I’m not supposed to be in that room because I’m this and that, I just think that I can give them a different perspective about things.”
She’s never let being a woman hold her back. Last year, she underwent space flight training at NASTAR (National Aerospace Training and Research Center), becoming the first Filipino to be certified for space flight. “After my training, I went to the Philippine Embassy in Washington D.C. and, while wearing a dress, heels and a sparkly headband, I talked to an official about how we need a human space flight program.”
Going into space is also now part of Atienza’s plans. “I thought about it for a long time. It feels like a responsibility for me to look for ways for us to go to space. It’s not a next step for me, but for the Philippines. If it was just for me, I wouldn’t do it. But I think this can bring us opportunities.”
She’s done a lot of things—and she will do a lot of things—but what she’s proudest of is creating communities.
Her advice for young girls passionate about the same things?
“Study hard—you can’t skip studying and working hard. But beyond that, look for mentors. Find the courage to send that message to someone you feel that might help you. Do what you love. Don’t be too hard on yourself. Give yourself a break. And most importantly, have fun.”
Art direction and beauty direction by Mikiyo Ricamora. Photography by Gail Geriane, assisted by Jotham Meregildo. Makeup by Denise Go Ochoa, assisted by Frankie Bacierto and Micaela Go. Hair by Aica Latay. Styling by Jermainne Lagura and Jia Torrato of Qurator.
