Nutritionist-dietitian Kristine Jane Atienza. Photo from Atienza's Instagram account.

MANILA — After her analog mission trip to Mars for the The Hawai‘i Space Exploration Analog and Simulation (HI-SEAS), nutritionist-dietician Kristine Jane Atienza is still amazed at how she was able to marry her passion for space and astronomy and her profession.

HI-SEAS is a Mars and Moon exploration analog research station located 8,200 feet above sea level for simulations of the same environment in space.

Atienza went on a six-day analog mission in November 2023 for HI-SEAS and returned to Earth’s environment with a bigger mission to show that space and astronomy is now opening up to more disciplines, not just hard sciences anymore.

“Space is opening up. For Filipinos who would love to work in space, there's a space for us in space. Just continue pursuing your dream kahit ano'ng interest or kahit ano'ng ginagawa mo but you want to do space also, so even if you're a writer, artist,” Atienza told ABS-CBN News in an interview.

“Everything, makakailanganin 'to ng space. Space is opening up to a lot of disciplines hindi na lang like hard sciences. Everyone should be involved in space,” she added.

A ROLLER COASTER JOURNEY

After seeing attractive pictures of the stars and heavenly bodies in the encyclopedia, Atienza fell in love with space and astronomy and gave her the idea of pursuing a career in this field.

“I've been interested in astronomy since I can remember siguro like pre-school. That's my first interest, first love. For me, when I was a kid kasi, I started with a picture encyclopedia. So, I started astronomy because it's very pretty because of the pictures. Nagtuloy-tuloy lang siya because of that, it's very mysterious to me when I was a kid,” she told ABS-CBN News in an interview.

While she first studied Applied Physics at the University of the Philippines Diliman, self-doubts made her take a pause on her dreams.

“That was my goal growing up, to become an astronomer. Ayun talaga 'yung goal ko. I worked hard or I studied hard from grade school to high school. I actually applied for Applied Physics in UP Diliman. I got in. I studied for three years before I shifted to nutrition,” Atienza said.

“Most of it, probably self-doubt, like, ‘is it really for me.’ I was very young and indecisive, I guess. I kind of regretted that decision. Medyo matagal ko siyang natanggap na nag-decide akong mag-shift,” she added.

While pursuing a career as a nutritionist-dietitian, Atienza did not give up on gaining new knowledge about space and astronomy. 

While exposing herself to international astronomical organizations, she met fellow nutritionist-dietitians around the globe, giving space nutrition a try to marry her passion and profession.

“I met people who are also nutritionists, mostly from Europe or the Middle East. They're also nutritionists and they're also interested in space nutrition. Eventually, we formed a group and we did analog missions as researchers, as space nutritionists for analog missions crew members just for me to know,” she said.

THE 6-DAY ANALOG MISSION TO MARS

Atienza started joining analog missions as a researcher and eventually joined one in November 2023 as a nutritionist-dietician and medical officer for HI-SEAS.

“I tried to be active as much as I can kasi when you're in the habitat, you need to work out at least one hour per day in addition pa roon sa expedition, extravehicular activity (EVA) sa habitat, medyo taxing 'yung physical activity,” she said.

As a nutrition specialist, she was in charge of overseeing the preparation of the food for the crew and checking vital signs of the team. This will also be turned into a research paper for future space exploration endeavors.

“As an analog astronaut kasi you simulate how it's like to live on Mars in the future. Basically, we simulate every aspect of living on Mars, from hygiene, cooking, activities, all of those things,” Atienza said.

“We also did our own research or our own experiment because I am doing space nutrition. Basically, I checked their nutrient intake vs physical caloric expenditure,” she added.

After the analog mission, Atienza realized how people take for granted the resources we have on Earth.

“Basically, 'yung resources we take for granted, electricity, water, food. Because when you're living on Mars, very limited 'yung resources, not like even here on Earth. It's not even close as surviving on an island here on Earth kasi on an island, we can have the resources you would need. If you have survival skills, mabubuhay ka na but on Mars kasi very limited,” the nutritionist-dietitian said.

“In the habitat kasi, very limited 'yung privacy plus isolation kasi wala kang social media or hindi easily accessible 'yung communication. Even communicating with our mission control, very limited communication. So, kayo-kayo lang 'yung magkakasama,” she added.

MARRYING PASSION X PROFESSION AND NEW MISSION

It took a call for an ethnoastronomy forum in Bangkok ethnoastronomy for Atienza to take a hold on both her profession as a nutritionist-dietitian and passion for space and astronomy.

“To be honest, it's still surreal. It was just a passing thought before when I was in college because I really love astronomy and I'm doing another thing although after graduation I found my vocation in nutrition that's why I'm still doing nutrition right now, I didn't want to let go of both,” she said.

“There was a time that I'm ready to let go of astronomy but then I don't know, nag-stick lang talaga siya, hindi ko siya mapakawalan din. Marrying both, I can't say that I didn't plan for it. It's always in my head na probably someday I can combine the two. I'm not sure how but eventually it did happen. I think it's kinda surreal. I don't know what worked and how to describe it but I'm just grateful that I can do both. I'm just grateful that I'm at this point in my life that I did integrate both of the things that I love doing,” she added.

After her analog mission, Atienza has a new vision to inspire Filipinos to dream of space again regardless of what profession you are from.

“My main goal lang before when I'm doing astronomy outreach (was) just to reach as much as I can. Just one person that I can inspire because of astronomy, I'm happy. But right now siguro it's an opportunity for me to reach more, more Filipinos, Filipino women, Filipino girls or even boys, dream of space again because it's very hard for us,” Atienza said.

“Lagi tayong nasa-sideline for space explorations. It's very hard for us to dream because unang naiisip lagi means you need to be a citizen of this country to become an astronaut or even to participate in any space activities. I hope I can reach that,” she added.

“I'm taking it as a responsibility para people can be more aware of what we can do as Filipinos in space. We can do a lot of things and we can participate in these activities too and I think this is the right moment for us to participate. It's just the right time for us to be involved in the community, in the whole international space community.”

CLIMATE ACTION

For Atienza, space teaches people on how we could work on sustainability efforts which could help in climate action endeavors.

“Space is where technology is coming from or a lot of technologies stem from space. Like for example, the internet, it came from space technology. 'Yun 'yung hindi nakikita ng mga tao, what space brought us or is bringing us, to be more technologically advanced,” she said.

“Even sustainability because space exploration, going to Mars, going to the Moon, nakakakuha tayo ng best practices on sustainability because you need to optimize the resources so sustainability comes from that idea. It can also help us a lot in our own problems in sustainability, even in our economic problems. We can benefit a lot from space,” she added.

Atienza hopes to be a testament not just to women but all Filipinos to see the need for space exploration efforts.

“I'm doing space nutrition already so I kind of married the two. Right now, I think what I would like to combine naman is doing space nutrition and development work ...'yung use ng space nutrition for food security here on Earth,” she said.

“We have societal barriers why women are not as involved in space. As compared to the '70s, we're more open to women in space. I think if humanity really wants to advance space we need to involve women. We're 50 percent of humanity, space definitely needs women.”