Blue Origin astronaut shares what the next step in the space race needs to be instead of just planting flags on the Moon

Blue Origin astronaut Laura Stiles has revealed what she thinks the next phase of the modern space race should actually look like and according to her, it’s about a lot more than simply planting flags on the Moon.

The engineer, who accidentally ended up going to space herself after a customer dropped out just days before launch, told Supercar Blondie that the future of space travel is all about building something sustainable rather than just winning a race.

Despite her journey to space sounding directly like it was pulled out of Project Hail Mary, she had the best experience ever.

But, even though she is working in one of the most exciting industries in the universe, she still thinks Earth itself is the best place to be.

This Blue Origin astronaut accidentally ended up going to space

Most astronauts spend years preparing for the exact moment they’ll finally leave Earth behind and go to space, but Laura Stiles got about three days.

Stiles was working as Blue Origin’s director of launch operations and training during the company’s NS-38 New Shepard mission when one of the passengers became ill shortly before launch.

After the company explored other options, her boss walked into a conference room with a life-changing question.

“Hey Laura, if it’s going to be an employee, we would like for it to be you,” she recalled.

“And would you like to go?”

Thankfully, she didn’t need much time to think about the answer.

The aerospace engineer had already spent more than 12 years working on New Shepard, including the parachute systems and astronaut training, so she understood every stage of the mission better than almost anyone.

But even with all that experience, the launch itself was still overwhelming.

“It goes from just the most intense overwhelming part for every sense to just such peace and quiet,” she said, describing the moment the engine cut off in space.

“And then you’re seeing Earth from this view that you can barely comprehend.”

The next space race needs to focus on protecting Earth

While many people assume the modern space race is all about reaching Mars first, Stiles explained that the real goal now is building a long-term presence beyond Earth.

“There definitely is a renewed space race,” she said.

“But it won’t quite look like that ‘touchdown and plant flag, first one here’.”

Instead, she believes the focus should be on creating sustainable ways for humans to live, work, and carry out research in space.

“Whether it’s people there all the time or the ability to go and do science and do research and have it as kind of a stepping platform to go further out into the Solar System,” she explained.

But despite literally becoming an astronaut, Stiles admitted she has no interest in abandoning Earth altogether.

“I’m not a go to Mars person,” she laughed, “I love Earth too much.”

She also revealed that her mom has slowly had to come to terms with her increasingly adventurous career choices, which include both skydiving and spaceflight.

Astronauts: they’re just like us; they still have anxious moms, too.

“That one took her a while,” Stiles joked while discussing her skydiving adventures in comparison to literally going to space.

Eventually though, her family became incredibly supportive, even if sending your daughter into space is probably every parent’s worst nightmare.

And according to Stiles, that support is part of what made the entire experience so emotional.

“It was so overwhelming just the amount of love that I felt,” she said.

As for one of the internet’s favorite space questions, Stiles also admitted she hopes aliens are real too, but thankfully, she clarified she only wants the friendly ET kind and not the ‘steal our brains’ variety.