At 21 years old, Karsen Kitchen made history as the youngest woman to travel to space. This remarkable achievement took place in August 2024 aboard a Blue Origin spacecraft, founded by Jeff Bezos. She was a senior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill at the time of her journey.
However, the title of "youngest person in space" is slightly more complex, as different definitions of "space" exist. While Karsen Kitchen holds the record for the youngest woman, other individuals have achieved suborbital flights at younger ages, depending on how the boundary of space is defined (e.g., the Kármán line at 100 kilometers or 62 miles). For instance, Anastatia Mayers, at 18, became the youngest person to reach space based on the 80-km definition.
It's important to distinguish between suborbital and orbital spaceflight. Karsen Kitchen's journey, like Anastatia Mayers', was a suborbital flight, meaning the spacecraft didn't achieve a full orbit around Earth. Alyssa Carson, while not yet having travelled to space, is a notable figure, known for her ambition to become the first person to set foot on Mars and widely recognized as the "youngest astronaut in training."
Several sources corroborate these claims:
- Karsen Kitchen's record: Multiple news outlets reported on Karsen Kitchen becoming the youngest woman to cross the Kármán line (the commonly accepted boundary of space). [Source: abc7.com, space.com, magazine.college.unc.edu]
- Anastatia Mayers' flight: Anastatia Mayers' suborbital flight with Virgin Galactic made her the youngest person in space based on a slightly lower definition of the space boundary. [Source: livenowfox.com, refinery29.com]
- Alyssa Carson's aspirations: Alyssa Carson's dedication to space exploration from a young age is well-documented. [Source: teenvogue.com, en.wikipedia.org]
Therefore, the answer depends on the definition of "space" and whether the focus is on the youngest woman or the youngest person overall.
