Jackelynne is an aerospace engineer working at NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston. Originally from Cusco, a city in the Peruvian Andes, and once capital of the Inca Empire, Jacky dreamed from a very young age of becoming an astronaut. Married with two small children, she has two degrees from Rutgers University (one in Aerosapce engineering and another in spanish translation), two masters degrees in aerospace science and engineering (from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University & Georgia Inst. of Technology), Jacky has worked very hard to get to NASA. But it is Jacky's determination and family support network that appealed to me most when we spoke. She is an inspiration for women and men who dare to dream big, reminding us that if the heart is willing there are no obstacles, only those we tell ourselves.

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Humans of Space was produced by Catherine Cunning and Mark Gardener of Ox4 Studios, Oxford and music by Tom Beasley. To find out more, and to subscribe for further episodes, go to www.niamhshaw.ie for further details. Follow Niamh on Twitter & Instagram at @dr_niamh_shaw.

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