Reynosa student completes intensive space training week through NASA-focused program in Houston

Reynosa engineering student Jesús Sebastián Moreno García spent last week immersed in one of the most demanding academic and technical experiences of his life. 

The 20-year-old earned a place in the International Air and Space Program (IASP) 2025 and trained alongside other students at Space Center Houston, the official visitor center for NASA’s Johnson Space Center.

A week of intensive training

“It’s a very intense week; your brain is receiving information all the time and then you have to apply it immediately,” he said during a lunch break in Houston. “You need a hunger for learning”.

Moreno, an industrial processes engineering student at the Universidad Tecnológica de Tamaulipas Norte (UTTN), was the only participant from Tamaulipas selected among 68 students from countries that included Mexico, Ecuador, Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, and Madagascar.

Over seven days, he followed a tightly scheduled agenda beginning each morning at 6 a.m. A brief breakfast was followed by a walk to the training site, where participants moved through physics, chemistry, and thermology labs, indoor flying, scuba diving, light-aircraft piloting, drone work, and iPad-based simulation exercises. Program activities also included NASA history sessions that introduced students to spaceflight milestones and mission design.

Mission simulations and teamwork

A core component was a mission simulation modeled after programs such as Apollo and Artemis. Students were assigned roles — flight, Capcom, commander, astronauts — and worked from separate rooms to coordinate solutions for scenarios set in a simulated lunar base using advanced technology.

“At the end of the day, we all finish with the excitement of everything we did, but we still have to keep working on the project they assign us,” he said. “It’s not just for fun; it’s about carrying it out and giving it a future-focused approach”.

Moreno applied for the program in March and completed interviews, a written essay, and a preliminary exam on space and historical knowledge. About 45 students from Mexico participated, but he was the only one selected from Reynosa and the only one from Tamaulipas.

“I feel committed to my school and my state. It’s an honor to be here,” he said.

He said one of the most valuable parts of the program was learning alongside peers from multiple countries. “We have people from Ecuador, Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Madagascar… Each country brings its own advances, its culture, its technology. It’s very rewarding to all be here together”.

The most challenging part, he added, wasn’t technical.

“Teamwork is essential here. You can’t say, ‘I don’t like your idea.’ Both ideas matter, and we build on them together,” he said. 

Academic foundation and future goals

Before traveling to Houston, Moreno completed his professional residency at Alco, a Japanese manufacturing company, where he applied industrial engineering and production concepts. 

“Everything I’ve learned in school, I apply there. And talking with Japanese engineers in English is a challenge too,” he said with a laugh.

He hopes to continue building technical skills while preparing for a future in entrepreneurship. 

“Being social, building relationships, creating bonds… that opens doors. I want to keep growing professionally, but also personally,” he said. 

UTTN rector Mtro. Edgar Garza Hernández said the program provides direct exposure to applied science and mission-based training.

“Every year, students develop different projects, apply what they’ve learned, and live an experience similar to that of astronauts. They simulate missions on a lunar station from Earth; that’s why they’re called analog astronauts,” he said.

He added that programs like IASP strengthen students’ technical and leadership abilities and align with the educational vision promoted by Governor Américo Villarreal Anaya and Secretary of Education Miguel Ángel Valdez García, who have emphasized advancing scientific and technological development in Tamaulipas.

“These stories show that from Reynosa, you can reach NASA, create innovation and turn ideas into real solutions,” he said.

Moreno returns to Reynosa determined to share what he learned.

“The knowledge I bring from here, I want to share and apply it. Opportunities are out there; what makes the difference is the desire to take them,” Moreno said.