A Virgin Galactic astronaut, who took his first space flight, credited his accomplishment to his Jamaican mother, who made numerous sacrifices for him to have greater possibilities.
Christopher Huie, 35 and the son of Jamaican immigrants, is one of four crew members to undertake the final assessment on Unity 25 on Thursday, May 25, before commercial trips begin in late June.
Huie shared that his parents left Jamaica looking for better opportunities, adding that his mother sacrificed a lot so he could have the opportunities she did not have growing up.
The provisions made by his mother became more apparent following the divorce of his parents.
His mother, who is from Harvey River in Hanover, Jamaica was only 17 years old when she moved to Chicago. She then migrated to Florida, where Huie grew up.
Embracing his Jamaican roots, he wore his US and Jamaican patches on the planned test run involving a mothership and spaceship, both of which he is well familiar with as a senior engineer.
Huge graduated from the University of Maryland with a degree in Aerospace Engineering. He also worked in the industry’s private sector before joining Virgin Galactic in 2016 as a loads and simulation engineer.
He lives with his wife and daughter in Los Angeles, and is a co-founder of Virgin Galactic’s Black Leaders in Aerospace Scholarship and Training (BLAST) program, which includes mentorship for college students.
