A young woman who claimed she was picked to be a ‘career astronaut’ has gotten blowback from NASA about her questionable credentials.
The controversy started on June 5 when Laysa Peixoto, 23, took to Instagram to reveal that she was chosen to fly missions to the moon and Mars after completing NASA astronaut training in 2022.
The Minas Gerais native went on to explain that she was going to join Titan Space’s inaugural flight in 2029, which will be led veteran NASA astronaut Bill McArthur.
‘It hasn’t fully sunk in yet, but I feel immense gratitude for the entire journey I’ve taken so far and for everyone who has been and is a part of it,’ Peixoto wrote on the post, which was accompanied by a photo of her taken in a NASA shirt with the New York City skyline in the background.
‘I was selected to become a career astronaut, working on manned space flights to private space stations, and for future manned missions to the Moon and Mars,’ Peixoto said, while adding that she is ‘officially an astronaut in the class of 2025.
‘It is a great joy to represent Brazil as an astronaut in such a decisive era of space exploration, which will change the history of humanity forever,’ she continued. ‘It is an honor to carry the Brazilian flag with me as the first Brazilian woman to cross this frontier.’
However, Peixoto’s claims drew a ruthless response from NASA itself.
‘While we generally do not comment on personnel, this individual is not a NASA employee, principal investigator, or astronaut candidate,’ NASA said in a statement provided to the Daily Mail, saying she was involved in ‘a workshop for students’ that ‘is not an internship or job at NASA.’
Laysa Peixoto, 23, took to Instagram to reveal that she was chosen to fly missions to the moon and Mars after completing NASA astronaut training in 2022
‘I was selected to become a career astronaut, working on manned space flights to private space stations, and for future manned missions to the Moon and Mars ,’ Peixoto said, while adding that she is ‘officially an astronaut in the class of 2025
NASA released a statement Wednesday indicating Peixoto ‘is not a NASA employee, principal investigator, or astronaut candidate’
‘It would be inappropriate to claim NASA affiliation as part of this opportunity.’
Titans Space, which does not have a license from the Federal Aviation Administration to host human spaceflight, confirmed Peixoto’s participation to Brazilian news outlet Metropoles.
However, she is not on the list of astronauts for the potential flight.
Peixoto attended the Federal University of Minas Gerais but was dismissed in 2023 when she failed to register for the second semester, the school confirmed to Metropoles.
Peixoto also claimed that she was enrolled in an Application of Computing and Quantum Physics master’s degree program at Columbia University. But the Ivy League school told the media outlet that it did not have any records of Peixoto attending.
Peixoto sought to clear any confusion that her Instagram may have caused in a press release statement that was obtained by Brazilian outlet. O Tempo.
‘In the announcement made on Instagram, the only statement given so far (June 11), having not checked any interview so far, Laysa explains that she was selected as an astronaut by the private company Titans Space,’ Peixoto’s publicist said.
‘At no time is there a mention of NASA, or that it would be an astronaut from the agency. The post was never edited.’
Peixoto had also claimed that she was enrolled in an Application of Computing and Quantum Physics master’s degree program at Columbia University, but the Ivy League school told Brazilian news outlet Metropoles that the 22-yeear-old’s name is not in their records
A publicist for Laysa Peixoto released a statement Wednesday indicating the 22-year-old Brazilian student ‘was selected as an astronaut by the private company Titans Space’
Laysa Peixoto has not been included on Titan Space’s astronaut list for its inaugural flight in 2029
However, the Instagram post, which has more than 83,000 likes, had been edited.
The press release also indicated that Peixoto doesn’t have any direct ties to NASA.
‘It’s explicit and clear: Laysa was selected to become a career astronaut by Titans Space, which will have as mission commander, Bill McArthur, a veteran NASA astronaut – the only mention made about NASA in the post,’ the note mentions.
The Daily Mail has reached out to Peixoto for comment.
