• Brooke Owens Fellow, Class of 2025

• UNC-Chapel Hill, Communications, ‘25

• Host Institution: BryceTech

• Mentor: TBD

• Brookie Mentor: TBD

At just 21 years old, Karsen Kitchen made history on mission NS-26 as the youngest woman ever to cross the Karman Line, the internationally recognized boundary of outer space. Karsen studies Communications and Astronomy as a senior at UNC-Chapel Hill. Her journey into the realms beyond our planet is not merely a dream; it's backed by solid experience.


Karsen has conducted research in radio astronomy at the esteemed Green Bank Observatory, and interned with Blue Origin’s Strategy, Marketing, and Sales team. She is the founder and president of UNC’s leading astronomy organization, the Carolina Astronomy Association, and has worked at the Morehead Planetarium. Currently, Karsen is working with the U.S State Department on a space policy project, focusing on integrating Spain into the U.S space industry. Moreover, she's not just paving her own way, but also clearing a path for others through Orbitelle, an initiative she founded to encourage women of all ages to pursue opportunities in space exploration.

Her love for space exploration has led her to centrifugal force training, Zero-Gravity flight experiences, and earning her scuba diving license, with plans to get her pilot’s license soon. Beyond her celestial pursuits, Karsen enjoys traveling, spending time with friends, and bartending at her local bar!