Ariel Torres, a brilliant Mechanical Engineering student from the University of El Salvador (UES), has been selected to participate in NASA’s prestigious International Aerospace Program (IASP) 2026. Scheduled for a week-long residency starting November 8 in Houston, Texas, Torres earned her spot thanks to her outstanding project on Small Satellite Networks and Communications. This innovative work builds upon a research lineage initiated by fellow student Ángela Pineda in 2025, highlighting a rising wave of aerospace talent at the university.
The rigorous program pushes participants to their limits through a grueling combination of mental and physical challenges designed to simulate actual astronaut training. Torres has already begun preparing from home with specialized academic materials ahead of facing underwater microgravity simulations, centrifugal force testing, and flight maneuvers. “The training starts right now from home… it is a mental and physical test,” Torres stated, adding that she will also pitch her satellite project in a global competition where the best innovation wins.
Torres follows in the successful footsteps of her peer Vanessa Núñez, who previously secured first place at the program with an insect-inspired Mars rover landing pad. This continuous success underscores El Salvador’s growing footprint in the global aerospace arena. The nation’s momentum is further amplified by Patricia Ortiz, a Salvadoran NASA project manager who announced an upcoming STEM aerospace camp this September 23–25 tailored for local youth aged 11 to 15.