NASA astronaut Christina Koch on life in space, humanity and her African connection

American astronaut Christina Koch has been awarded the Princess of Asturias Award for Concord in Spain, recognising her achievements in space exploration and her commitment to international cooperation.

In an exclusive interview with Africanews on the sidelines of the award ceremony, Koch reflected on how seeing Earth from space changed her perspective on humanity, global cooperation and the importance of diversity in exploration.

Koch is the first woman to have traveled around the Moon.

Speaking about her time aboard the International Space Station and the Artemis mission, Koch said viewing Earth from space revealed the planet's fragility and the scale of humanity's shared responsibility.

She said every interaction offers an opportunity to shape the kind of world people want to see, urging greater empathy, listening and openness to different perspectives.

"I was struck not even just by Earth, but by all of the blackness around it. And when you come back from space, you realize that this, everything we have, isn't something to take for granted. It's something that is our world to make the right choices in and that although our problems might be big, so are we as a people," she said.

Koch said she prepared for fear by studying potential risks in detail and mentally rehearsing how she would respond to different situations.

For Koch, becoming an astronaut begins with authenticity: identifying the work that brings meaning and fulfilment, while developing adaptability, teamwork, discipline and a willingness to do difficult work.

Her connection withAfrica began during a study-abroad exchange in Ghana, an experience she described as her first major change in perspective.

Kochsaid returning to Ghana deepened her appreciation of the country and challenged assumptions she had carried from the United States. She also said the experience reshaped her understanding of happiness, which she described as a choice rooted in appreciating the present rather than in material wealth.

"Something that I really took away was how we approach happiness. I realized that so many people in Ghana that I met were in many ways happier than the people I saw in the United States that maybe had more material things. And from that time forward, I realized that happiness is a choice that we make and that it's all about appreciating what you have in the moment," she said.

As space exploration becomes increasingly competitive, Koch argued that cooperation should remain at its centre. She pointed to NASA's Artemis Accords, which aim to establish shared standards for responsible and sustainable exploration.

The International Space Station, she noted, has brought together countries contributing satellites, modules, astronauts, science and technology. Through the Artemis Accords, more nations are being invited to contribute their strengths to future missions.

"I mean, hundreds of countries have been a part of the science and the technology development that we're doing there. And through these Artemis Accords we bring more countries in and then we say, what are your gifts? What are your strengths? What can you bring? And let's just do this more and more as a team," she said.

Koch also stressed that diversity is essential to reducing risk in spaceflight. Different backgrounds and ways of thinking, she said, help teams identify better solutions and avoid what she called failures of imagination.

Looking ahead, Koch said she hopes to support the next generation of astronauts and contribute to future NASA missions in technical ways. For now, she is also focusing on her family and restoring a sailboat with special significance to them.