Long before Alires J. Almon built a career studying the future of space exploration, she grew up in a New Mexico community shaped by America’s journey to the stars. From the high desert of Las Cruces to White Sands and the legacy of the Apollo and Saturn programs, space has always been part of the state’s story and Almon’s family history. On September 9, she shared that story with an international audience through the American Center in Moscow’s “50 States” series.
Running throughout 2026, “50 States” explores the unique cultural and historical character of each of the United States, with weekly presentations led by American experts. The series highlights everything from local food, music and regional dialects to history, inventions, notable figures, national parks, landmarks, sports and the books, films and television shows connected to each state.
For Almon, discussing New Mexico offered an opportunity to share the state from both a personal and professional perspective.
Born and raised in Las Cruces, New Mexico, Almon grew up surrounded by the high-desert landscapes and rich Indigenous and Hispanic heritage that define much of the state. New Mexico is also home to a remarkable chapter of American scientific and technological history. White Sands Missile Range, Spaceport America and generations of NASA-related work have made the state an important part of the story of American space exploration.
That history is personal for Almon. Her own family’s legacy is connected to the Saturn and Apollo programs, giving her an early connection to the people and ambitions behind some of the most significant milestones in space exploration.
During her presentation, Almon brought that perspective to the “50 States” conversation, exploring the culture, history and distinctive character of New Mexico while connecting the state to the larger story of exploration and innovation.
Her connection to space has continued throughout her career. Almon has spent more than two decades working at the intersection of technology, behavioral health and space. She serves as Senior Director at 100 Year Starship, an initiative focused on advancing research related to interstellar travel, and is a founder of the Deep Space Predictive Research Group.
She is also pursuing a PhD focused on how teams, organizations and societies adapt to complex, high-stakes environments such as deep-space exploration. Her research and work have been published in Acta Astronautica, the Analog Astronaut Research Journal, and by Springer Nature and Routledge.
Beyond her work in space and technology, Almon serves on nonprofit boards supporting youth and education, reflecting her commitment to creating opportunities for the next generation.
Her appearance in the “50 States” series brought these many threads together: a New Mexican’s personal connection to place, a researcher’s interest in the future, and a lifelong connection to the exploration of what lies beyond our planet.
New Mexico has long been a place where history, culture, science and imagination intersect. For Almon, it is not simply the state where she grew up. It is part of the story that helped shape how she sees the world — and perhaps how she looks toward the stars.
