From Prison Cell to Rocket Scientist
From The Hidden Third by Mariana van Zeller
March 25, 2026 · 1h 25m
About this episode
Marta Barreto shares her powerful journey from trauma and prison to achieving her dream of working in rocket propulsion.
Marta Barreto survived years of sexual abuse, addiction, exploitation, and prison. She became a mother, got sober, went back to school, and eventually landed her childhood dream — working on rocket propulsion at Virgin Orbit. In this episode, Marta talks about the psychological grip of trauma and exploitation, the barriers that keep so many victims trapped, and what it really takes to rebuild a life from zero. One of the most powerful survival stories we've ever told on The Hidden Third. Head to http://factormeals.com/hiddenthird50off and use code hiddenthird50off to get 50% off and free breakfast for a year! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
People in this episode
Host: Mariana van Zeller
Guest: Marta Barreto
Topics covered
- survival
- trauma
- addiction
- recovery
- rocket science
- exploitation
Keywords
- survival story
- trauma
- addiction
- recovery
- rocket propulsion
- Virgin Orbit
- Marta Barreto
Sponsors
Factor Meals
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Virgin Orbit
Places: http://factormeals.com/hiddenthird50off
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