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Kellie Gerardi is the 90th female astronaut in history—and probably the only one who flew to space wearing a stack of friendship bracelets. As a payload specialist aboard the Virgin Galactic 05 research mission in 2023, she knew she was going to make a statement with her historic space flight.
“I’ve spent a lot of time reflecting on the power of visible representation. Instead of trying to fit society’s picture of what someone in space looks like, it was important to me to bring my full self to space and force society’s picture to expand to include me,” Gerardi tells Glamour. “Especially as the mom of a young daughter who needs to know that sparkle and space and glitter and science can all go together.”
Fewer than 100 women have flown to space in the 83-year history of human space flight, and back on Earth, representation for women in aerospace isn’t much better: women make up just 20 percent of the industry's workforce (a figure that’s barely changed in 30 years).
After her sub-orbital flight, Gerardi had an “Ilona Maher moment”—her social media following rocketed to nearly 2 million on Instagram and TikTok. Since then, the astronaut and self-described “girl’s girl” has been using her feed to challenge stereotypes and model what the aerospace industry can look like. There’s policy and regulatory reform, behind-the-scenes tours of research labs, and biomedical and thermodynamic fluids experiments. There’s also Taylor Swift, sequins, and appearances at New York Fashion Week.
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For much of its history, the aerospace industry has felt clinical and exclusive, but Gerardi uses her platform to emphasize the emotional side of human space flight. Earlier this year, she shared a video from her voyage of the moment she looked down at planet Earth. “This brings me to instant tears every time I see and hear it. I almost didn’t share this—it’s so precious to me…I know it’s not the most ‘professional’ reaction at apogee… but it’s real, it’s raw, and it’s the human part of human spaceflight,” she wrote.
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“I felt incredibly well-trained from a science perspective and knew exactly what to expect as a payload specialist. In hindsight, I realize nothing could have truly prepared me for seeing planet Earth with my own eyes,” she says. “I was in absolute awe and overcome with emotion, especially realizing that in that moment, I wasn’t on the same planet as my baby.”
Being a mom is a central part of Gerardi’s professional identity. Her six-year-old daughter Delta V. is often front and center with her mom on Instagram, where Gerardi is also radically open about her fertility challenges and how she's juggling her current journey with IVF at the same time she prepares for her second spaceflight in 2026, where she’ll lead an all-woman research crew aboard Virgin Galactic's new spacecraft.
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“I still receive a baffling amount of criticism regarding issues I assumed we’d moved past a half-century ago—like the idea that a woman is selfish if she pursues a career and personal passions outside of motherhood,” Gerardi says. “I didn’t lose my identity with pregnancy. Becoming Delta’s mom only made my dreams bolder and my sense of purpose deeper. That’s the future I want for my daughter—one where she feels empowered to probe the boundaries of her full potential in life.”
For Glamour’s new Face of Change series, I caught up with Gerardi about her quest to welcome more women and girls into the space industry, the perils of social media, and the snacks she may or may not be addicted to.
Glamour: What time do you get up? What’s your typical morning routine?
Kellie Gerardi: My household typically gets up at 6:45 a.m. every morning. We have a daughter in first grade who inherited my night owl tendencies, so it’s always a little bit of a scramble to get up and out the door in the morning. After school drop-off, I usually have about an hour to myself at home to enjoy a second (more leisurely) coffee and catch up on personal email or social media before my work day starts. That hour is precious to me and sets the tone for my day!
What was your childhood dream job?
There’s a local newspaper article that my mom saved from when I was in middle school that has me quoted as saying my dream job would be to work at our local video game store (this was during the height of N64 mania for me).
The honest answer is that question always stressed me out. The pressure of choosing just one thing felt confining, even at a young age. The answer changed weekly because I was an “all of the above” type of kid, and that mindset has translated into the multi-hyphenate adulthood of my dreams, where I’m a mom, an astronaut, a researcher, an author, a science communicator and a woman who still feels I’m just getting started.
What was your first-ever job?
My first ever job was at Claire’s Accessories. I worked at that job through high school and it was so much fun! I have some sort of clinical sentimentalism and I’ve saved every name tag from every job I’ve ever held, so it’s fun to see my Claire’s Associate tag in the same drawer as my astronaut wings.
What about your first “big girl job?” How did you break into the space industry?
After high school and college, my first real job was as a Policy Specialist at the Commercial Spaceflight Federation. I had the opportunity to work on policy, standards, and legislation related to the emerging industry of commercial human spaceflight. I was such a believer in the power of this industry to democratize access to space for the next generation of researchers, and more than a decade later I was able to walk (float?) through that door myself.
Your "typical" workday might take place in a broadcast studio, research facility, at New York Fashion Week, or in literal space. What are the work essentials you can’t live without?
Nuun hydration tablets. I swear by these. Unreal Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups. I might be addicted. Beats Fit Pro Earbuds. I don’t know why, but I have the most difficult time finding earbuds that fit properly. These were a splurge, but they’re the only ones that reliably work for me. Sephora Cleansing + Exfoliating Wipes (but only in the “watermelon” scent). I just find them so refreshing. Friendship bracelets. I have an impressive collection including many that are handmade, but I recommend Little Words Project for high-quality ones!
Explain the moment/scenario you realized, "OK, I might actually be successful..."
I think of success in terms of impact, and while I certainly felt the personal impact of my first spaceflight immediately, I don’t think the broader impact of it really sunk in until a few months later when parents started sending me photos of their little girls dressed up as me for school projects. A few of the little girls had even recreated my same friendship bracelets—that definitely made me tear up.
You place a lot of emphasis on your female friendships on social media. How has your career in STEM changed your perspective on the importance of those relationships?
I grew up with a lot of societal tropes that often framed strong women as in competition with each other. That’s not an accurate reflection of my experience working alongside brilliant, ambitious women, and it’s not the mindset I want for my daughter’s generation. Instead, I like to take an “all boats rise with the tide” approach to lifting up and championing the dreams and successes of those around me. My closest friends are powerhouses, and I’m grateful to have them as a sort of personal advisory board. If it’s lonely at the top, you’re doing it wrong.
What do you hope those who aren't personally interested in a career in aerospace will take from your platform?
Please forgive the pun, but I really just want women to feel empowered to take up space in their own ways, and to embrace their multitudes. I think social media can often be filled with divisive or inflammatory content, and I’ve made an effort over the past few years to curate my own feed with only content that makes me feel empowered, inspired, motivated, reflective, or validated.
If we're having this conversation again in 50 years, how do you hope we'll be talking about your legacy?
For me, space has always represented the absolute best of humanity, and the hope that we can survive the present so that the next generations can live in the future. That future isn’t guaranteed, but I’m convinced it’s within our reach, and I’m humbled to play a small role in helping build it. And if I’m not around to see it, I hope to be remembered as someone who wasn’t afraid to take up space in this life, and who did everything she could to hold the door open wider for the next generation.
