We stay in a society that tells us little ladies could be something they need to be after they develop up — after which, all too typically, that very same society shames these grown-up little ladies for turning into girls who dare to prioritize their careers. However Kellie Gerardi is a mother on a mission: She needs us to really feel empowered by all of our goals, whether or not these ambitions simply embody motherhood or, in Gerardi’s case, capturing for the precise stars.
On Nov. 2, 2023, Gerardi joined the ranks of the primary 100 girls in house when she served as a payload specialist on the Galactic O5 analysis mission. Throughout this mission, she performed biomedical and thermodynamic fluid experiments for the Worldwide Institute for Astronautical Sciences (IIAS).
For Gerardi, an astronaut and passionate science communicator, it is important that little ladies like her 5-year-old daughter, Delta, see that house is for everybody — and never even the sky is the restrict to what girls can obtain after they set their minds to one thing.
In actual fact, Gerardi simply introduced a second spaceflight within the works, and she’s *main* this subsequent IIAS mission. Much more thrilling? She’ll fly to house as a part of an all-female, worldwide analysis house flight crew. Accompanying her can be fellow astronauts and payload specialists Dr. Shawna Pandya (Canada’s fourth feminine astronaut) and Dr. Norah Patten (Eire’s first astronaut).
Scary Mommy caught up with this wildly inspiring multi-hyphenate mother to speak about all the pieces from democratizing house journey to being an interstellar Swiftie.
SM: How does being one of many first 100 girls in house really feel?
KG: It is the respect of a lifetime, in fact. Once I take into consideration that determine, each time I hear it stated out loud or say it myself, it nonetheless boggles my thoughts that I — only a regular individual, a mother, a girl who’s in any other case only a very common civilian — may very well be a part of that determine.
It simply goes to indicate that the limiter to human spaceflight has at all times been entry and never aptitude. I do know so many individuals able to doing precisely what I did, and it is actually thrilling to know that this new trade is enabling that entry, particularly for the science group to make use of house as a laboratory to profit humanity.
SM: What was probably the most stunning factor about that have for you?
KG: I’d say I had a very good grasp of precisely what I wanted to do. I used to be well-trained. I knew what to anticipate.
The one factor I couldn’t have ready for is the emotional facet of seeing planet Earth from house myself with my very own eyes. Everybody has seen photographs of it from a lot additional away than I used to be. The distinction for me was experiencing Earth as a planet amongst different planets. After which that cognitive dissonance of, in that second, being each part of it and barely exterior of it… and simply realizing that I used to be not on the identical planet as my child.
It nonetheless offers me chills. It is only a distinctive and trendy expertise, and I am so excited that extra individuals will profit from it.
SM: Girls in male-dominated fields have at all times needed to work twice as arduous, and an enormous hurdle in STEM fields is getting girls on the market. What do you suppose have been your essential elements for fulfillment?
KG: So many issues. One is having a village. I knew early on in my private life that I used to be concerned with having a household and a profession. So, I feel it is with the ability to be actually intentional about creating the assist system that I would want to perform each of these issues — in my selection of associate being somebody who helps my goals and desires me to succeed in my full potential the identical method I need it, in addition to benefiting from the blessing of getting a very supportive household. My mother, particularly, may be very useful with childcare and is the one who simply covers all of the gaps as they emerge in my life.
The opposite half is mindset. It means figuring out that on any given day or week, the scales won’t completely stability between work and life and all of these competing duties. [It’s] figuring out that the months and the years do even out, and realizing it is OK for the rhythm of our household to look this fashion and that point spent away is time spent invested in my daughter’s future.
I’ve additionally benefitted from seen illustration and having a bunch of girls in my life who embody all these themes of ambition with out competitiveness. It is the inspirational facet of with the ability to look to them for recommendation, for venting, and simply having an outlet like that of girls equally motivated however fighting a number of the identical issues you’re. Constructing that private advisory board has been actually useful.
I’ve benefited from ensuring I am not at all times wanting up for inspiration from individuals additional than I’m in my profession. If I had executed that, I’d’ve missed out on 50% of the expertise. I profit immensely from taking mentorship from people who find themselves simply beginning out their careers and who’ve distinctive views at this second in time within the trade.
SM: You talked about your husband, Steven, so here is a bit of shout-out to him — I like seeing what number of of your followers name him a strolling inexperienced flag.
KG: He’s such a strolling inexperienced flag. He has this enjoyable novelty parody shirt that is simply my title with eight footage of my face on it. It is only a massive fan T-shirt, and I find it irresistible. He’s actually supportive, and I am very fortunate to have a real associate in that sense.
SM: I need to point out your mother, too, since you’ve spoken earlier than about how girls weren’t even eligible to change into astronauts when she was rising up. What impactful conversations have y’all had as this has all unfolded?
KG: She’s been my greatest champion, together with my dad.
It is a basic shift — the truth that when she was born, human beings hadn’t but been to house. When she was rising up, girls had been ineligible to change into astronauts within the U.S. One single era later, she’s watching her daughter fly to house; she’s watching her granddaughter take it with no consideration. That paradigm shift has made each of us fairly emotional, simply to see that come true in our lifetimes and watch it’s well-positioned to be carried even additional in Delta’s era.
What I’ve taken away from that’s simply the nurturing assist and assured mindset that she handed alongside to me is one thing so invaluable, and it is one thing I need to give to my daughter as properly.
I put no strain on Delta. However what I’d like to instill in her is that very same unapologetic mindset about believing that she’s able to any of her goals — rising up simply figuring out the sky is just not a restrict on her goals and giving herself permission to make use of this one valuable life that she has to go full throttle in pursuit of these goals, whether or not or not she needs to stability a household alongside the way in which. My mother has given me that mindset in spades and backed it up with the assist to really try this.
SM: What does Delta suppose she needs to be when she grows up?
KG: She needs to be a mommy, a trainer, an astronaut, and a veterinarian. These are the present high 4, which I like — we love a multi-hyphenate on this family. A couple of weeks in the past, it was baker… after which we left the cookies within the oven a bit of too lengthy, and there was a meltdown. So, that profession is at the moment off the desk.
SM: Being an astronaut typically means lacking out on on a regular basis mother moments, like bedtime. You latterly partnered with wellness firm Hatch for his or her Tuck-Ins function, which lets you report a message or story that may be performed anytime. What has that meant to your loved ones?
KG: I have been utilizing the Hatch merchandise for a very long time. A lot of what has linked my daughter and me is routine at night time; it is the factor that brings our household again to the baseline of regular. And studying bedtime tales is a part of our wind-down routine — it has been since she was born. In actual fact, the kids’s guide sequence that I wrote, Luna Muna, was additionally born out of a bedtime story that I used to inform her each night time.
So, incorporating that into a very pure development of nonetheless holding that semblance of routine at night time when I’m touring away for work, whether or not it is coaching or simply far-off, has been one thing that retains us linked. And I simply suppose it is the sweetest factor on this planet.
SM: You talked about Luna Muna, which I feel ought to be an animated sequence on Netflix. Simply throwing that on the market…
KG: Out of your lips to Netflix’s ears.
SM: Do you utilize bedtime tales at night time to check out concepts for future Luna Muna books?
KG: I do check them out with Delta. She’s my 6-year-old management group: What’s attention-grabbing to you? What could be enjoyable and thrilling? I am at all times testing that out along with her and taking her concepts, too. We additionally play a sport we name By no means Ending Story, the place we every take a flip saying the following line in a narrative with no thought the place it’s going to go, and it simply evolves from there. I like listening to what she comes up with as a result of it is at all times so candy and inventive and surprising.
SM: You are very clear and genuine about your experiences as a mother and feminine. You even shared that you just unexpectedly obtained your interval proper earlier than your house flight. When did you determine how a lot you wished to be open about?
KG: I’ve at all times been very clear. And I’m a naturally constructive and optimistic individual, so I take pleasure in connecting with individuals who match that vitality.
However after I knew I used to be getting the chance to go to house, I grew to become way more aware of my notion on-line and in society. It made me need to be very deliberate about not firming down something about my genuine self to attempt to match society’s image of what they believed a girl in house ought to appear to be. As a substitute, I wished to power society’s image to develop to incorporate me.
SM: I like that your genuine self consists of sporting friendship bracelets to house, as you’re a self-proclaimed Swiftie. What’s your favourite Taylor Swift music, and have you ever and Delta seen her in live performance but?
KG: My favourite music proper now could be “Florida.” It is like an anthem right here in Jupiter, Florida. My favourite album is Fame; I am very excited for, hopefully, Taylor’s model.
We have not gotten an opportunity to go but, however we’ll night time two in Miami this October — my aunt stunned us with tickets! We missed the primary live performance run as a result of I used to be coaching for house and the dates did not work, however I actually wished to take Delta. She’s by no means been to a live performance earlier than… this can be her first.
In my spare time, I am already pre-making a bunch of astronaut-era friendship bracelets in order that I can commerce them.
SM: You have constructed this actually unimaginable following throughout social media the place you clearly encourage so many ladies and mothers. What sort of suggestions from them resonates most with you?
KG: I really feel so grateful to have such an unimaginable and supportive group. I do really feel like at all times seeing so many good feedback is a little bit of a rarity within the social media world! The suggestions that at all times resonates probably the most with me is when girls inform me that my content material has boosted their very own self-confidence or impressed them to wager on themselves.
I additionally love listening to from mother and father who inform me that seeing movies of me in house has proven their youngsters that not even the sky is the restrict on their goals.
This interview has been edited for size and readability.