Private astronaut Kellie Gerardi gets real about motherhood as she prepares to fly to space again

Kellie Gerardi is getting ready to fly to space for the second time. She is a space researcher, science creator online, and author who flew to suborbital space on a Virgin Galactic flight about three years ago. That first flight made her one of the first 100 women ever to reach space. Now, as she prepares for her next mission, Gerardi says one of her most important tools isn't a piece of equipment — it's motherhood.

Gerardi has worked in the space industry for many years. She has helped run mission operations at a technology company called Palantir, and she does research for the International Institute for Astronautical Sciences (IIAS). Her research involves studying how the human body acts in microgravity, which is the low-gravity environment found in space. She also has a large following online, where she posts videos about science and her everyday life.

Along with the exciting parts of her life, Gerardi has also been open about hard times. She has shared her struggles with infertility — difficulty having children — and a medical process called IVF, or in-vitro fertilization. She wanted people to know they are not alone when going through tough experiences. 'I just remember thinking about how so many of us navigate this entire fertility odyssey invisibly while handling their careers, their families, and everything else,' she said.

Gerardi is now part of a campaign called 'Mom, and More' from the brand Momcozy. The campaign also includes Olympic champion Allyson Felix and Reshma Saujani, who started Girls Who Code. The goal is to show that being a mother does not mean giving up your other dreams. Gerardi says motherhood has actually expanded what feels possible for her.

Scientists still have a lot to learn about how the human body — especially a woman's body — works in space. Longer trips into space, like missions to the Moon or Mars, will require doctors and researchers to understand things like pregnancy, menstrual health, and other topics related to women's health. Right now, there is very little data on many of these subjects. One research team is even planning what could be the very first dedicated study on menstruation in space.

Gerardi made history in another way too. In June of this year, she became the first person ever to pump breast milk in microgravity. She was only eight weeks postpartum — meaning it had been just eight weeks since she gave birth — when she flew on a microgravity research flight. She and her team wanted to find out if standard breast pumps would work in low gravity, whether milk could be stored safely, and whether the milk's makeup might change. She even brought the 'microgravity milk' home to her baby.

Gerardi says being a mother has also taught her skills that help her as an astronaut. She says the most important lesson is adaptability — the ability to change your plans quickly when something unexpected happens. Motherhood gives her practice at making fast decisions and shifting her focus when needed. 'You prepare as best you can, you prioritize and adapt in real-time, and you get comfortable operating without perfect control of all the variables,' she said.

She also thinks about what it means for her two daughters to watch her follow her dreams. She wants them to see that growing up and becoming a mother does not mean shrinking your ambitions. 'I don't feel guilty for pursuing my dreams,' she said. 'Becoming their mom made my dreams bolder and my sense of purpose deeper.' Gerardi hopes her example shows young girls that they can hold on to their biggest goals — no matter what life brings.