“It's like an elevator straight to the stars. First, there's the roar of the rocket motor firing behind you," research astronaut Kellie Gerardi explains space travel. “Next, it's the sight out the window of flames in a wild whirlwind of colors. Then, your full body feels the vibrations from the top of your head to the bottom of your feet as you accelerate to Mach 3. Deep silence follows." Kellie was now in space, with a handwritten note covered in hearts from her daughter saying: "I love you, Mommy. I will be waving from Earth."
Motherhood has given research astronaut Kellie Gerardi her most fulfilling mission. Her life is the story of “and”—space missions and school runs, science, and bedtime stories. Most of all, it is filled with possibilities.
Childhood Dreams Take Root
Since childhood, Kellie has had her eyes set on the stars. She fondly remembers watching rocket launches on Florida’s Space Coast in her hometown of Jupiter, Florida. “I always dreamed of being a part of it,” she shares.
Over time, her dreams took shape, leading her from rigorous studies to space policy work in Washington, D.C., then to hands-on hardware development at a rocket company. Eventually, that journey brought her to the International Institute for Astronautical Sciences (IIAS), where she led microgravity research campaigns as an instructor and flight test director.
Her passion is centered on making sure the next generation of scientists can use space as a laboratory to benefit humanity.
How She Balances Being a Mother and an Astronaut
The same joy and thrill that was present in her career filled her when she became a mother for the first time. The wonder of motherhood is connected with the wonder of space. So when the long-held dream of flying to space on a science mission arrived, Kellie didn't hesitate to say yes.
“There can sometimes be an assumption that becoming a mother means making yourself smaller in some way or that your ambitions have to shrink to make room for motherhood,” Kellie says. “That hasn’t been my experience."
“You don’t have to draw a line between ‘being a good mom’ and ‘chasing your own possibilities.’ Those identities can coexist, even if it’s messy.”
In 2023, Kellie flew into space as a payload specialist on the Galactic 05 research mission and became one of the first 100 women in space. And she did so wearing a wrist full of friendship bracelets from the Taylor Swift Eras tour because "I wanted to bring my full self to space and show my daughter that being yourself is always enough."
Motherhood isn’t separate from her work. Kellie often shares online about everyday life with her husband and daughters in Florida and the balance of home life with mission training. She will share posts that have her in microgravity one moment and then navigating the messiness of motherhood the next moment.
Vulnerability Is Also a Strength
Messy also means sharing the harder aspects of motherhood. After having her first daughter, Kellie struggled with secondary infertility for nearly a decade. She has openly documented her IVF journey, recurrent pregnancy loss, and deeply vulnerable moments.
"For so long, I was only comfortable sharing the professional side of my life around spaceflight, science, research, even while secondary infertility had become the thousand-pound elephant sitting on top of my personal life."
"Sharing my experiences in real-time was an effort to destigmatize a conversation that affects so many women, and the community that circled me as a result has been one of the greatest gifts of my life.”
Her story clearly resonates with many women: Millions of online followers regularly check in on this multi-hyphenate mom. They relate to the messiness of motherhood and the balancing act of motherhood and career, if not exactly being an astronaut.
How Motherhood Has Expanded Kellie's Life, Not Limited It
Being a mother has not limited Kellie's dreams but extended the possibilities far beyond what they originally were.
“One of the more unexpected ways motherhood has expanded my life is that it’s opened up this whole new creative world for me as I experience the world through the eyes of my daughters and connect with their age groups," Kellie shares.
"One of my greatest joys was writing a children’s book series called ‘Luna Muna,’ which has been read from both the White House and the International Space Station. I’ve also forayed into children’s film and television: I got to play myself on an episode of Phineas and Ferb’s ‘Agent P Under C,’ and the biggest honor to date was Mattel creating a Barbie doll in my likeness."
"None of that was on my bingo card when I started pursuing a career in space research, but there’s something really special about getting to do work that exists in my daughters’ world, too.”
Kellie is a mom as well as a research and science communicator and was named one of USA Today’s Women of the Year, recognized for her impact across spaceflight, motherhood, and public advocacy.
"[Motherhood] didn’t replace any of the versions of me that existed before but it definitely added entirely new ones I didn’t even know were possible."
Dreams were not abandoned or buried once Kellie became a mother. Instead, they flourished in her life with wild possibilities.
Motherhood Encompasses Big Possibilities
Kellie is preparing for her next science spaceflight in 2027, during which she'll lead a small team of scientists from the International Institute for Astronautical Sciences. Her mission expanded with motherhood and continues to help her expand and explore her life.
“Motherhood has taught me that I’m capable of holding multiple big dreams at the same time. From the time I was a little girl, I dreamed about flying to space one day and about being a mother. I think women are often made to feel like ambition requires choosing, but becoming a mom has helped me see that those different parts of my life make each other more meaningful.”
“It’s also given me a lot of perspective. I’m realizing that things that felt extraordinary or even impossible to my generation can feel completely normal to theirs. It makes me want to keep pushing boundaries, because I know they’re watching, and hopefully the doors we open today are doors their generation won’t have to fight so hard to walk through.”
Kellie x Momcozy: More Possibility
For Momcozy Brand Day, we are proud to partner with Kellie to encourage moms to embrace possibility. Kellie's story shows us how you can reach for the stars while you stay grounded in motherhood. Her journey reflects the spirit of Mom and More: Motherhood is not the end of an identity but an expansion of it. No matter if your dreams are as big as space travel or a little more Earth-based, like having more time for artistic pursuits, you can pursue it all. Because you were never destined to be one thing.
You are a mom, and more.
