Jupiter Mom Kellie Gerardi Set for Second Space Trip in 2026

Kellie Gerardi will leave her daughter on Jupiter and head into space on a research mission with space tourism company Virgin Galactic in 2026.

Kellie Gerardi of Jupiter first went to space in November 2023 as a payload specialist on a Virgin Galactic mission.
Its return is planned for 2026, which will allow research into the first flight to be developed.
Two other women will join her on the space journey, one from Canada and one from Ireland.

JUPITER — Kellie Gerardi is preparing to launch into space in 2026, and it won’t be the first time the 35-year-old bioastronautics researcher, Jupiter native and mom, has made the trip.

Its first rocket flight into space took place in November 2023 as part of a research mission with space tourism company Virgin Galactic.

Gerardi performed experiments and represented the International Astronautical Science Institute, a Boulder, Colo., nonprofit organization that she directs, on the trip.

The upcoming mission is also led by Virgin Galactic and will expand on research from the previous flight, which involved an experiment on fluid cells, according to a company statement released Thursday (June 20).

“There is a tidal wave of scientific research that can benefit from responsive, reproducible platforms like Virgin Galactic, and we are excited about the opportunity to use space as a laboratory for the benefit of humanity,” Gerardi told The Palm Beach Post via email Friday, June 21.

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Two more women will join Kellie Gerardi on her next trip to space

Gerardi was the first female payload specialist to go into space with Virgin Galactic. She will be joined by two bioastronautics researchers on her next trip, Shawna Pandya from Canada and Norah Patten from Ireland.

The crew will take a Delta-class starship, which has the same name as Gerardi’s daughter, Delta Victoria. Gerardi said one of the most exciting parts of his latest trip was sharing the news with her.

“I get emotional when I think about what it means for her to see me, her mom, become an astronaut,” Gerardi told the Palm Beach Post in 2021. “In Delta’s mind, flying into space is not is just another thing moms do. She will grow up knowing that even the sky is not the limit. »

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More than 800,000 people follow Kellie Gerardi’s travels on social media

Gerardi has amassed a significant following on social media – with more than 820,000 followers on her Instagram page – for her advocacy for female-led space travel.

“Fewer than 100 women in history, and only a handful of mothers, have ever traveled to space,” Gerardi said. “And I really believe that representation is important. »

Gerardi said witnessing rocket launches as a child sparked his interest in space travel. But she said it wasn’t until she became an adult that she realized she could be a part of it.

“I want to see people from all walks of life experience spaceflight. I think humanity will be better off for it,” Gerardi told the Post. “To me, the space age is a broader cultural movement, and our next giant leap will require contributions from artists, engineers and everyone else.”

Maya Washburn covers northern Palm Beach County for the Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. Contact her at [email protected]. Support local journalism: Subscribe today.