She was often told she would have to choose between motherhood and her scientific career, but Kellie Gerardi decided to have it both ways. Just eight weeks after giving birth to her daughter, she returned to her post in the confined confines of the space shuttles. The astronaut, the 90th woman to have flown into orbit, is a pioneer: she expressed breast milk in zero gravity to advance research. A symbolic achievement for this mother, who has truly found her place among the stars.
Pumping breast milk in zero gravity: mission accomplished for Kellie Gerardi
It's an image that went viral on social media, reaching 3.5 million people worldwide. It shows an astronaut levitating, her breast pump bags floating and displaying her daily milk collection. With a smile on her face and her navy spacesuit proudly on display, Kellie Gerardi has achieved another feat in her illustrious career, and this one feels like a personal victory.
Just eight weeks ago, the seasoned astronaut, who even has a Barbie doll in her likeness, was in the maternity ward celebrating the birth of her daughter. On cloud nine since the arrival of this child, conceived through IVF and whom she considers a gift from heaven, the astronaut wasted no time in returning to her duties in space.
During her postpartum period, a trying time for many women, she spent at the controls of a spacecraft in microgravity. Part of the "numerical minority" in the space sector, which boasts only 85 women out of 644 astronauts, she has left an indelible mark on history. The quote "to infinity and beyond" seems to have become synonymous with her.
This woman defies the laws of gravity, but also those of an entire industry that often demands sacrifices and requires women to choose between family life and childhood dreams. "I sincerely sympathize with women who feel obligated to return to work before they are ready, but that's not my case," she argues in a post about her "spaceship, work, crib" lifestyle.
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This act is a giant step for women's health
Kellie Gerardi, who has banished the word "impossible" from her vocabulary and never backs down from an obstacle, has set out to conquer respect and collective recognition. She expressed breast milk in microgravity during a parabolic flight for the IIAS, not to garner praise, but in the hope of making new discoveries about maternal physiology. This transparent vessel filled with maternal nectar is not intended to nourish her infant but to enrich our understanding of the female body.
The goal of this experiment, which makes her a pioneer? To shed light on the mysteries surrounding breast milk and study its changes under specific conditions, such as microgravity or high acceleration. "Our scientific team is actually conducting multiple studies on breast milk. From pumping in microgravity during parabolic flights, including composition and lipidomics, to our second scientific spaceflight next year," she explains in the caption.
Beyond tackling a subject long neglected by scientists, who are predominantly male, Kellie Gerardi also works to improve the support provided for mothers in her profession. Because women should not have to take a break to breastfeed their babies , nor should they have to put their ambitions on hold.
An astronaut and mother, she is the face of change.
While the astronaut spends her days in the far reaches of space, the stars haven't always aligned for the thirty-something named "Woman of the Year" by Time and USA Today. She has weathered turbulent times in her personal life, enduring eight years of secondary infertility and suffering a miscarriage. She even documented her IVF journey on her Instagram account to offer a different, more realistic and authentic perspective on motherhood, far removed from idyllic narratives.
Today, she feels lucky to have a little girl, whom she named Max Q as a nod to space exploration. For her, it's a small miracle. This child, conceived with great difficulty, encourages her to fight twice as hard for a more just and equitable society. Because while Kellie Gerardi constantly aims for the stars, she remains grounded. She knows there is still much work to be done to achieve parity and ensure decent working conditions for mothers.
While women are still exceptions in the space field, astronaut Kellie Gerardi - who is the living embodiment of perseverance - makes every action a manifesto, a progressive event.
