Emily Calandrelli recently became the 100th woman to travel to space, an achievement that should have been celebrated as a moment of personal triumph and a milestone in space exploration. However, her accomplishment was quickly overshadowed by a wave of online harassment, revealing the sexist attitudes still prevalent in digital spaces.
A Dream Come True
Calandrelli, an MIT-trained engineer, author, and science communicator, was invited by Jeff Bezos’ aerospace company, Blue Origin, to join a group of space tourists aboard the New Shepard spacecraft. For Calandrelli, this experience was the realization of a lifelong dream. In a video shared on social media, she described the overwhelming beauty of weightlessness and the vastness of space.
“I immediately turned upside down and looked at the planet… and then there was so much blackness, so much space,” she said, comparing the moment to the intense joy of seeing her children for the first time. “That’s our planet! That’s our planet!” she exclaimed in awe.
Her reaction captured the wonder of space exploration, but the excitement was quickly tainted by toxic comments from online trolls.
A Backlash of Hate
After Blue Origin posted the video of Calandrelli’s emotional response to space, it was quickly flooded with objectifying and dismissive remarks. Some comments sexualized her joy, while others downplayed her achievement simply because she was a woman.
The abuse was so overwhelming that Blue Origin decided to take the video down, a decision that drew attention to the ongoing misogyny women face in the public sphere, particularly in male-dominated fields like space exploration.
Standing Strong Amidst the Negativity
Rather than letting the harassment define her, Calandrelli took to Instagram to express her feelings. With nearly 900,000 followers, she shared her heartbreak over the online abuse but remained resolute.
“This all happened as I was flying home after experiencing the most perfect, wonderful, dream-fulfilling moment of my life,” she wrote. “And instead of being on cloud nine, I’m crying in my seat, staring out the window… Because of course, this happened. Of course, I should have expected this.”
Despite the hurt, she refused to be silenced by the negativity. “I refuse to give much time to the small men on the internet,” she declared. “I will not apologize or feel weird about my reaction. It’s wholly mine, and I love it.”
Support from Fellow Women in Space
The backlash against Calandrelli sparked an outpouring of support from fellow astronauts and women in the space community. Her “space sisters” rallied behind her, offering encouragement and reminding her of the importance of her representation in the field.
“I would have had the exact same reaction!” one supporter said. “You inspired more people, especially women, than you can imagine.”
Calandrelli also emphasized the value of having more women in space. In an interview with CNN, she explained, “The beauty of sending more women into space is that they can describe it in a way that moms can understand, that women can understand.”
The lack of gender representation in space has been a persistent issue. It took NASA nearly two decades to organize the first all-female spacewalk in 2019, underscoring the slow progress in addressing gender disparities in this high-profile arena. Calandrelli’s journey not only represents a personal triumph but also a reflection of the systemic challenges women face in breaking barriers.
Despite the hurtful comments, Calandrelli has chosen to focus on the joy and significance of her achievement. “This joy is tattooed on my heart,” she said. By sharing her raw emotions, she hopes to inspire other women to break free from societal expectations and pursue their dreams without fear of judgment.
