Kellie Gerardi - Astronaut 021

An aerospace and technology professional, payload specialist, and popular science communicator, Kellie Gerardi views space as “humanity’s shared past and shared future.” As one of the world’s first industry-sponsored researchers to fly on a commercial spacecraft, she has made it her mission to enable the next generation of scientists and civilians to “use space as a laboratory to benefit humanity.”

Kellie flew with Virgin Galactic to perform healthcare and thermodynamic fluid experiments on behalf of the International Institute for Astronautical Sciences (IIAS). In addition to her work as a bioastronautics researcher with IIAS, Kellie leads Mission Operations for Palantir Technologies, serves on the Defense Council for the Truman National Security Project, and served on the Board of Directors for The Explorers Club, whose esteemed flag she carried during a crew rotation at the Mars Desert Research Station. She is the author of Not Necessarily Rocket Science and the acclaimed children’s picture book series Luna Muna, which was read from the International Space Station in 2023.

While her experience as a payload specialist aboard Virgin Galactic makes her path a unique one, she believes that “the limiter to human spaceflight has always been access and not aptitude.” A passionate science communicator, Kellie has a loyal following of nearly one million supporters across her social media platforms (@kelliegerardi) and believes her journey resonates so deeply because “I’m just an ordinary person and mother who embarked on an extraordinary journey.”

Kellie lives in Jupiter, Florida, with her husband Steven and their daughter Delta V. Her Virgin Galactic spacesuit displays the USA flag and the logo for IIAS.