Even astronauts have bad days.
Kelly Gerardi, director of human spaceflight at the International Institute for Astronautical Sciences and the 90th woman to fly in space, is also a working mom who is juggling it all.
When she’s not parenting or training astronauts about microgravity, Gerardi documents her fertility challenges and motherhood journey on Instagram — the research astronaut recently gave birth to her second daughter, who was conceived via IVF.
In June 2026, only 8 weeks postpartum, Gerardi returned to work and became the first woman to pump breast milk in microgravity during a parabolic flight for IIAS. (Her device of choice was a breast pump from the Wilo lineup.)
For those who find science interesting [and] Want to understand why this matters to research,” Gerardi wrote alongside a recent Instagram post, “Breast milk contains bioactive lipids that reflect things like maternal metabolism, inflammation, stress responses, and overall physiological adaptations during the postpartum period. “So studying how those molecules change in response to controlled physical stress such as microgravity/high G may help us better understand how maternal physical stress is reflected in milk during postpartum recovery.”
Mashable Trend Report
After more than eight years of secondary infertility, the birth of their daughter was finally a dream come true. As a way to give back to her community, Gerardi teamed up with online registry site Babylist to set up a pair of IVF grants.
Gerardi, 37, is happy to serve as a role model for his 2.5 million followers Instagram And tiktokBut not in a my-life-is-perfect way. Gerardi literally reaches for the stars, but also remains fiercely observant about the plethora of expectations placed on women.
“I gained about 60 pounds between my most recent round of IVF and this pregnancy,” Gerardi recently posted. “Those pounds are mostly still with me and I suspect they may be for a short time, and it’s a huge relief to know that I don’t have to feel any kind of mental energy about it.”
Two and a half years after visiting space on Virgin Galactic’s Galactic 05 mission, Gerardi was recognized for her achievements when a Barbie doll was created in her likeness as part of the celebration of International Women’s Day.
Gerardi had the perfect Instagram caption to mark the occasion: “When you worked hard the last 20 years so your daughters can say mom is an astronaut and a Barbie.”
At the heart of much of Gerardi’s online content is her belief that women – and girls – have mobs. However, it’s not just something she says; It’s something she lives by.
From YouTubers and TikTok stars to streamers and podcasters, Mashable talks to creators How did they build their platform?The The gear they swear byand this They see the trends coming next. Read more about us manufacturer coverage Or see more from this year Mashable 101 Teao Discover the internet’s most exciting voices.
