KELLIE GERARDI
Kellie Gerardi (@kelliegerardi) is a multi-mission research astronaut and scientist who became the 90th woman in history to fly to space.
Kellie served as a payload specialist on the IIAS-01 / Galactic 05 dedicated science mission with Virgin Galactic in 2023, conducting biomedical and thermodynamic fluid research in space on behalf of the International Institute for Astronautical Sciences (IIAS). She is scheduled to lead the upcoming IIAS-02 research mission, conducting new biomedical and women’s health research alongside an international crew of scientists.
On Earth, Kellie has tested and matured spaceflight technologies across hundreds of parabolas in microgravity research flight campaigns, including research collaborations with MIT, the National Research Council of Canada, and the Canadian Space Agency. She currently serves as Director of Human Spaceflight at IIAS, where she is also a microgravity instructor. She holds a Master of Science and was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Science and Technology for her contributions to microgravity research.
Beyond her research career, Kellie’s work spans education, media, and culture. She has been named a TIME100 Creator and a USA Today Woman of the Year, with USA Today calling her “a woman of many successful missions.” In 2026, Mattel created a Barbie doll in her likeness, naming her an official Barbie Role Model and a member of the first-ever Barbie Dream Team. She is also the recipient of a People’s Voice Webby Award.
Kellie has built a global audience of millions by bringing people inside the world of human spaceflight and making science and exploration accessible to audiences of all ages. She is the author of the children’s book series Luna Muna, which has been read from both the International Space Station and the White House. Her work also extends into family entertainment, including voicing an animated version of herself in Disney’s Phineas and Ferb: Agent P Under C. She also serves as Godmother of Royal Caribbean’s Star of the Seas.
Kellie lives in Jupiter, Florida, with her husband and their two daughters.
RESEARCH PRIORITIES:
Kellie’s research focuses on bioastronautics, fluid dynamics, and biomedical research in altered-gravity environments, with the goal of advancing human space exploration while generating insights that can benefit life on Earth.
In partnership with the IIAS Space Medicine Group, Kellie’s research includes a particular focus on women’s health and reproductive biology in altered-gravity environments. Her work also includes the flight validation of biomedical technologies, crew operations and training for human-tended research in space, and the development of evidence-based medical standards for commercial human spaceflight.
RECENT SELECTED SCIENTIFIC ABSTRACTS & PRESENTATIONS
Gerardi, K., Pandya, S., Wright Beatty, H., Persad, A., Patten, N., Habibi, E., Torrance, S., & Mathyk, B.
Exposure of Human Oocytes and Aneuploid Embryos to Altered Gravity During Parabolic Flight: A Feasibility Study, Morphologic and Transcriptomics Outcomes
American Society for Gravitational and Space Research (ASGSR) Annual Meeting, 2026
Gerardi, K., Pandya, S., Patten, N., & Persad, A.H., Mathyk, B., & Girglia, T.
Evaluation of Lactation and Breast Milk Expression In Altered-Gravity
American Society for Gravitational and Space Research (ASGSR) Annual Meeting, 2026
Mathyk, B., Pandya, S., & Gerardi, K.
Parabolic flight induces site specific microbiome changes
in women
American Society for Gravitational and Space Research (ASGSR) Annual Meeting, 2026
Pandya, S., Gerardi, K., Patten, N., & Persad, A.H.
Updates from the IIAS Flight Opportunities Program.
International Astronautical Congress (IAC-26,B3,2,2,x115809), 2026.
Pandya, S., Gerardi, K., Chrost, H., Wlodarski, M., Dziubinski, M., Manohar, S. G., Chrapkiewicz, R., Patten, N., Sen, J., & Persad, A. H.
Validation of a Smartphone-Based, AI-Powered Pupillometer in Parabolic Flight.
Aerospace Medical Association Annual Scientific Meeting, 2025.
Mathyk, B., Pandya, S., & Gerardi, K.
Parabolic Flight-Induced Shifts in the Vaginal Microbiome: Implications for Female Astronaut Health.
Oral Presentation, American Society for Gravitational and Space Research (ASGSR) Annual Conference, 2025.
Gerardi, K.
VSS Unity: Medical Outcomes and Lessons Learned.
Annual Scientific Meeting of the Aerospace Medical Association (AsMA), 2025.
Pandya, S., Patten, N., Gerardi, K., & Persad, A. H.
Parabolic Flight for Crew Operations and Training in Preparation for a Suborbital Research Spaceflight.
NASA Human Research Program Investigators’ Workshop (HRP IWS), 2025.
Persad, A. H., Gerardi, K., Gonzalez, Y., Pandya, S., & Reimuller, J.
Methods for Training and Preparing Payload Specialists for Research Missions Involving Human-Tended Payloads Aboard a Suborbital Spaceflight Vehicle.
International Astronautical Congress (IAC-24/B3/2), 2024.