Female Astronaut Rockets to Space at 2,300 MPH in Viral Video Blue Origin Had to Delete
Emily Calandrelli faced a wave of hateful comments after Blue Origin posted a video of her spaceflight
A female astronaut who became the target of sexist comments has now shared a video capturing the moment she was launched into space at a speed of 2,300 mph.
In November, Jeff Bezos’ space company, Blue Origin, made history by sending American engineer Emily Calandrelli into space. She became the 100th woman to ever travel beyond Earth’s atmosphere.
Calandrelli was one of six 'space tourists' aboard the ninth human test flight of Blue Origin’s New Shepard spacecraft. However, instead of celebrating the milestone, the moment was overshadowed by online negativity. The company was forced to remove a video of the MIT engineer’s flight from its social media platforms after it was flooded with inappropriate comments.
In the now-deleted clip, Calandrelli is seen floating in zero gravity, looking in awe at the view outside the spacecraft’s window. Overwhelmed by the moment, she gasps: "Oh my God, this is space."
While many congratulated her on this once-in-a-lifetime experience, it wasn’t long before internet trolls began posting crude and offensive comments, many of them making inappropriate jokes about women in space.
Reflecting on the incredible experience, Calandrelli compared it to the emotions of motherhood, explaining: "I didn't expect to see so much space, and I kept saying that's our planet! That's our planet! It was the same feeling I got when my kids were born, and I was like, 'That's my baby!'"
Emily Calandrelli was part of Blue Origin's ninth human test flightBlue Origin/Instagram |
Although she tried to ignore the negativity, Calandrelli admitted that the cruel comments started affecting her. She spent her flight home texting her fellow female astronauts - her 'space sisters' while in tears.
Taking to social media, she responded to the trolls with a powerful message: "I refuse to give much time to the small men on the internet. I feel experiences in my soul. It's a trait I got from my father."
"We feel every emotion deeply and what a beautiful way that is to experience life. This joy is tattooed on my heart."
The incredible moment Emily Calandrelli saw our planet from spaceYouTube/EmilyCalandrelli |
Now, determined to reclaim the moment, Calandrelli has uploaded a 16-minute video on YouTube, documenting her entire journey.
Titled 'My Blue Origin Flight to Space', the video details everything from her astronaut training in the lead-up to the mission to the exhilarating moment she touched back down on Earth.
She also includes never-before-seen footage from the launch, giving viewers an inside look at the intense takeoff, breathtaking views from 62 miles above the planet, and the sheer joy she felt floating in space.