Female astronaut sexualized, trolled over video of her first space flight; Blue Origin removes it (WATCH)
By Shweta Kumari | First Published Nov 26, 2024, 1:27 PM ISTJeff Bezos' spaceflight company, Blue Origin, was forced to take down a video featuring female astronaut Emily Calandrelli, known as "Space Gal," after she was bombarded with a flood of misogynistic and sexual comments online.
Jeff Bezos' spaceflight company, Blue Origin, was forced to take down a video featuring female astronaut Emily Calandrelli, known as "Space Gal," after she was bombarded with a flood of misogynistic and sexual comments online.
The clip, initially shared by Blue Origin, showcased Calandrelli suspended in the capsule’s weightlessness, marveling at the view and exclaiming, “Oh my God, this is space.” But what should have been a moment of pure awe quickly became tainted by internet trolls.
Seeing our planet for the first time, a dream decades in the making.
You’re seeing so many emotions intertwined. Excitement, awe, and pride - but to be honest a little fear and confusion too. You just launched on a rocket and you’re seeing something you’ve never seen before… pic.twitter.com/HlL85ENshC
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A user wrote, “It’s not an achievement being a woman,” while another callously asked, “Would you consider yourself the hottest woman to ever go to space? Any other contenders?” A third user wrote, “Why is she moaning? I cannot unhear it.”
Calandrelli, an MIT-trained aerospace engineer and science communicator, shared in an emotional Instagram post that the barrage of comments left her in tears during her flight back home after the mission. "Instead of being on cloud nine, I’m crying in my seat staring out the window," she wrote.
Blue Origin responded by removing the original video and replacing it with an edited version. However, Calandrelli reclaimed her moment by reposting the clip herself, confronting the trolls head-on.
Calandrelli's journey was nothing short of monumental; she became the 100th woman to travel to space, joining five other "space tourists" aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard spacecraft. The rocket launched on Friday from the company’s West Texas spaceport, propelling the crew into a life-altering adventure.
The mission, Blue Origin's ninth human test flight, was documented in vivid detail, capturing the raw emotion of the amateur astronauts as they gazed at Earth from space. For Calandrelli, the experience evoked a profound mix of emotions. "It was the same feeling I got when my kids were born, where I’m like, seeing it for the first time," she later reflected.
Addressing the deluge of negativity, Calandrelli wrote, “I refuse to give much time to the small men on the internet. I feel experiences in my soul... I will not apologize or feel weird about my reaction. It’s wholly mine, and I love it.”
Support poured in from her followers, many praising her resilience and calling her an inspiration for women and girls in STEM. “I see your joy! Well-earned, so exciting and so inspirational for women and girls everywhere,” commented one admirer.
"Not only "don’t let them dull your shine", but continue to lead with your shine. Earth & humanity needs it," a supporting user wrote.
Not only "don’t let them dull your shine", but continue to lead with your shine. Earth & humanity needs it. 🌎❤️
— 🧘 Doodle Pip! 🏳️⚧️ 🏳️🌈 (@DoodleDharma)Calandrelli's achievement carries echoes of the challenges faced by earlier female pioneers in space exploration. Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman in space in 1963, but it would take two decades before another woman, Sally Ride, would follow.
The stark gender disparity in space exploration is undeniable, with NASA selecting only 61 women out of 360 astronaut candidates since 1958.
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