The inspiring reason why this 35-year-old astronaut took friendship bracelets to space

Friendship bracelets hold special memories and charm to people. The same goes for 35-year-old Kellie Gerardi, an astronaut and a big Taylor Swift fan from Jupiter, Florida. Even before she became an astronaut, she always loved wearing them. So, when she found out she was going to space on the Galactic 05 research mission in November 2023, she wanted to stay true to herself, as reported by PEOPLE. It so happened during Taylor Swift's Eras Tour, which made it even more special for her.

It was the time when she decided to take friendship bracelets into space. "I was only the 90th woman in history to fly to space," said Gerardi in an interview with the outlet. She studied at the International Institute for Astronautical Sciences and became a bioastronautics researcher. "It became very important to me not to tone down my personality or femininity in an attempt to conform to society's expectations of what a space professional should look like — instead, I wanted to expand that image to include me," she added.

"At the end of the day, conducting science in space with a wrist full of friendship bracelets was the perfect way for me to embrace those complexities," a mom to her 6-year-old daughter, Delta V, said. The astronaut made a small batch of bracelets with her girlfriends before her spaceflight. She said nothing could have prepared her for that moment when she finally reached space, wearing those bracelets. Looking down at Earth, Gerardi recalled being in "absolute awe." 

"I remember looking out the window and realizing that in that moment, I wasn't currently on the same planet as my baby," she says. "It was mind-bending and profound and I'm still processing it. I don't know that I'll ever quite find the words to do it justice. Since then, most of the bracelets from that flight have been given away, but she has made many new ones. "It was also the perfect way for me to do something special for all my girlfriends who have always supported my dreams and who traveled out to my launch to cheer me on — I was able to trade a space-flown 'Astronaut Era' bracelet with each of them!" she said.

Following her assignment, Gerardi elaborated on her career-related posts on Instagram and TikTok. As a result, she has received handmade bracelets from people worldwide, adding to her collection of friendship bracelets. "Some of the bracelets made by my youngest fans are the most special to me," she said. "I'm actually wearing a few right now that were sent to me after my spaceflight, along with hand-drawn pictures and sweet notes. I treasure them! It's so important to me that the next generation of girls know that space, sparkle, STEM, and sisterhood can all go together," she added.

Besides their look, Gerardi explained that the bracelets also had practical use during her mission. They helped secure a wire from a SpO2 sensor attached to her left thumb. This sensor was part of a biomonitoring device she wore under her flight suit to collect biometric data. From a jewelry perspective, her main concern was avoiding sharp edges that could cause abrasions during movement. She made sure the bracelets didn't pose a snag risk by taping them together and wearing them under the Velcroed sleeve of her flight suit. "I hope people feel empowered to embrace their multitudes and own them proudly, and I hope younger girls see themselves represented in a way that creates a spark of possibility for their own dreams and interests. Not even the sky is the limit!" she said.

In the future, Gerardi plans to lead an all-female research mission when she returns to space in 2026. Her daughter's first concert, the Eras Tour in Miami in October, is what she's most looking forward to before then. "I'll have a ton of 'astronaut era' friendship bracelets to trade during the show, so it'll be a really fun and full-circle moment for me!" Gerardi said. "I kept one special space-flown 'astronaut era' friendship bracelet that I'd love to send to Taylor one day if the opportunity ever presents itself," she added.

You can follow Kellie Gerardi on TikTok and Instagram for science and lifestyle content.