History was made when Emily Calandrelli became the 100th woman to go to space and social media certainly had something to say about it — though not all the comments were positive.
On November 22, Emily joined six other people with Jeff Bezos’ aerospace company Blue Origin as they flew above the Earth’s atmosphere for space tourism.
Image credits: blueorigin
In a live stream, the author and astronaut could be seen in complete awe, exclaiming, “Oh my God, this is space.”
Not even 24 hours later, however, “hoards of men” began sexualizing her response and making inappropriate comments.
Emily Calandrelli was met with online trolls after she had an emotional response to being the 100th woman to fly to space
While many rallied their support on social media, calling Emily an “inspiration” and a hero, especially for women, she said there were a few men who tried to ruin an experience that brought “the most life-altering spectacular joy and awe.”
“I refuse to give much time to the small men on the internet. I feel experiences in my soul,” she said.
“I will not apologize or feel weird about my reaction. It’s wholly mine and I love it.”
Image credits: blueorigin
As she got off the flight, a Southwest flight attendant recognized her and offered some advice, whispering, “Don’t ever let them dull your shine.”
“I felt an immediate sense of camaraderie with her, with all the women,” Emily said.
The rude comments were so vast in numbers that Blue Origin had to take down the original video and replace it with an edited version.
Emily’s representative told CNN that she’d much rather focus on what the milestone meant for the future, rather than the unexpected hate it’s received.
The mission, while fairly simple, was an unreal experience for Emily
The launch this past Friday had a simple goal: fly above the Kármán line—the boundary separating Earth’s atmosphere from outer space—for a couple of minutes, before landing back on the ground.
And Emily had nothing but good things to say about the journey.
“I immediately turned upside down and looked at the planet and then there was so much space, and I kept saying, like, ‘that’s our planet!’”
Image credits: thespacegal
As a mother, it reminded her of her children.
“It was the same feeling I got when my kids were born where I’m like, seeing it for the first time.”
Also aboard the rocket were Sharon Hagle, Marc Hagle, Austin Litteral, James (J.D.) Russell, and Henry (Hank) Wolfond.
Many of the positive comments stood behind Emily and praised her for her unforgettable journey
Image credits: thespacegal
It seems Emily’s mission touched many viewers, despite the online trolls.
“I watched many times just to see your reaction, because it brought me so much joy,” one user gushed. “It made me feel like I achieved something great with you. You deserve better, women deserve better. You are so loved!!”
Another commented on the expectations of women, saying, “So insane. Women are always expected to suppress our emotions.”
“Joy is the most radical form of rebellion,” a third stated. “We love you! You pushed history forward for all women. We love your joy.”
The first woman to travel to space came just two years after Yuri Gagarin’s massive accomplishment
Image credits: blueorigin
On June 16, 1963, Valentina Tereshkova launched into the great beyond aboard the Vostok 6 spacecraft, making her the first woman to ever achieve the milestone.
The flight lasted approximately 70 hours, as she orbited the Earth 48 times.
This journey made the impossible possible — and 20 years later, Astronaut Sally K. Ride became the first American woman to go into space in June 1983.
Users on TikTok called Emily a “legend” for breaking barriers
The post “I Will Not Apologize”: 100th Woman In Space Refuses To “Bow To Small Men On The Internet” first appeared on Bored Panda.