Blue Origin Removes Video After Trolls Target Astronaut, She Hits Back

Blue Origin was forced to delete a video of female astronaut Emily Calandrelli's first time in space due to a flood of sexist and misogynistic comments on social media. Ms Calandrelli, an MIT engineer and TV host, was part of Blue Origin's NS-28 mission and became the 100th woman to fly to space. The footage, shared after her flight on November 22 captured her emotional reaction to seeing Earth from space. In the video, Ms Calandrelli expressed amazement, likening the experience to the joy of seeing her children for the first time.

"We got to weightlessness, I immediately turned upside down and looked at the planet and then there was so much blackness. There was so much space. 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," she said in the video.

However, the post was inundated with hateful and objectifying comments, prompting Blue Origin to take down the video to shield her from further online harassment. Some sexualized her reaction, while others posted offensive comments targeting her appearance and other personal aspects. One user wrote, "Would you consider yourself the hottest woman to ever go to space? Any other contenders?" Another said, "why is she moaning I cannot unhear it."

Despite the negative attention, Ms Calandrelli stood firm against the backlash and voiced her feelings on her Instagram account.  She wrote she refuses "to give much time to the small men on the internet."

"This all happened as I was flying home after experiencing the most perfect, wonderful dream-achieving experience of my life. And instead of being on cloud nine, I'm crying in my seat staring out the window. Because of course, this happened. Of course, I should have expected this," she wrote. 

"But 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," she added.

See the post here:

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A post shared by Emily Calandrelli (@thespacegal)

She also received an outpouring of support from fellow astronauts, scientists, and fans, who praised her achievement and condemned the online harassment.