9.12.2024

Emily Calandrelli after returning from space.

COURTESY OF BLUE ORIGIN

On Nov. 22, Emily Calandrelli traveled to space with Blue Orgin

• Emily Calandrelli had always dreamed of going to space
• After years of anticipation, on Nov. 22, the mother of two from West Virginia not only achieved that dream but also made history as the 100th woman to travel to space with Blue Origin
• Leading up to the mission, Calandrelli, known as Emily the Space Gal online, tells PEOPLE that she spent just three days training to fly safely in the spacecraft, including learning how to handle emergency situations
• For Calandrelli, who has amassed more than 900,000 followers on Instagram and 1.3 million on TikTok, the journey was about more than just fulfilling her own dreams

Emily Calandrelli had dreamed for as long as she could remember of going to space. After years of anticipation, on Nov. 22, the mother of two from West Virginia not only achieved that dream but also made history as the 100th woman to travel to space with Blue Origin.

Leading up to the mission, Calandrelli, known as Emily the Space Galonline, tells PEOPLE that she spent just three days training to fly safely in the spacecraft, including learning how to handle emergency situations. When the day of the mission arrived, the journey lasted about 11 minutes from takeoff to landing.

For Calandrelli, who has amassed more than 900,000 followers on Instagram and 1.3 million on TikTok, the journey was about more than just fulfilling her own dreams. It was about showing other women and girls — including her own daughter, Rose — that their dreams are possible, too. That's why, when deciding what items to pack within her 3-lb. weight limit, she chose to bring a flash drive filled with wishes.

To bring that message to others, she asked kids and families who follow her to share their dreams, hopes and wishes with her via a Google Doc. "I was able to bring almost 10,000 wishes to space with that flash drive," she says.

Along with the flash drive, she brought gold charms to be able to give away to a select number of girls who follow her online, along with her dad's college ring, which holds special meaning, as he was the first person in her family to go to college.

"When I was younger, the biggest dream I had was getting a job that paid well," she adds. "My dad had grown up in poverty and taught us the importance of financial security — being able to make enough money to keep a roof over your head and put food on the table. I Googled all the majors you could choose in college, looked at their starting salaries, and that’s how I ended up choosing engineering."

"I originally thought, ‘This is going to be hard, awful, and boring. I’m going to hate it,’ " she continues. "But then I got there and discovered all the awe, the adventure, and the fun. I found out that I was good at it, and I wanted to share that discovery with others to show kids like myself — who maybe didn’t see themselves in this field, didn’t understand it, or didn’t know they could be good at it — that you can do it. I wanted to say, 'Guys, guess what I learned? I’m now obsessed with this!' "

The night before the mission, Calandrelli recalls to PEOPLE that she didn’t sleep much. When she woke up in the morning, she was filled with adrenaline. Before heading to the training facility and suiting up, she saw her family and friends one last time.

She knew the risk of the mission, which made the last hugs from her family before the launch even more meaningful.

"In my brain, I’m thinking, ‘Is this the last time I hug my kid? Is this the last time I hug my mom, my dad?’ There was a lot of emotion because I’m scared, but I’m putting on a brave face for my family," she recalls. "Then I get in the car, head to the training facility, and put on my flight suit. That’s when it gets very, very real."

"These are the last moments before we head to the launch pad," she adds. "We pile into our cars, and our families line the road, ringing cowbells and waving goodbye. I stick my head out the window and see all my family and friends from across my life. I had so many people there supporting me."

After entering the spacecraft, Calandrelli locked eyes with her daughter. She looked her in the eyes and told her, "I love you." After that, she didn’t look at anybody else on the way to the launch pad. She thought, "If my daughter remembers one last thing about me, I hope it’s that she remembers me telling her that I love her," she shares.

When the time came, Calandrelli says the launch was "picture perfect." The weather was clear, the systems worked flawlessly, and there were no holds, no delays — nothing. She recalls the countdown: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. And when it ended, she heard the engines ignite.

"You feel a little rumble, you hear it, and then you see the fire engulfing you," she says. "Inside the capsule, it’s glowing orange from the flames, and you’re not leaving it. The engine ignites for about seven seconds before you finally lift off. And then, once you lift off, the Earth starts falling behind you. The sky slowly shifts from bright blue to light blue to black — completely and utterly black. It’s a black like I’ve never seen before."

Upon entering space, Calandrelli says she had about four minutes of floating weightlessly. She captured the moment on video, posting it to her social media.

"I was freaking out. You could hear it in my voice. I was like, 'Oh my gosh, that’s space, that’s Earth.' There was trembling in my voice — a mixture of awe and pride, but also a little bit of fear. The whole thing was beautiful, exciting and wonderful, but also a little spooky."

" 'Oh my God, I’m in space. That’s the Earth!’ I’m freaking out because all of my emotions are tangled together. There’s a little bit of fear — you just launched on a rocket — and some confusion because now you’re floating. Your feet are near the ceiling, your head is near the floor, and you’re trying to orient yourself. And then, you’re seeing the Earth from this new perspective."

Throughout this journey, Calandrelli says people often asked her about the moment she looked forward to most. For her, that moment was hugging her loved ones — especially her kids — when she returned. This dream of hers had been with her for a long time, even before she had a husband or children. She wasn’t going to let anything stop her from achieving it, though acknowledges the weight it carried.

"I wasn’t just risking my own life; I was risking my husband’s wife’s life. I was risking my kids' mommy’s life," she says. "So, when I came out of the capsule, I celebrated for a second, and then I jumped into my husband’s arms. The first thing I said to him was, ‘I didn’t die. I’m here. Our love is still here, our family is still here.’ It was just the most joyful hug I’ve ever experienced. Oh, that hug. It was the best. The absolute best."

After celebrating by the capsule for a little while, Calandrelli went back to the training facility to freshen up. She brought her kids with her, and they went to the mockup of the simulator where they had trained. "I said, ‘Come into my spacecraft, and let me show you what Mommy’s space flight was like.’ "

"My daughter sat in the seat I sat in during the flight, and they gave her a simulation," she says. "They ran through the entire flight simulation, and it was so fun to share that experience with her."

"I asked her what her big dream was for the flash drive I sent into space with 10,000 other kids' dreams. I said, ‘Rose, what’s your big dream? What do you want me to put on this?’ And she said that one day she hopes to fly to space with Mommy. I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, that’s so cute.’ For her to be able to run through the simulation was really special. It was a moment I’ll never forget."

Although Calandrelli has now achieved her dream of going to space, she says her work is just beginning. As she looks ahead, she hopes to continue sharing her adventures online, and through Arm & Hammer Baking Soda Rocket Day, which took place in October.

"Now, my work begins," she says. "I get to bring this experience to as many kids, as many girls, and as many people in West Virginia who might see themselves in me and realize that this is possible for them too. I’m so excited to turn all of this content into videos I can share, into presentations I can give. I feel like I now have an obligation to bring this experience to as many kids as possible."

Quelle: People