Women astronauts use social media to reframe science and femininity together

Why can't a flight jacket be pink or purple? That was the question a 6-year-old girl asked her mother, Kellie Gerardi, an astronaut, researcher and science communicator. When Gerardi later appeared in a TV interview wearing a bright pink flight jacket, her daughter pointed to her mom on the TV screen, smiling with delight. This exchange—which appeared in a post on Gerardi's Instagram account—was a personal moment, skillfully presented through the language and visuals of social media. But it also conveys a clear message: Femininity and scientific credibility are not mutually exclusive.