Virgin Galactic to fly well-known researcher, a TikTok star to space

Space tourism company Virgin Galactic announced Thursday it will send researcher Kellie Gerardi, a well-known figure on TikTok, into space to conduct experiments for several minutes while weightless. The 32-year-old bioastronautics researcher, who is affiliated with the International Institute for Astronautical Sciences, said she always believed the space tourism industry's success could also "help open up opportunities for researchers like myself." The first experiment conducted by Gerardi, who has more than 400,000 TikTok followers and some 130,000 on Instagram, will involve "astro skin," in which sensors are placed under her flight suit to collect biometric data. With Virgin Galactic's expected frequent flight schedule, "we could validate data over and over instead of having to wait years, you know, for another spaceflight opportunity," she said.