Emily Calandrelli will be first West Virginia woman to travel to space • West Virginia Watch

Emily Calandrelli, an engineer, will be the first woman from West Virginia to be an astronaut to travel to space. She’ll make the journey through a private flight company.

The West Virginia University alumni, Emmy-nominated television host and mother announced the news on Tuesday.

“I studied as an aerospace engineer for a decade, and it was always a dream to go to space,” said Calandrelli, who grew up in Morgantown. “The goal is to make this as much of a West Virginia flight as possible.”

She’ll join a list of West Virginia natives with connections to space travel, including NASA engineer Homer Hichmam, NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson and ground-breaking pilot Chuck Yeager.

“I love that there is already a West Virginia space connection and that I can connect to and build on and shine a light on my home state,” Calandrelli said.

The launch on a yet-to-be-determined date will take place at a Blue Origin launch site in West Texas. The space travel company, founded by billionaire Jeff Bezos, has successfully flown seven human spaceflight missions.

The spaceship, called New Shepard, flies six people at a time on a similar flight trajectory as Alan Shepard, the first American in space. 

“I’ve always wanted to see the curvature of earth and the blackness of space,” Calandrelli said. “It’s such a unique perspective for a human to be able to see it with your eyes.”

Calandrelli’s flight to space will be made possible, in part, due to a partnership between Alys and Brad D. Smith’s Wing 2 Wing Foundation, which promotes accessible education and entrepreneurism. She is still raising money for the flight. 

Brad Smith serves as president of Marshall University, and as part of their partnership, Calandrelli will promote the Marshall for All, Marshall Forever Program. The program, a brainchild of Smith, allows students to graduate Marshall with a bachelor’s degree and relevant work experiences without student debt. 

“Emily is a shining example of the power that access to education can provide those chasing their dreams and we’re proud to support her as the first West Virginian woman in space,” said Alys and Brad D. Smith in a statement. “Throughout her life, Emily has faced challenges and overcome adversity to have a successful STEM career that ultimately led her to this dream of going to space; she embodies what is possible for all women and families in our great state when access to education is available.” 

Calandrelli said she also hopes to partner with West Virginia University as a research partner for her trip. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from the university. 

“I hope to also take the WVU flag to space,” she said. 

Calandrelli, who now lives in California, will travel around West Virginia to speak with students about the experience. 

“Being able to come back as a West Virginia girl and be like, ‘I’m just like you, and I’m doing this incredible thing.’ I hope it raises their ceiling for themselves,” she said. 

Calandrelli also serves as a correspondent on Netflix’s “Bill Nye Saves the World” and has authored nine children’s science books.