Senator, Astronaut and Pilot Mark Kelly Chats Space with Me! 🚀

Okay. OKAY. I need everyone to take a deep breath with me because I am still not entirely sure this actually happened. I sat down — one on one — with Senator and astronaut Mark Kelly. Yes. That Mark Kelly. Shuttle commander. Pilot. ISS veteran. U.S. Senator. All-around legend. And he chatted with me!

We covered his missions, aliens, the bold, the beautiful, and yes — the smelly (space is a lot of things, people, and "fresh" is unfortunately not one of them 😂). We talked about what it's really like to live and work in microgravity, the future of human spaceflight, and the kind of big-picture space questions that keep both of us up at night.

I went in trying to be the picture of composed professionalism. And I mostly pulled it off! Mostly. There may have been a moment or two where my inner space-obsessed kid completely took over. And actually, it struck me as we spoke, that Senator Kelly still has childlike enthusiasm for space too! His face literally lights up as he speaks.

But what struck me most about Senator Kelly was how grounded he is — which, for a man who has literally floated hundreds of miles above Earth, is saying something! He's thoughtful, warm, and clearly still just as passionate about space exploration as he was the day he first launched. It's the kind of conversation that reminds you why this field matters — not just for science, but for humanity.

I came away from it energized, inspired, and with a whole new appreciation for just how wild and wonderful this universe we live in really is.

Also, and I cannot stress this enough, space apparently has a very distinct smell. You'll have to watch to find out what Senator Kelly compared it to. 👀 Here is a clip: