Opinion by LillyItalia

Can a braid hinder one’s qualifications?

On Aug. 28, National Aeronautics and Space Association (NASA) astronauts Reid Wiseman, Jeremy Hansen (of the Canadian Space Agency), Victor Glover and Christina Koch were presented with the Congressional Space Medal of Honor for their flight on April’s Artemis II mission by President Donald Trump. 

The 10-day mission allowed the four to explore new horizons. Traveling 252,756 miles from their homeland, their flight served as a historic breakthrough for humanity, and, for the first time, a woman had completed a revolution around the moon. 

Surely, Koch felt no nerves during takeoff, right? 

At the ceremony, as the gold-rimmed medal was clasped around her neck, her achievements were displayed for all to see. Women of all walks of life are able to look at Koch’s breakthroughs and recognize that they, too, have the ability to live by her motto: “Do what scares you.”

Online, however, Koch’s legacy is attacked by the vitriol of comment sections.

Despite her impressive contributions, social media users can’t withhold the impulse to post that she will “be the first one to complain in space” and that her husband is a “poor fella” because his wife will be “going around the moon with 3 dudes.” 

As insecure individuals look at the Artemis crew and wonder, “why the woman?” they completely disregard Koch’s credibility solely due to her gender. 

Koch, who had already made history in 2019 for the longest single space flight by a woman, also logged 328 days in space prior to Artemis II. Naturally, due to her immense experience, she was awarded the title of “Mission Specialist 1” on the expedition.

While fact could nullify the ignorance of commenters, the implications of simple misogyny are deepened when casually brought up by someone of greater influence. 

As President Trump presented these awards, he began with a lengthy soliloquy introducing the four astronauts. While he praised the remainder of them, contradicting his honors, he was outwardly skeptical of Koch’s beliefs. 

He, in front of both a physical and online audience of peers and admirers, questions why “Christina tells young people ‘do what scares [them].’”

Most would think that is solid advice. However, Trump conveyed otherwise. 

“I don’t know about that, Christina,” he interjected. 

But what if Koch had never done what scared her? 

Or, on a grander scale, what if women — particularly young women — never did what scared them? Would women obtain any rights at all? 

Throughout history, women haven’t allowed the oppressive weight of fear to overtake them. Amid discomfort, they have pushed for societal, political and scientific breakthroughs, regardless of how complex the task. Koch herself admits that she “is not a stranger to being the only woman in the room.” 

Still, despite her obtaining the most spaceflight experience of anyone on the mission by 160 days, she is berated by people making simple comments, praying that “hopefully the woman isn’t in charge.” 

In 2026, women are still forced to prove their abilities in their fields as a result of casual misogyny. So, when the president of the United States of America publicly raises an eyebrow at the incredible dedication of a woman, while praising her male peers, it allows a precarious precedent to rise. 

If it had been Wiseman, Hansen or Glover that stated what Koch had, would Trump have even made this comment? 

As remarks like these are allowed to be simply undermined, their bypass further normalizes misogynistic ideals.

How long will it take before this casual way of thinking begins to really affect people’s actions? Or, at least, more than it already has?

Trump’s comment serves as a direct allowance for wrongful suspicion towards women in powerful roles. This suspicion is born from fear. The notion that women should “do what scares [them]” is threatening to some men, causing them to cope by whining behind a screen and typing that they’re surprised that “more women don’t have broken arms from patting themselves on the back so hard.”

But regardless of whatever these people want, Koch doesn’t need to pat herself on the back because her influence has already been solidified. Her dedication has been correctly praised by both the media and NASA alike. Young women, as seen on social media, have already been propelled to succeed by doing what scares them as a result of Koch’s work.  

Against the rebuttal that will come from the intimidated, Koch will be a source of inspiration for upcoming generations and will continue to inspire and uplift women to their greatest potential.

As Koch continues to deal with doubt surrounding her abilities, astronauts Wiseman, Hansen and Glover have since publicly announced that they will be stepping back from active flight status. She now finds herself as the last man — or woman — standing.

Currently, there is no certainty on Koch’s future expeditions. But regardless of her next task, she will continue to grow through overcoming her fears and will always be encouraging others to do the same.

As she achieves, Koch will never feel shame for the braid that accompanies her along the way – neither should you.

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