NASA Invites Milton Mom To Crew-8 Mission Launch

Milton mom, wife, elementary school teacher, and social media influencer, Debbie Calabro, has been granted exclusive media accreditation rights to cover NASA’s upcoming Crew-8 Mission Launch at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida later this month. Debbie’s coverage will appear on her rapidly growing online account, “Debbie Discovers Atlanta and Beyond,” which boasts nearly 20,000 followers on Facebook and Instagram.

The upcoming space launch scheduled for February 28 will carry NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick (commander); Michael Barratt (pilot) and Jeanette Epps (mission specialist), as well as Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin, mission specialist. This is the first spaceflight for Dominick, Epps, and Grebenkin, and the third spaceflight for Barratt.

Calabro’s impact on the Atlanta community didn’t begin with a career in social media; instead, she’s spent the past 29 years working as a local kindergarten teacher. Her entre into the world of social media was an organic one, almost backing into the role of social media influencer by accident.

“I still can’t believe this amazing influencer journey I’m experiencing,” said Calabro. “When my son was little, I kept a busy calendar filled with sights and scenes that make the city of Atlanta such a special place to live. Friends would see what I posted on my personal social media pages; many began asking questions, seeking advice, and requesting tips for their own adventure-seeking families. So many people started messaging me that I decided to create a private Facebook group, but I quickly made it public when I saw how rapidly it was scaling.”

While Calabro’s coverage generally focuses on Atlanta-area venues, her presence at the Kennedy Space Center this February opens a plethora of press opportunities outside of her hometown. She will be on site February 26-28, sharing the experience on her pages on Facebook and Instagram.

“I can’t express in words just how surreal this opportunity is to me. As a kid, I would lay awake at night, dreaming of attending a space camp. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d grow up and have an insider view of a historic event like this one, much less be able to interview some of our country’s finest astronauts in person! I can’t wait to share this experience with all my loyal followers, as well as any space-loving fans who may not yet be aware of my social media pages.”

Calabro was hand-picked for this role by NASA officials and received media accreditation after a competitive application process. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon Endeavor spacecraft will carry astronauts to the International Space Station. Following a short handover period, astronauts from NASA’s SpaceX Crew-7 mission are scheduled to return to Earth aboard their SpaceX Dragon Endurance spacecraft.