When I was a child, my mom liked to demonstrate that women were equals and capable of all sorts of scientific feats. She did her job a little too well, because I would not realize for many years that women did not rule the world.

Once she took me to see Mae Jemison speak at one of the ornate theaters in downtown Minneapolis. Jemison is both female and black, and had repeatedly cast away humanity’s prejudices ahead of her launch into Earth’s orbit. She is a dancer with a medical degree. She has done it all. I asked her a question in front of the entire audience and she answered. I was so inspired I turned the experience into a short story and did a mini book-tour around my elementary school. Now that I think about it, I owe the words on this page to Jemison.

Cristoforetti marks Earth Day with some activism from space. Photo courtesy of the European Space Agency.

Public outreach has always been woven into the DNA of astronauts. The first men and women in space were symbols of the power of the USSR and United States (and maybe still are). Former astronauts give talks and write books. They are a humanized side to the science and politics that go into every space shuttle.

But most of us never have the chance to meet an astronaut. Their presence is a blip on the TV that comes and goes with successful launches and landings. It’s a shame, because there are a whole lot of 9 years olds who would love to walk up to that microphone and ask a question.

That access is changing. In the age of the internet, we can instantly talk to someone 12,000 miles away on the opposite side of the globe. No one can hear you scream in space, but at least your Tweets can travel the 155 miles to Earth.

In 2015, you can turn to Twitter or Facebook or YouTube and watch as the liveblog rolls in. Of the six people currently in space, five are chronicling their ISS stay on Twitter. Cristoforetti held live Q & A sessions and recorded videos demonstrating what daily life is like. I have never spoken with Cristoforetti, and yet she feels familiar. She is my friend in the space business.

This has been a big boost for space agencies’ media mentions. Who can resist the story of an Italian astronaut finally getting a decent cup of coffee in space? As of this month, Cristoforetti has access to an Italian-designed espresso machine that can brew a cup in 3 minutes, no matter how it is oriented. Astronauts can drink from their microgravity cups or from a pouch with an aerated straw — so they can savor the smell, of course.

But it also makes us first-hand witnesses to the feats of all astronauts, whether they are male or female, Canadian or Russian. We are invited into Cristoforetti’s laboratory, where she cultures microbes and experiments on stem cells. And for Hadfield, the rockstar status has become literal. He will release an album later this year recorded entirely in space. He still has 1.3 million followers on Twitter who follow his adventures on Earth.

“This is our best, more efficient way to inspire the young generations to get interested in what we are doing,” Grandsire says.