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Earlier this week, Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket launched a historic all-female crew on an 11-minute suborbital flight, marking the first all-women spaceflight since 1963.
The crew included pop star Katy Perry, journalist Gayle King, Lauren Sánchez (Jeff Bezos’ fiancée), former NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe, civil rights activist Amanda Nguyen, and film producer Kerianne Flynn. The flight crossed the Kármán line, 62 miles above Earth, where the six women experienced a few minutes of weightlessness and stunning planet views. Blue Origin hailed the mission as a step toward inspiring future generations, particularly women, in STEM fields.
However, the flight faced massive backlash, with celebrities like Olivia Munn, Amy Schumer, and Emily Ratajkowski calling it a “gluttonous” publicity stunt, questioning its value amid economic hardships. Some argued the trip, costing an estimated $500,000 per seat, was more about celebrity spectacle than scientific progress. Critics also debated whether the flight reached “outer space,” as suborbital trips barely cross the Kármán line, unlike orbital missions.
The mission was widely seen as a marketing gimmick to promote Blue Origin’s space tourism business, aiming to attract wealthy customers for future trips. Gayle King defended the flight, emphasizing its inspirational impact on young women and dismissing critics as “haters.” Blue Origin’s New Shepard program continues positioning itself as a claimed leader in making space accessible to private citizens.
We want to ask you, the reader: would you take a ride on Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin rocket? Answer in our poll below and comment your thoughts on the recent stunt with the six women.
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