On April 14, 2025, a group of six women embarked on a trip to space via Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket; the group involved a few easily recognizable names including; Katy Perry, Gayle King, Lauren Sanchez, Aisha Bowe, Amanda Nguyen, and Kerianne Flynn. This trip marked Blue Origin’s first all female crewed flight, yet throughout its heavily promoted feminist agenda, the mission left people with mixed feelings and controversy.
When the trip was initially announced there was little details given about it, most outlets focused on the individuals partaking because of the unusual pop star “headliner”. With no information about duration, or even solid reasoning behind the mission, it was a surprise to most individuals when the group took off and came back all within the span of 11 minutes.
Critics have expressed complaints regarding several different topics, but most connect back to the belief that the event was an out-of- touch PR stunt.
The first argument surrounds the feminist symbolism behind the movement, because to many it seems much more like performative activism. The amount of emphasis put on the celebrity participants casted a shadow over the feminist message, which leads to the lack of value held for the supposed “win for science, creativity, and expansion” that the event had been marketed as.
Katy Perry was especially idolized by promotions for this trip, which has also been interpreted as disheartening because of the two females in the group with credentials that genuinely connect both space and feminism. Amanda Nguyen, a civil rights entrepreneur with a past involvement with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and Aisha Bowe, an aerospace engineer.
The absence of substance when promoting the crew is what has left some women insulted, as when dissected, the “gender empowerment” mirrors the superficial, vain, and unserious stereotypes often associated with women rather than anything truly empowering.
The mission has raised concerns regarding environmental issues as well, the concept of space tourism, especially when recreational, is often highly criticized. Public figures like Emily Ratajkowski and Olivia Munn highlighted the carbon footprint associated with such flights, labeling them as extravagant and environmentally detrimental, especially in the context of global crises.
With such a short duration, it is difficult to find the environmental harm and money justifiable. Money is an additional issue that critics have brought up.
The first ticket was auctioned for 28 million dollars and required a deposit of 150,000 dollars. With the crew on board, the price of this 11 minute trip can easily be viewed as a lavish and exclusive event that is unaffordable for the majority of people meant to create yet another boundary between social classes.
Many have condemned the group for participating in this trip because of the amount of money put into it, bringing up how with the current social and political climate of the world, paying such an extravagant number for a few minutes in space seems ignorant and selfish. However, this argument is not as black and white as the previously mentioned ones, because dictating how these individuals make use of their own money is a controversial topic on its own.
It is up to each person to consider if the progression of commercial space travel is a priority during this time, even if it’s an opportunity that only reaches the elite.