Blue Origin’s historic all-female spaceflight, featuring prominent figures such as Gayle King, Katy Perry, Lauren Sánchez, former NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe, civil rights activist Amanda Nguyen, and film producer Kerianne Flynn, has ignited both celebration and controversy since its launch on April 14, 2025. The mission, dubbed NS-31, marked the first all-women crewed spaceflight since Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova’s solo mission in 1963, and soared just past the Kármán line—62 miles above Earth’s surface—offering the crew a brief experience of weightlessness before safely returning to West Texas.
A Milestone for Representation
The nearly 11-minute suborbital journey was hailed as a breakthrough for representation in space travel. For the first time in decades, a diverse, all-female crew—including the first Bahamian (Bowe) and the first Vietnamese and Southeast Asian woman (Nguyen) in space—took part in a commercial flight, inspiring many women and girls who watched the event unfold. Gayle King, upon returning, emphasized the profound impact of the experience, stating, “It’s such a reminder about how we need to do better, be better. … If [only] everybody could experience that peace that we had up there”.
Katy Perry, who brought a daisy to honor her daughter, described the experience as “supernatural,” while Lauren Sánchez and other crew members were visibly moved, with family and friends cheering them on at the launch site.
Fierce Backlash and Public Debate
Despite the mission’s historic nature, it quickly became a lightning rod for criticism. High-profile figures such as Olivia Wilde, Amy Schumer, Emily Ratajkowski, and Olivia Munn questioned the purpose and optics of the flight, labeling it a “publicity stunt” for the privileged and raising concerns about the environmental impact and resource allocation of such ventures. Critics on social media mocked the spectacle, with Wilde posting, “Billion dollars bought some good memes I guess,” alongside images of the crew’s emotional return.
Gayle King’s Defense: Inspiration and Scientific Value
In response to the backlash, Gayle King has been vocal in defending the mission’s significance. She acknowledged the trip’s expense but insisted that “real work was being done up there.” King highlighted that two of the crew members—one a rocket scientist, the other an astrophysicist-activist—were conducting experiments during the flight, and emphasized the broader value of space technology in everyday life, citing GPS and satellite communications as direct benefits.
King also addressed a particularly controversial suggestion circulating in public discourse: that space could be used as a dumping ground for Earth’s waste. While she noted that Blue Origin is interested in “figuring out a way to harness the waste here and figure out a way to put it in space, to make the planet Earth a better place,” she clarified that this is not an official mission objective and stressed the importance of understanding the company’s broader technological goals before passing judgment.
“I wish people would do more due diligence before criticizing. And then my question is, ‘Have y’all been to space?’ Go to space or go to Blue Origin and see what they do and how they do and then come back and say, ‘This is a terrible thing.’” — Gayle King
King also took issue with the dismissive language used by some critics, arguing that the mission should be recognized as a true flight and not trivialized as a mere “ride,” especially given the historical precedent set by Alan Shepard’s journey.
The Broader Conversation
The Blue Origin all-female spaceflight has sparked a wider debate about the value of commercial space travel, representation, and the responsible use of resources. For supporters, the mission stands as a beacon of inspiration and scientific progress. For detractors, it raises questions about priorities in a world facing urgent challenges.
As the conversation continues, the flight remains a vivid reminder of both the possibilities and the complexities of humanity’s push beyond Earth—and the scrutiny that accompanies such high-profile endeavors.