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Blue Origin's All-Female Spaceflight Faces Public and Celebrity Criticism

Gayle King defends the mission's significance, calling out gendered language and highlighting environmental goals as backlash intensifies.

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Gayle King; Her with the all-female space crew

Overview

  • Blue Origin's NS-31 mission on April 14 marked the first all-female spaceflight since 1963, featuring a 10-minute suborbital journey with six prominent women, including Gayle King and Katy Perry.
  • Critics, including celebrities like Olivia Munn and Emily Ratajkowski, labeled the flight wasteful and questioned its environmental and societal value given its high cost and short duration.
  • Online conspiracy theories emerged, alleging the mission was staged, citing capsule footage as supposed evidence, though these claims lack credible support.
  • Gayle King has publicly rebutted criticism, arguing that dismissing the mission as a 'ride' is sexist and emphasizing Blue Origin's environmental aspirations and research goals.
  • The mission continues to generate polarized reactions on social media, with some praising its symbolic importance for representation in STEM and others decrying it as tone-deaf extravagance.