So, let’s talk about the most recent news surrounding Jeff Bezos’ space launch. The Blue Origin rocket launched into space on Monday, April 14th, with an all-female crew consisting of Katy Perry, Gayle King, Lauren Sanchez, Aisha Bowe, Amanda Nguyen, and Kerianne Flynn. The flight itself was around 11 minutes, recorded the entire time, and celebrated as a “step towards women empowerment and achievement.”Â
But was it actually about women empowerment? Sure, the crew was only women, but the nature behind the flight, and the subsequent conspiracy theories, has left me personally disturbed and disgusted; and that doesn’t even include how I feel about the environmental impact these space shenanigans are leaving.Â
The emotional return, joyous flight, and anxious preparation for the flight seemed all too perfect. The flight itself, even, seemed all too perfect. I am not doubting anything regarding the actual launch, flight, etc., but I think that the claim of this being in the name of women empowerment is simply wrong. These women boarded a spaceship created and “fathered” by Jeff Bezos, the second-richest man in the world. A man who, among other things, has no regard for women’s rights, nor does he truly care about the struggling population.Â
Not only that, but these women, who were estimated to pay about $150,000 for an initial deposit, launched into space, leaving behind millions of individuals struggling to make ends meet. They left behind women who are on the streets, fighting tooth and nail (sometimes literally) in the name of women’s rights. What does a space flight with a female crew full of rich, privileged women have to do with what women are actually fighting for? Honestly, the only woman on this flight that I was rooting for is Amanda Nguyen, a rape-survivor bioastronautic engineer who has done nothing but break barriers during her career.Â
The whole ordeal is dripping with money-fueled fanaticism, leaving a sour taste in the mouth of those who were able to see past the initial celebratory nature of the flight. Sure, it’s funny to joke about how out-of-touch and weird Katy Perry acted, but the reality of it is that her out-of-touch attitude comes from being privileged and entitled.Â
Following this, I will acknowledge that the launch was producing water vapor instead of CO2 emissions. This, however, does not mean anything. The environmental impact that comes from everything surrounding the rocket – the preparation, the construction, the several test launches – is massive. It isn’t just the Blue Origin, or the New Shepherd to be precise. Elon Musk, now the richest man in the world, is constantly launching SpaceX missions, polluting the air, disrupting habitats, and causing noise pollution as far as 20 miles from the launch sight.Â
Several conspiracy theories have followed Monday’s launch, with the most prominent one surrounding the ever-prevalent idea of celebrities trying to leave Earth. There have been rumors of the next celebrities who will join Bexos in his Blue Origin, from Kim Kardashian and Paris Hilton to Justin Beiber and Ivanka Trump. Are they really trying to get those who can afford it off this Earth, leaving behind a ruined and polluted world? Who knows. But one thing is for certain; these space missions should be recognized for their negative impact on the environment, and the way they affect the average individual just trying to survive. To remember this most recent mission as a “silly little trip for the girlies” is disgusting.Â