Six women participated in the first all-female space flight since the 1960s, history-making for sure, right?
Blue Origin initiated a space flight April 14, which sparked a lot of interest and controversy. The flight consisted of celebrities like Gayle King, Katy Perry, Lauren Sánchez, as well as Aisha Bowe, Amanda Nguyen and Kerianne Flynn for a mission called NS-31.
Blue Origin is an American aerospace company founded by Jeff Bezos to make space “accessible.” While Blue Origin hasn’t publicly released a fixed price for their 11-minute flights, a seat on their first crewed mission was auctioned off for $28 million. These six women ascended to The Karman Line, the boundary where space meets the Earth’s atmosphere.
Dressed in custom flight suits made by Laura Kim and Fernando Garcia, the six women spent around 11 minutes in space. After their brief journey, it was revealed that Perry held a daisy up in the sky, telling the world how she felt “super connected to love.” The spectators, who consisted of celebrities like Oprah, Kris Jenner and Orlando Bloom, witnessed the six step out of the capsule, two of them, Perry and King, even kissing the ground as they got out.
With the goal to inspire future women in STEM, the overall response has been extreme on all sides. Many criticized the trip, arguing that the money and resources used for the flight could have been used for more pressing issues in today’s society. Actress Olivia Munn was quoted on the show, TODAY With Jenna & Friends, saying, “What are they going to do up there that has made it better for us down here?” King responded to some of the negative responses by saying, “I’m not going to let you steal our joy.”
The journey was completed smoothly, and as the six women reflect on their unique experience, so does the rest of the world, which cannot afford it.