Following Monday’s historic Blue Origin flight carrying an all-female crew including Katy Perry, journalist Lauren Sanchez, television host Gayle King, film producer Kerianne Flynn, NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe and civil rights activist and research scientist Amanda Nguyen, some celebrities have taken to social media to express concerns about the mission’s cost and resource allocation, Fox News reports.
The flight, celebrated by many as a milestone for women in space, has also drawn criticism from those who question the value of space tourism in light of pressing issues on Earth.
Olivia Wilde shared a meme of Katy Perry exiting the spacecraft, captioned, “Getting off a commercial flight in 2025,” suggesting the trip was a frivolous expense. She also commented on Instagram, “Billion dollars bought some good memes I guess.”
Comedian Chelsea Handler jokingly revealed that she had been chosen to be part of the crew last-minute, saying in a video:
“So I’m going to space, and I’m so excited. Lauren Sanchez, Katy Perry and Amanda Nguyen have been my guiding lights through this whole journey, which I just got called to be part of this space team this morning. And I’m loving it. I’ve always wanted to go to space, and also I just have to say, How high were the people who came up with the name for space? Were they like, ‘What should we call it? It’s got so much, like, space.’”
Model Emily Ratajkowski voiced her disapproval on TikTok. “That’s end time s—,” Ratajkowski said. “Like, this is beyond parody.”
She continued, “You say that you care about Mother Earth, and it’s about Mother Earth, and you go up in a spaceship that is built and paid for by a company that is single-handedly destroying the planet… Look at the state of the world and think about how many resources went into putting these women into space. For what?” She concluded, “I’m disgusted.”
Earlier this month, actress Olivia Munn characterized the flight as “gluttonous” during an appearance on “Today with Jenna and Friends.”
“I know this probably isn’t the cool thing to say, but there are so many other things that are so important in the world right now,” Munn said. “What are you guys gonna do up in space? What are you doing up there?”
Munn further questioned the mission’s purpose: “Space exploration was to further our knowledge and to help mankind. What are they gonna do up there that has made it better for us down here?”
The criticism highlights the ongoing debate surrounding space tourism and the ethical considerations of allocating resources to space exploration when global issues such as poverty and climate change remain unresolved. While some view the flight as an inspiring achievement, others see it as a symbol of misplaced priorities.
The latest news in your social feeds
Subscribe to our social media platforms to stay tuned