Well, that didn’t take long.
Blue Origin’s much-hyped all-female spaceflight was already on shaky ground, marketed as a “historic” milestone for women. But the newly released footage from inside the capsule has ignited a firestorm of criticism, exposing the mission for what it truly was: an overpriced publicity stunt.
The video, shared by Blue Origin on X, showed the six women — Katy Perry, Lauren Sánchez, Gayle King, Aisha Bowe, Amanda Nguyen, and Kerianne Flynn — floating in zero gravity. Yet, instead of marveling at the cosmos, they’re fixated on cameras, snapping selfies, and posing like influencers at a luxury resort.
Take a look at the infuriating footage for yourself below:
✨ Weightless and limitless. pic.twitter.com/GQgHd0aw7i
— Blue Origin (@blueorigin) April 14, 2025
Unlike even the most bare bones episode of “Star Trek,” this wasn’t a mission of scientific discovery or exploration. It was more akin to a glorified Disney World attraction (almost quite literally), a joyride for the elite that Blue Origin dressed up as a feminist triumph. The women were mere passengers, not astronauts, with no technical role in the flight.
The New Shepard rocket is fully automated, per ABC News. It could have carried toddlers, monkeys, or even Democratic lawmakers, and the outcome wouldn’t have changed one iota. The idea that this stunt advances women in STEM is laughable — it’s a complete mockery of what real astronauts endure.
Was this flight a waste of resources?
Let’s break down the absurdity. The entire flight lasted just 11 minutes, according to NBC News, with only a brief window of zero-gravity time. Yet, as the footage reveals, much of that precious time was spent … mugging for the cameras.
One X user noted how much of “a waste” this entire stunt was:
Almost none of them is looking through the window, they’re looking at the camera of their damn phone. What a waste
— Adrià Sánchez (@AdriaSnz) April 14, 2025
“Almost none of them is looking through the window, they’re looking at the camera of their damn phone,” the X user commented under the Blue Origins post. “What a waste.”
The sentiment captures the frustration of many who expected more from this so-called historic moment.
Another X user lambasted the raw vanity of it all.
So much time worried about the cameras around them instead is looking out at the world.
— Lincoln (@MobofJoggers) April 14, 2025
“So much time worried about the cameras around them instead [of] looking out at the world,” the X user posted.
This wasn’t about experiencing the awe of space so much as it was about curating the perfect social media moment, and social media users were not fooled.
The footage reveals a deeper disconnect. These women weren’t chosen for their expertise but for their ability to market Blue Origin’s brand. They’re “storytellers,” as Sánchez put it, per Vanity Fair, meant to sell the experience through journalism, film, and song.
But what story are they telling? One of privilege and vanity, not exploration. The capsule’s windows offered a rare view of Earth from above the Kármán line, yet the crew seemed more interested in their own reflections.
Then there’s the cringe-worthy moment at roughly 42 seconds in the video, where a voice — quite possibly Katy Perry’s — exclaims, “Oh my goddess!” The phrase, dripping with performative blasphemy, can truly be summed up in two words: ridiculously evil.
This isn’t the first time we’ve called out this farce. Yesterday, we reported on Perry’s post-flight comments, which perfectly illustrated the shallow nature of this stunt. Her actions in the capsule only reinforce that narrative.
The backlash isn’t just about what was said and done in regards to this glorified photo op. It was, believe it or not, also about what these women wore.
As one X user points out, surely high heels are an absolute necessity for rigorous, history-making space travel … right?
Seriously? pic.twitter.com/QP2FlpwjzS
— Igor Stepahin (@stepahin) April 15, 2025
This flight was never about advancing humanity’s reach into space. It was about advancing Jeff Bezos’ brand, with these women as props in his marketing scheme.
Real astronauts train for years, risking their lives for scientific progress. These women were handed a multi-million-dollar carnival ride and treated it like a photo op.
The contrast couldn’t be starker. While actual space professionals work to expand our understanding of God’s universe, Blue Origin’s crew was busy chasing clout.
If this is the future of space travel, it’s a bleak one. Women deserve better than to be tokenized in a billionaire’s vanity project.
Blue Origin may have launched these women into space, but they’ve grounded any pretense of meaningful progress.
This wasn’t a step forward for feminism — it was a giant leap backward for authenticity.
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