Sánchez and King Fire Back at Critics of All-Female Blue Origin Spaceflight

Lauren Sánchez and Gayle King aren’t letting critics dim the glow of their historic journey to the edge of space.

Following their successful Blue Origin spaceflight, the pair, part of an all-female crew that included pop icon Katy Perry and civil rights activist Amanda Nguyen, are pushing back against what they see as a wave of misinformed backlash.

The six-woman crew blasted off early Monday morning aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket, soaring past the Kármán line, the internationally recognized boundary of outer space.

After several minutes of weightlessness, awe, and emotion, they returned safely to Earth, only to face skepticism from a handful of outspoken celebrities and online commentators.

Keep reading to know what’s cooking!

“Fired Up” and Not Backing Down

Sánchez, who is engaged to Amazon founder and Blue Origin owner Jeff Bezos, expressed her frustration over the criticism.

“It gets me really fired up,” the 55-year-old told People. “I would love to have them come to Blue Origin and see the thousands of employees that don’t just work here, they put their heart and soul into this vehicle.”

Her message? The mission wasn’t just about the passengers. It was about innovation, inspiration, and the workforce behind the technology. “They love their work and they love the mission,” she added. “It’s a big deal for them.”

Sánchez extended an invitation to the skeptics: “Trust me. Come with me. I’ll show you what this is about, and it’s really eye-opening.”

Co-passenger and CBS Mornings co-host Gayle King echoed that sentiment, emphasizing the deeper significance of the journey. “Anybody that’s criticizing doesn’t really understand what is happening here,” she said. “We can all speak to the response we’re getting from young women, from young girls, about what this represents.”

For King, the moment was about more than personal achievement; it was a symbol of progress. As longtime friend Oprah Winfrey, who was present at the launch site, put it: “Life is about continuing to grow into the fullest expression of yourself.”

The Critics Weigh In

Despite the celebratory tone from the crew, the flight was not universally applauded. Actress Olivia Munn sparked debate earlier this month during an appearance on Today with Jenna and Friends, calling the trip “a bit gluttonous.”

“What are they gonna do up there that has made it better for us down here?” Munn asked. “I know this is probably obnoxious, but like, it’s so much money to go to space, and there’s a lot of people who can’t even afford eggs.”

Other celebrities added their voices to the critique.

Olivia Wilde, in her Instagram story called The spectacle, said, “Billion dollars bought some good memes, I guess.” At the same time, model Emily Ratajkowski took to TikTok to declare, “That’s end time. Like, this is beyond parody.”

Comedian Amy Schumer poked fun by suggesting she’d bring a meaningless toy into space, and Kesha seemingly threw shade by sipping from a Wendy’s cup in response to a viral tweet, allegedly referencing Katy Perry.

A Mission with Meaning

But for the women onboard, including Aisha Bowe, a former NASA rocket scientist; Amanda Nguyen, a civil rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize nominee; and Kerianne Flynn, a filmmaker, the flight represented something deeply personal.

“This whole journey is about more than going to space,” said Katy Perry post-flight. “It’s about surrender to the unknown, it’s trust… I’m really feeling that divine feminine right now.”

Perry, who prepared for the trip by reading Carl Sagan’s Cosmos and brushing up on string theory, called the flight “the highest high.” She and King kissed the Earth upon landing, a symbolic gesture of gratitude and grounding after their celestial voyage.

King admitted she initially struggled with the label “astronaut,” feeling unworthy of the title. But the experience, she said, changed something in her. “They told me, ‘If you go to space, you’re an astronaut,’” she recalled. “And now, I feel it.”

Beyond the Glamour

While some critics view the flight as a promotional stunt for Bezos’s space tourism business, others see it as a powerful symbol of women pushing boundaries, both literally and figuratively.

The all-female mission was the 11th human flight for the New Shepard program and marked a milestone in the commercial space industry, which is still largely male-dominated. By putting women at the forefront of a high-profile space mission, Blue Origin is also shaping the public narrative around who belongs in space and why.

Sánchez summed it up in a moment of raw emotion after the landing: “The Earth was so quiet but also really alive. We are all in this together, and somehow connected. It makes me just want to hug everybody.”

She added with a tearful laugh, “I had to come back, I’m getting married!”

Conclusion

• Lauren Sánchez and Gayle King defended their recent Blue Origin spaceflight after facing public criticism from celebrities and commentators.
• Sánchez expressed frustration over negative reactions, emphasizing the dedication of Blue Origin’s workforce and inviting critics to see the work firsthand.
• King highlighted the inspirational impact the flight had on young girls and women, framing it as a symbol of empowerment and representation.
• Criticism came from public figures like Olivia Munn, who called the trip “gluttonous,” citing global inequality and the high cost of space travel.
• Other celebrities, including Olivia Wilde, Emily Ratajkowski, and Amy Schumer, mocked or questioned the purpose of the trip on social media.
• The all-female crew included Katy Perry, Amanda Nguyen, Aisha Bowe, and Kerianne Flynn, and they traveled to the edge of space aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket.
• The journey reached the Kármán line, allowing the crew to experience three minutes of weightlessness before safely landing in Texas.
• Oprah Winfrey supported King at the launch site, praising the flight as a personal and symbolic milestone.
• Katy Perry described the experience as “the highest high,” connecting it to themes of trust, surrender, and divine feminine energy.
• The mission was Blue Origin’s 11th human flight, and the first featuring an all-woman passenger list, a step toward gender representation in commercial space travel.
• Despite mixed reactions, the flight sparked a wider conversation about wealth, accessibility, and the future of women in space exploration.

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