Gayle King and Lauren Sanchez Fire Back at Critics of All-Female Blue Origin Mission
Gayle King and Lauren Sanchez are not taking criticism lying down after their participation in the groundbreaking all-female Blue Origin NS-13 mission. The duo, along with a star-studded lineup that included Katy Perry, civil rights activist Amanda Nguyen, ex-NASA engineer Aisha Bowe, and film producer Kerianne Flynn, made history as the first all-women crew to venture into space since Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova's solo flight back in 1963.
Despite the monumental achievement, some celebrities, including Amy Schumer, Olivia Wilde, and Olivia Munn, expressed their discontent with the mission, voicing their opinions publicly. King, 70, addressed the backlash just hours after the crew successfully completed their 11-minute journey into space.
“Anyone criticizing this doesn’t really grasp what’s happening here,” King told People. “We’re receiving an incredible response from young women and girls about what this represents for them.”
Lauren Sanchez, 55, who is also the fiancée of Blue Origin founder and billionaire Jeff Bezos, responded to the criticism with passion. “I get really fired up. I would love for them to come to Blue Origin and see the thousands of employees who not only work here but pour their heart and soul into this vehicle,” she stated. “They love their work and the mission, and it’s a big deal for them.”
Sanchez continued, “So when we hear comments like that, I just say, trust me. Come with me. I’ll show you what this is about, and it’s really eye-opening.”
Earlier this month, Munn, 44, labeled the mission “gluttonous” during an episode of “Today With Jenna and Friends.” She questioned the purpose of the mission, saying, “I know this probably isn’t the cool thing to say, but there are so many other important issues in the world right now. What are you guys going to do up in space? What’s the point?”
Schumer, 43, also took a jab at the all-female crew, joking in an Instagram video on launch day, “Guys, last second, they added me to space, and I’m going to space. I’m bringing this thing. It has no meaning to me, but it was in my bag, and I got the text, and they were like, ‘Do you want to go to space?’ so I’m going to space.”
Wilde, 44, joined in on the fun, poking fun at Bezos for funding the mission’s exorbitant costs. She shared a photo of Perry kissing the ground after returning from space, captioning it, “Billion dollars bought some good memes, I guess.”
Model Emily Ratajkowski also chimed in, expressing her concerns about the environmental impact of such missions. In a selfie-style video on TikTok, she ranted, “That space mission this morning? That’s end time stuff. Like, this is beyond parody. You care about Mother Earth, and it’s about Mother Earth, yet you’re going up in a spaceship built and funded by a company that’s singlehandedly destroying the planet?”
Blue Origin’s New Shepard 31 launched at 9:30 a.m. from the company’s West Texas base, carrying all six crew members. As with previous space tourism missions, Blue Origin designed a special insignia for the women’s space suits, featuring their names and a nod to their individual works and ambitions.
This mission marks the New Shepard’s 11th human flight, further solidifying Blue Origin’s commitment to expanding access to space. The all-female crew’s journey is not just a milestone in space exploration but also a significant moment for women in science and technology, inspiring future generations to reach for the stars.
