Early this week, Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket carried six women - including pop star Katy Perry, journalist Gayle King, and Jeff Bezos’ fiancée Lauren Sánchez - on an 11-minute suborbital journey that soared just past the Kármán line, the internationally recognized boundary of space. The event was hailed as historic: the first all-female space crew since Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova’s solo flight in 1963. The launch was celebrated with celebrity fanfare, emotional reunions, and declarations of inspiration. But as the dust settles, it’s worth asking: What did this $28 million-per-seat spectacle actually achieve, and for whom?

The Price of “Inspiration”

Let’s start with the numbers. While Blue Origin no longer publicly discloses ticket prices, the first seat on a New Shepard flight was auctioned for $28 million, and current would-be space tourists are required to put down a $150,000 deposit just to start the process. Even conservative estimates put the per-passenger cost in the millions. In an era of economic uncertainty, with inflation squeezing families and basic needs going unmet for many, the optics of a handful of celebrities and billionaires’ partners spending the equivalent of a lifetime’s earnings on an 11-minute joyride are, frankly, jarring.

Blue Origin and its supporters frame these flights as democratizing space, breaking gender barriers, and inspiring the next generation. But let’s be honest: the only barrier being broken here is the sound barrier, and the only people being inspired are those who can afford to treat space as a playground. For the rest of us, the message is clear - space travel is open to anyone, as long as you have a deep enough pocket.

A “Historic” Moment - But for Whom?

There’s no denying the symbolic power of an all-women crew. For decades, space exploration was the exclusive domain of men, with women systematically excluded from astronaut programs. The sight of six women - among them a former NASA rocket scientist, a civil rights activist, and a pop superstar - floating weightless above Earth is, on its face, a powerful image.

But symbolism without substance is hollow. This was not a NASA mission, nor a scientific expedition. It was a commercial stunt, designed to generate headlines, sell merchandise, and promote Blue Origin’s space tourism business. The company’s website invites visitors to “join a future New Shepard mission” and buy commemorative souvenirs. The “trailblazers” on this flight were not selected for their expertise or their contributions to science, but for their celebrity and their connections.

As MSNBC’s opinion column put it, “Six rich women did what rich people do best in perilous times: blissfully abscond to the safety of their own private estates or islands or yachts - or, in this case, spaceship - and flaunt their wealth to the masses.” In a world where women’s rights are under attack and economic inequality is widening, this “historic” moment feels less like progress and more like a performance.

What Did the Trip Actually Accomplish?

Let’s look at the tangible outcomes:

  • No new scientific discoveries. The flight was suborbital, lasting just 11 minutes, with no research payloads or experiments conducted.
  • No technological breakthroughs. Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket is a reusable vehicle, but this technology has been in use for years.
  • No meaningful expansion of access. The cost remains prohibitive, and the selection process opaque.

What the trip did accomplish was a flurry of media coverage, a boost to Blue Origin’s brand, and a feel-good moment for the participants and their fans. Katy Perry described feeling “super-connected to love” and brought a daisy into space for her daughter. Gayle King marveled at the view and the experience of weightlessness. Oprah Winfrey wept with pride as she watched her friend return to Earth.

These are touching personal moments, but they do little to advance the cause of women in STEM, or to make space more accessible to ordinary people.

The Illusion of Progress

Blue Origin and its supporters argue that flights like this one are steps toward a future where space travel is routine and accessible to all[4][5]. They point to the rocket’s reusability and the company’s stated goal of lowering costs over time. But as one business professor noted, “Even ignoring development cost, there are six seats so each passenger would have to pay around half a million USD for this to be a financially viable ongoing business.”

In other words, the dream of affordable space travel remains just that - a dream. For now, these flights are exclusive spectacles for the ultra-wealthy, with little benefit to society at large.

What Could Have Been

Imagine if the resources spent on this flight had been directed elsewhere. What if, instead of a celebrity joyride, Blue Origin had sponsored scholarships for women in STEM, or funded research into making space travel safer and more affordable? What if the company had used its platform to highlight the real barriers facing women in science and engineering, rather than staging a photo op for the rich and famous?

There is no shortage of talented, passionate women who dream of going to space but lack the means or the connections. For them, yesterday’s flight was not a beacon of hope, but a reminder of how far we still have to go.

A Missed Opportunity

In the end, the all-women Blue Origin flight was a missed opportunity. It could have been a moment to spotlight the achievements of women in space science, to inspire girls from all backgrounds, and to push for real change in the industry. Instead, it was a $168 million publicity stunt that did little more than reinforce the status quo.

Space should be for everyone - not just the wealthy, not just the well-connected, not just the famous. Until companies like Blue Origin make good on their promises to lower costs and expand access, these flights will remain what they are: exclusive, expensive, and out of touch with the realities facing most people on Earth.

Conclusion

Yesterday’s all-women space trip was historic in one sense: it showed us just how far we have to go before space truly belongs to everyone. Until then, the stars will remain out of reach - not because of our gender, but because of our bank accounts. And that, in today’s world, is nothing to celebrate.