US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy brought the all-female crew that flew to space this week back down to Earth a second time this week — saying they did nothing to meet the criteria to be called astronauts.
“The crew who flew to space this week on an automated flight by Blue Origin were brave and glam, but you cannot identify as an astronaut,” Duffy wrote Thursday on X.
“They do not meet the FAA astronaut criteria,” he added, pointing to the Federal Aviation Administration’s most recent guidelines under the Commercial Space Astronaut Wings Program.
While the crew may only qualify as “space travelers,” Duffy did praise America’s commercial space industry as “an inspiring project which showcases American ingenuity and exceptionalism” in his post.
On Monday, Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin flew his fiancée Lauren Sanchez, pop star Katy Perry, “CBS Mornings” co-host Gayle King, civil rights activist Amanda Nguyen, ex-NASA engineer Aisha Bowe and film producer Kerianne Flynn on the 11-minute flight.
But none of the crew members actually played a direct role in piloting the New Shepard 31 as it took off from the company’s base in Van Horn, Texas and soared 62 miles above Earth’s surface.
When the now-shuttered Wings Program was launched in 2004, it recognized anyone who flew into outer space as an astronaut. But in 2021, the FAA revised the rules, requiring that passengers “demonstrated activities during flight that were essential to public safety, or contributed to human space flight safety” to earn the prestigious title.
King said the group, who were decked out in formfitting jumpsuits and fake eyelashes, was serenaded by Perry singing “What a Wonderful World” aboard the rocket.
“We advanced science today,” Bowe insisted after the flight, adding, “More people are going to be able to do meaningful research with Blue Origin because we collected data.”
Even fellow celebrities blasted the trip for being a choreographed media stunt.
Model Emily Ratajkowski said it was “beyond parody” and Jessica Chastain shared an op-ed on X from The Guardian that said it “showcased the utter defeat of American feminism.”
Monday’s journey marked the first all-female crew since Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova’s solo flight in 1963.